Is CCHR, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Church of Scientology Front?

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights is an organization whose primary purpose is to investigate, expose, and report psychiatric abuses.^₁ So far so good. If that was all CCHR was, I would join now. But in reality CCHR is more than that. CCHR runs an anti-psychiatry museum in Los Angeles, and CCHR's real motive appears to be the destruction of psychiatry, but I will deal with that in a separate article.² The question I want to answer in this article is whether or not CCHR is a front group for the Church of Scientology.³

The internet based group, Anonymous,⁴ which regularly protests the Church of Scientology says that the Citizens Commission on Human Rights is a front for the Church of Scientology. The CCHR says it is an independent organization. Who is telling the truth? ⁵

In answer to the question, IS CCHR PART OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY?, CCHR had this to say on its website.

"CCHR is an independent organization. It comprises members of the Church of Scientology and many others of various denominations, faiths and cultural beliefs. Scientologists are not unique in their view that psychiatry is harmful. People from all walks of life are concerned about the destructive impact of psychiatry on society. They work with CCHR to do something effective about it. CCHR's Board of Advisors-called Commissioners-include prominent doctors, lawyers, artists, educators, businessmen, civil and human rights representatives and professionals who see it as their duty to expose and help abolish any and all physically damaging practices in the field of mental health.

We are proud to have been founded by the Church of Scientology, which has a long and impressive history of human rights achievements. CCHR members work closely with Church members on social reform issues and consult with the Church's social reform or human rights departments."⁶

While the website is honest in admitting that the Church of Scientology founded CCHR and that it works closely with church members, it does not adequately detail the connection between CCHR and the Church of Scientology. This connection appears to be so close that it is hard to know where the one organization ends and the other begins. The connection, as I show below, calls into question CCHR's assertion that it is an independent organization.

Here are seven links between CCHR and the Church of Scientology which, in my opinion, prove that CCHR is not an independent organization.

The Only Donations CCHR Made From 2005-2007 Were To The Church Of Scientology

I have examined the IRS returns of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. According to CCHR's 2007 IRS 990 report, it donated $204,100 to the Church of Scientology. The Citizens Commission did not donate money to any other organizations during 2007.

Also, the only donations CCHR made in the years 2005 and 2006 were to the Church of Scientology.

From 2005-2007 All Of CCHR's Independent Contractors Appear To Have Been Scientologists

On its 2005 IRS 990 tax return, CCHR listed its highest paid independent contractor as Pat Frey,⁷ a Scientologist who was paid $296,075 for event production. She was paid $87,593 for work in 2006 and $116,136 for work in 2007.

The other top paid independent contractors of CCHR for the years 2005-2007 also appear to be Scientologists. I cannot prove this point with exactitude, but people with the same names show up in lists of Scientologists who have completed various courses.⁸

CCHR's Financial Records Are Maintained By A Scientologist

As listed on its IRS 990 tax forms for 2005-2007, CCHR's financial books are kept in the possession of one Serenity MacDonald, who is also a Scientologist. MacDonald maintains a web page on the site www.our-home.org, which is a Scientology website. ⁹

The Director Of CCHR, Jan Eastgate, Is A Scientologist

On October 7, 1988, the International Association of Scientologists awarded its Freedom Medal to Jan Eastgate.¹⁰ Rena Weinberg and Chick Corea were also awarded the Freedom Medal at the annual IAS Convention held aboard the Freewinds, the ship that belonged to the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology.

Many Of The Citizens Commission On Human Rights Advisors Are Scientologists

While the Citizens Commission on Human Rights does have some advisors from outside the Church of Scientology, more than thirty of CCHR's current list of advisors are members of the Church of Scientology.¹¹

The CCHR Receives Grants From The International Association Of Scientologists

The International Association of Scientologists states on their website that they funded the establishment of the international headquarters of the CCHR, including what they refer to as "the centerpiece of the headquarters," the museum, Psychiatry An Industry of Death.

The website of the International Association of Scientologists also states that:

"The harmful practices and human rights violations of psychiatry must be eradicated if we are to create a safe environment where the Aims of Scientology can be achieved. The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), assisted by grants from the IAS and United States IAS Members Trust, is working to clean up the field of mental health and eliminate the psychiatrists' violations of peoples' rights." ¹²

2007 New Year's Speech by David Miscavige, Head of the Church of Scientology, Shows Link Between CCHR & the Church of Scientology

Here are two quotes from the speech by David Miscavige in which he uses word like we and our when referencing both CCHR and the Church. I have emphasized the words.

"Accordingly, if not poetically, where better to begin a year-end review than with our 2006 campaign to break the dark spell cast across Earth by psychiatry."

"So while only 9 weeks have passed since global activation, here's the preliminary action report. CCHR Central has a tracking board designed to measure collateral damage from our campaign roll-out. It monitors both incoming complaints of psych abuse and outgoing psych alerts to state and federal prosecutors.

And while it's sometimes tricky to determine just whose bomb hit the ammo dump, this much is blazingly clear. While it takes a psych 8 years to earn his license, we've already yanked 21 in the last 4 weeks.

(Chuckles)

[Standing ovation]

Then there's all our campaign represents as a high-pressure system for an anti-psych climate of which the best barometer is the anti-psych media index. And while CCHR trackers describe the last 4 weeks as highest ever, the psychs themselves have a somewhat more descriptive name for it: Apocalypse now!" ¹³

My research makes it clear to me that CCHR is a Scientology front organization. So what you might ask? Does it matter? It does to me for two reasons. First I find it difficult to trust an organization which claims to be independent when it is not. Secondly, if I donate money to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, some of it ends up in the Church of Scientology. I do not want any of my money going to the Church of Scientology.

I do not believe that the Church of Scientology is a religion. I believe it is a psychological organization, and not necessarily a very good one. It has been recognized as a religion in the United States, but Germany, the UK, and some other countries refuse to recognize it as a religion.

In any event, don't take my word for any of this. Do your own research and see if it leads you to the same conclusion.

Footnotes

1. http://www.cchr.org
2. http://www.cchr.org/psychiatry_an_industry_of_death_museum/
3. http://www.scientology.org/
4. http://www.whyweprotest.net/en/
5. I do not belong to Anonymous, CCHR or the Church of Scientology.
6. http://www.cchr.org/#/faq/faq-is-cchr-cos
7. http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/Part05/Chp19/pg0340.html
8. http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/stats/aboutthelists.html
9. http://www.our-home.org/serenitymacdonald/myself.htm
10. http://www.scientology.ie/p_jpg/wis/wiseng/36/36-80s.htm This link and the one in the following footnote come from sources hostile to both the Church of Scientology and CCHR. Because the Church of Scientology seems to be reluctant to publish information identifying relationships between Scientologists and people associated with the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, I had no choice but to use this data. It appears to be well researched, although I cannot vouch for its accuracy.
11. http://forums.whyweprotest.net/69-cos-front-groups/fact-checking-cchr-board-advisors-6941/
12.http://www.iasmembership.org/news/cchr/index.html
13. http://psywifo.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/forschung/publikation/obliteratingpsychiatry.pdf