Only 25,000 Scientologists in U.S. says AP

[Kha Khan]

The Associated Press: Defections, court fights test Scientology

One major survey of American religion shows Scientology declining in the U.S., however. The estimated number of Americans who identify as Scientologists rose from 45,000 in 1990 to 55,000 in 2001, then plummeted to 25,000 in 2008, according to the American Religion Identification Survey.

WWP Thread: Only 25,000 Scilons in U.S. says AP

[ChuckNorrisCutsMyLawn]

It might be around 25,000, I always heard it was around 50,000 but that includes all the headless Scientologists too.

[Kookaburra]

If they had 25,000 in 2008, they could well be down to 10,000 - 15,000 now. There have been a lot of defectors in the last year.

[lkwdblds]

The Associated Press: Defections, court fights test Scientology



WWP Thread: Only 25,000 Scilons in U.S. says AP

25,000 in the entire U.S., that is a smaller number than I would have guessed. Speaking of only hard core members, who were actively paying for services, taking course, receiving auditing or attending the major events, I figured about 55,000 in the U.S. and maybe 100,000 world wide.

There are many indicators which can be used to determine a ball park figure for the actual number. There are the number of IAS memberships, which are recorded sequentially on one's IAS card, there are mailings of the major magazines, which are supposed to go to ALL Scientologists, and there are the Gross Income estimates around the world. CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY CLAIMS AS TO MEMBERSHIP ARE MERELY PR BOASTS AND MUST ALWAYS BE HIGHER YEAR TO YEAR, AS PER POLICY, TO MAKE IT SEEM AS IF MANAGEMENTS STATS ARE SKYROCKETING STRAIGHT UP. THEY MUST BE IGNORED.

Various websites relate the statistic of 200,000 circulation for the most important magazines. Due to the stat driven management system of Scientology, many more magazines are sent than need to be sent to reach all the members because everyone on staff is trying to get their stats up (and is willing to waste tons of money to do so). In my household, my wife gets a mag, my son gets a mag, my daughter gets a mag and I get two or three mags, each with its own variation of my name, you know with a middle name, with only a middle initial or with the middle initial of some other guy in Texas with the same first and last names. I may receive 5 or 6 mags and none of us in the household are Scientologists anymore. Multiply this factor by thousands and you see that the 200,000 mailing list may represent 50,00 to 100,000 members, somewhere in that range.

If you use the 25,000 figure in the U.S. and each active person paid $10,000 on average to C of S for his services, which is now a minor portion of the moneys or for the IAS, Ideal Org, Superpower Building etc., $250,000,000 would be generated, about a quarter of a billion dollars and this is probably pretty close to the actual accurate figure, a figure which used to be available to the public but which is now concealed from the public.
Lakey

[ChuckNorrisCutsMyLawn]

25,000 in the entire U.S., that is a smaller number than I would have guessed. Speaking of only hard core members, who were actively paying for services, taking course, receiving auditing or attending the major events, I figured about 55,000 in the U.S. and maybe 100,000 world wide.

There are many indicators which can be used to determine a ball park figure for the actual number. There are the number of IAS memberships, which are recorded sequentially on one's IAS card, there are mailings of the major magazines, which are supposed to go to ALL Scientologists, and there are the Gross Income estimates around the world. CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY CLAIMS AS TO MEMBERSHIP ARE MERELY PR BOASTS AND MUST ALWAYS BE HIGHER YEAR TO YEAR, AS PER POLICY, TO MAKE IT SEEM AS IF MANAGEMENTS STATS ARE SKYROCKETING STRAIGHT UP. THEY MUST BE IGNORED.

Various websites relate the statistic of 200,000 circulation for the most important magazines. Due to the stat driven management system of Scientology, many more magazines are sent than need to be sent to reach all the members because everyone on staff is trying to get their stats up (and is willing to waste tons of money to do so). In my household, my wife gets a mag, my son gets a mag, my daughter gets a mag and I get two or three mags, each with its own variation of my name, you know with a middle name, with only a middle initial or with the middle initial of some other guy in Texas with the same first and last names. I may receive 5 or 6 mags and none of us in the household are Scientologists anymore. Multiply this factor by thousands and you see that the 200,000 mailing list may represent 50,00 to 100,000 members, somewhere in that range.

If you use the 25,000 figure in the U.S. and each active person paid $10,000 on average to C of S for his services, which is now a minor portion of the moneys or for the IAS, Ideal Org, Superpower Building etc., $250,000,000 would be generated, about a quarter of a billion dollars and this is probably pretty close to the actual accurate figure, a figure which used to be available to the public but which is now concealed from the public.
Lakey

Their circulation numbers are not relevant when it comes to actual membership. I still get their embarrassing cult literature and magazines address to me., I don't have a problem with them wasting their money sending it, but it is a waste of natural resources and I do wonder if the mailman thinks I'm a freak who believes I have imaginary disembodied space aliens running around in my head

[lkwdblds]

Their circulation numbers are not relevant when it comes to actual membership. I still get their embarrassing cult literature and magazines address to me., I don't have a problem with them wasting their money sending it, but it is a waste of natural resources and I do wonder if the mailman thinks I'm a freak who believes I have imaginary disembodied space aliens running around in my head

I think we are in basic agreement here. The circulation figures are not relevant except for establishing an upper limit. We both agree the actual numbers are much lower, I say 25% to 50% of the circulation and admit that is just a wild guess and you say non relevance. Not much difference there, nothing worth arguing about.

Valid point about the wasting of natural resources, I never thought about that and agree with you there. The postman? He probably doesn't even look at the mags or associate them with you in any way and probably doesn't know about the space alien story. Even if he did, who cares? Surely you were not being literal about the postman, just making a joke, right?
Lakey

[HelluvaHoax!]

I think it is accurate that there are well over 10,000,000 Scientologists, considering....

TECH DICTIONARY: "SCIENTOLOGIST"
Any person who has reached for Scientology, inclusive of random pedestrians who walked in the direction of a stress test table or org with the intention of going totally free, even if they did not stop. (see technical explanation at "Com Lag").

[Pliny Younger]

25K?

LFBD

Rings true to me. Don't ask me why. Just feels correct.

[Smilla]

The important number would be churchies who spend money. Perhaps those who have spent money at least once a year in the last 3 years. There is no way of getting that information, but I'd be surprised if it's much over 10,000. Paid up IAS members would be a useful number.

[lkwdblds]

I think it is accurate that there are well over 10,000,000 Scientologists, considering....

TECH DICTIONARY: "SCIENTOLOGIST"
Any person who has reached for Scientology, inclusive of random pedestrians who walked in the direction of a stress test table or org with the intention of going totally free, even if they did not stop. (see technical explanation at "Com Lag").

Helluva - Didn't you once post that the number of "Scientologists" is much, much higher, maybe in the hundreds of millions or billions. These types of figures arise when disembodied beings who are released and go Clear in sessions are added to the mix. For sure those beings all were introduced to Scientology, be it without any bodies being present. Not only were they introduced but they received auditng and were set free so there it is. The C of S is being overly modest in the 10,000,000 claim, the actual numbers are vastly higher.
Lakey