 breathing , paralysis , and death . Climbers are advised to begin their ascent at or before 6 a.m. and to summit and descend before early afternoon to minimize exposure to possible afternoon thunderstorms while at high altitudes . Although the most conventional form of ascent is by hiking , Anna Elizabeth Dickinson , the orator , ascended the mountain on a mule borrowed from the U.S. government .   = Scientology in Germany =   The Church of Scientology has been present in Germany since 1970 . German authorities estimate that there are 4 @,@ 000 active Scientologists in Germany today ; the Church of Scientology gives a membership figure of around 12 @,@ 000 . The Church of Scientology has encountered particular antagonism from the German press and government and occupies a precarious legal , social and cultural position in Germany .   German courts have so far not resolved whether Scientology should be accorded the legal status of a religious or worldview community , and different courts have reached contradictory conclusions . The German domestic intelligence service has monitored the organization 's activities . The German government does not recognize Scientology as a religion . It views it as an abusive business masquerading as a religion and believes that it pursues political goals that conflict with the values enshrined in the German constitution . This stance has been criticized , most notably by the U.S. government , which recognizes Scientology as a religion and has raised concerns about the violation of individual rights posed by sect filters .   Scientologists in Germany face specific political and economic restrictions . They are barred from membership in some major political parties , and businesses and other employers use so @-@ called " sect filters " to expose a prospective business partner 's or employee 's association with the organization . German federal and state interior ministers started a process aimed at banning Scientology in late 2007 , but abandoned the initiative a year later , finding insufficient legal grounds . Despite this , polls suggest that most Germans favor banning Scientology altogether .   = = Background = =   Scientology , founded in the early 1950s in the United States by L. Ron Hubbard and today claiming to be represented in 150 countries , has been a very controversial new religious movement . Its stated utopian aim is to " clear the planet " , to bring about an enlightened age in which every individual has overcome their psychological limitations . Scientology teaches that the source of people 's unhappiness lies in " engrams " , psychological burdens acquired in the course of painful experiences , which can be cleared through a type of counselling called " auditing " made available by the Church of Scientology .   The fact that Scientologists have to pay large fees for auditing and other Scientology services has brought controversy to Scientology throughout much of its history , with governments classing it as a profit @-@ making enterprise rather than as a religion . Critics maintain that Scientology is " a business @-@ driven , psychologically manipulative , totalitarian ideology with world @-@ dominating aspirations " , and that it tricks its members into parting with significant sums of money for Scientology courses . Scientology has fought innumerable lawsuits to defend itself against such charges and to pursue legal recognition as a religion . These efforts have been partly successful – Scientology has gained recognition as a tax @-@ exempt religious group in a number of countries , most notably in Australia in 1983 and the United States in 1993 , and in 2007 won an important case at the European Court of Human Rights , which censured Russia for failing to register Scientology as a religion .   The German government has said that it does not consider Scientology a religion , but a " commercial enterprise with a history of taking advantage of vulnerable individuals and an extreme dislike of any criticism " whose " totalitarian structure and methods may pose a risk to Germany 's democratic society " . Accordingly , the German government has taken a very strong stance against the organization . Germany is not alone in opposing Scientology ; in France , the Church of Scientology was convicted of organized fraud in October 2009 , after a court found that members had been manipulated into paying large sums for Scientology products , and the Church only narrowly escaped being banned altogether . Scientology is similarly controversial in Belgium , Greece and the UK .   On the subject of Scientology 's status as a religion , the German government has pointed to a 1995 decision by the Federal Labor Court of Germany . That court , noting Hubbard 's instruction that Scientologists should " make money , make more money – make other people produce so as to make more money " , came to the conclusion that " Scientology purports to be a ' church ' merely as a cover to pursue its economic interests " . In the same decision , the court also found that Scientology uses " inhuman and totalitarian practices " . Given the lessons of Germany 's 20th @-@ century history , in which the country came to be dominated by a fascist movement that started from similarly small beginnings , Germany is very wary of any ideological movement that might appear to be seeking a position of absolute power . References in Scientology writings to the elimination of " parasites " and " antisocial " people who stand in the way of progress towards Scientology 's utopian world " without insanity , without criminals
Ġbreathing Ġ, Ġparalysis Ġ, Ġand Ġdeath Ġ. ĠClim bers Ġare Ġadvised Ġto Ġbegin Ġtheir Ġascent Ġat Ġor Ġbefore Ġ6 Ġa . m . Ġand Ġto Ġsummit Ġand Ġdescend Ġbefore Ġearly Ġafternoon Ġto Ġminimize Ġexposure Ġto Ġpossible Ġafternoon Ġthunder storms Ġwhile Ġat Ġhigh Ġalt itudes Ġ. ĠAlthough Ġthe Ġmost Ġconventional Ġform Ġof Ġascent Ġis Ġby Ġhiking Ġ, ĠAnna ĠElizabeth ĠDickinson Ġ, Ġthe Ġor ator Ġ, Ġascended Ġthe Ġmountain Ġon Ġa Ġm ule Ġborrowed Ġfrom Ġthe ĠU . S . Ġgovernment Ġ. Ġ Ġ Ġ= ĠScientology Ġin ĠGermany Ġ= Ġ Ġ ĠThe ĠChurch Ġof ĠScientology Ġhas Ġbeen Ġpresent Ġin ĠGermany Ġsince Ġ1970 Ġ. ĠGerman Ġauthorities Ġestimate Ġthat Ġthere Ġare Ġ4 Ġ@ , @ Ġ000 Ġactive ĠScient ologists Ġin ĠGermany Ġtoday Ġ; Ġthe ĠChurch Ġof ĠScientology Ġgives Ġa Ġmembership Ġfigure Ġof Ġaround Ġ12 Ġ@ , @ Ġ000 Ġ. ĠThe ĠChurch Ġof ĠScientology Ġhas Ġencountered Ġparticular Ġantagon ism Ġfrom Ġthe ĠGerman Ġpress Ġand Ġgovernment Ġand Ġoccupies Ġa Ġprecarious Ġlegal Ġ, Ġsocial Ġand Ġcultural Ġposition Ġin ĠGermany Ġ. Ġ Ġ ĠGerman Ġcourts Ġhave Ġso Ġfar Ġnot Ġresolved Ġwhether ĠScientology Ġshould Ġbe Ġaccord ed Ġthe Ġlegal Ġstatus Ġof Ġa Ġreligious Ġor Ġworldview Ġcommunity Ġ, Ġand Ġdifferent Ġcourts Ġhave Ġreached Ġcontradictory Ġconclusions Ġ. ĠThe ĠGerman Ġdomestic Ġintelligence Ġservice Ġhas Ġmonitored Ġthe Ġorganization Ġ' s Ġactivities Ġ. ĠThe ĠGerman Ġgovernment Ġdoes Ġnot Ġrecognize ĠScientology Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġ. ĠIt Ġviews Ġit Ġas Ġan Ġabusive Ġbusiness Ġmas quer ading Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġand Ġbelieves Ġthat Ġit Ġpurs ues Ġpolitical Ġgoals Ġthat Ġconflict Ġwith Ġthe Ġvalues Ġenshr ined Ġin Ġthe ĠGerman Ġconstitution Ġ. ĠThis Ġstance Ġhas Ġbeen Ġcriticized Ġ, Ġmost Ġnotably Ġby Ġthe ĠU . S . Ġgovernment Ġ, Ġwhich Ġrecognizes ĠScientology Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġand Ġhas Ġraised Ġconcerns Ġabout Ġthe Ġviolation Ġof Ġindividual Ġrights Ġposed Ġby Ġsect Ġfilters Ġ. Ġ Ġ ĠScient ologists Ġin ĠGermany Ġface Ġspecific Ġpolitical Ġand Ġeconomic Ġrestrictions Ġ. ĠThey Ġare Ġbarred Ġfrom Ġmembership Ġin Ġsome Ġmajor Ġpolitical Ġparties Ġ, Ġand Ġbusinesses Ġand Ġother Ġemployers Ġuse Ġso Ġ@ - @ Ġcalled Ġ" Ġsect Ġfilters Ġ" Ġto Ġexpose Ġa Ġprospective Ġbusiness Ġpartner Ġ' s Ġor Ġemployee Ġ' s Ġassociation Ġwith Ġthe Ġorganization Ġ. ĠGerman Ġfederal Ġand Ġstate Ġinterior Ġministers Ġstarted Ġa Ġprocess Ġaimed Ġat Ġbanning ĠScientology Ġin Ġlate Ġ2007 Ġ, Ġbut Ġabandoned Ġthe Ġinitiative Ġa Ġyear Ġlater Ġ, Ġfinding Ġinsufficient Ġlegal Ġgrounds Ġ. ĠDespite Ġthis Ġ, Ġpolls Ġsuggest Ġthat Ġmost ĠGermans Ġfavor Ġbanning ĠScientology Ġaltogether Ġ. Ġ Ġ Ġ= Ġ= ĠBackground Ġ= Ġ= Ġ Ġ ĠScientology Ġ, Ġfounded Ġin Ġthe Ġearly Ġ1950 s Ġin Ġthe ĠUnited ĠStates Ġby ĠL . ĠRon ĠHubbard Ġand Ġtoday Ġclaiming Ġto Ġbe Ġrepresented Ġin Ġ150 Ġcountries Ġ, Ġhas Ġbeen Ġa Ġvery Ġcontroversial Ġnew Ġreligious Ġmovement Ġ. ĠIts Ġstated Ġutopian Ġaim Ġis Ġto Ġ" Ġclear Ġthe Ġplanet Ġ" Ġ, Ġto Ġbring Ġabout Ġan Ġenlightened Ġage Ġin Ġwhich Ġevery Ġindividual Ġhas Ġovercome Ġtheir Ġpsychological Ġlimitations Ġ. ĠScientology Ġteaches Ġthat Ġthe Ġsource Ġof Ġpeople Ġ' s Ġunh appiness Ġlies Ġin Ġ" Ġeng rams Ġ" Ġ, Ġpsychological Ġburdens Ġacquired Ġin Ġthe Ġcourse Ġof Ġpainful Ġexperiences Ġ, Ġwhich Ġcan Ġbe Ġcleared Ġthrough Ġa Ġtype Ġof Ġcounselling Ġcalled Ġ" Ġaud iting Ġ" Ġmade Ġavailable Ġby Ġthe ĠChurch Ġof ĠScientology Ġ. Ġ Ġ ĠThe Ġfact Ġthat ĠScient ologists Ġhave Ġto Ġpay Ġlarge Ġfees Ġfor Ġaud iting Ġand Ġother ĠScientology Ġservices Ġhas Ġbrought Ġcontroversy Ġto ĠScientology Ġthroughout Ġmuch Ġof Ġits Ġhistory Ġ, Ġwith Ġgovernments Ġclass ing Ġit Ġas Ġa Ġprofit Ġ@ - @ Ġmaking Ġenterprise Ġrather Ġthan Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġ. ĠCritics Ġmaintain Ġthat ĠScientology Ġis Ġ" Ġa Ġbusiness Ġ@ - @ Ġdriven Ġ, Ġpsychologically Ġmanipulative Ġ, Ġtotalitarian Ġideology Ġwith Ġworld Ġ@ - @ Ġdominating Ġaspirations Ġ" Ġ, Ġand Ġthat Ġit Ġtricks Ġits Ġmembers Ġinto Ġparting Ġwith Ġsignificant Ġsums Ġof Ġmoney Ġfor ĠScientology Ġcourses Ġ. ĠScientology Ġhas Ġfought Ġinnumerable Ġlawsuits Ġto Ġdefend Ġitself Ġagainst Ġsuch Ġcharges Ġand Ġto Ġpursue Ġlegal Ġrecognition Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġ. ĠThese Ġefforts Ġhave Ġbeen Ġpartly Ġsuccessful ĠâĢĵ ĠScientology Ġhas Ġgained Ġrecognition Ġas Ġa Ġtax Ġ@ - @ Ġexempt Ġreligious Ġgroup Ġin Ġa Ġnumber Ġof Ġcountries Ġ, Ġmost Ġnotably Ġin ĠAustralia Ġin Ġ1983 Ġand Ġthe ĠUnited ĠStates Ġin Ġ1993 Ġ, Ġand Ġin Ġ2007 Ġwon Ġan Ġimportant Ġcase Ġat Ġthe ĠEuropean ĠCourt Ġof ĠHuman ĠRights Ġ, Ġwhich Ġcens ured ĠRussia Ġfor Ġfailing Ġto Ġregister ĠScientology Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġ. Ġ Ġ ĠThe ĠGerman Ġgovernment Ġhas Ġsaid Ġthat Ġit Ġdoes Ġnot Ġconsider ĠScientology Ġa Ġreligion Ġ, Ġbut Ġa Ġ" Ġcommercial Ġenterprise Ġwith Ġa Ġhistory Ġof Ġtaking Ġadvantage Ġof Ġvulnerable Ġindividuals Ġand Ġan Ġextreme Ġdislike Ġof Ġany Ġcriticism Ġ" Ġwhose Ġ" Ġtotalitarian Ġstructure Ġand Ġmethods Ġmay Ġpose Ġa Ġrisk Ġto ĠGermany Ġ' s Ġdemocratic Ġsociety Ġ" Ġ. ĠAccordingly Ġ, Ġthe ĠGerman Ġgovernment Ġhas Ġtaken Ġa Ġvery Ġstrong Ġstance Ġagainst Ġthe Ġorganization Ġ. ĠGermany Ġis Ġnot Ġalone Ġin Ġopposing ĠScientology Ġ; Ġin ĠFrance Ġ, Ġthe ĠChurch Ġof ĠScientology Ġwas Ġconvicted Ġof Ġorganized Ġfraud Ġin ĠOctober Ġ2009 Ġ, Ġafter Ġa Ġcourt Ġfound Ġthat Ġmembers Ġhad Ġbeen Ġmanipulated Ġinto Ġpaying Ġlarge Ġsums Ġfor ĠScientology Ġproducts Ġ, Ġand Ġthe ĠChurch Ġonly Ġnarrowly Ġescaped Ġbeing Ġbanned Ġaltogether Ġ. ĠScientology Ġis Ġsimilarly Ġcontroversial Ġin ĠBelgium Ġ, ĠGreece Ġand Ġthe ĠUK Ġ. Ġ Ġ ĠOn Ġthe Ġsubject Ġof ĠScientology Ġ' s Ġstatus Ġas Ġa Ġreligion Ġ, Ġthe ĠGerman Ġgovernment Ġhas Ġpointed Ġto Ġa Ġ1995 Ġdecision Ġby Ġthe ĠFederal ĠLabor ĠCourt Ġof ĠGermany Ġ. ĠThat Ġcourt Ġ, Ġnoting ĠHubbard Ġ' s Ġinstruction Ġthat ĠScient ologists Ġshould Ġ" Ġmake Ġmoney Ġ, Ġmake Ġmore Ġmoney ĠâĢĵ Ġmake Ġother Ġpeople Ġproduce Ġso Ġas Ġto Ġmake Ġmore Ġmoney Ġ" Ġ, Ġcame Ġto Ġthe Ġconclusion Ġthat Ġ" ĠScientology Ġpur ports Ġto Ġbe Ġa Ġ' Ġchurch Ġ' Ġmerely Ġas Ġa Ġcover Ġto Ġpursue Ġits Ġeconomic Ġinterests Ġ" Ġ. ĠIn Ġthe Ġsame Ġdecision Ġ, Ġthe Ġcourt Ġalso Ġfound Ġthat ĠScientology Ġuses Ġ" Ġinhuman Ġand Ġtotalitarian Ġpractices Ġ" Ġ. ĠGiven Ġthe Ġlessons Ġof ĠGermany Ġ' s Ġ20 th Ġ@ - @ Ġcentury Ġhistory Ġ, Ġin Ġwhich Ġthe Ġcountry Ġcame Ġto Ġbe Ġdominated Ġby Ġa Ġfascist Ġmovement Ġthat Ġstarted Ġfrom Ġsimilarly Ġsmall Ġbeginnings Ġ, ĠGermany Ġis Ġvery Ġwary Ġof Ġany Ġideological Ġmovement Ġthat Ġmight Ġappear Ġto Ġbe Ġseeking Ġa Ġposition Ġof Ġabsolute Ġpower Ġ. ĠReferences Ġin ĠScientology Ġwritings Ġto Ġthe Ġelimination Ġof Ġ" Ġparasites Ġ" Ġand Ġ" Ġantis ocial Ġ" Ġpeople Ġwho Ġstand Ġin Ġthe Ġway Ġof Ġprogress Ġtowards ĠScientology Ġ' s Ġutopian Ġworld Ġ" Ġwithout Ġinsanity Ġ, Ġwithout Ġcriminals