New headquarters for L. Ron Hubbard educational methods opens in St. Louis

This Associated Press story on the St. Louis opening focuses on the alleged link between Scientology and Applied Scholastics, and includes another stark denial from CEO Bennetta Slaughter:

Located on a hilltop campus overlooking the Mississippi River, a new educational center opening Saturday in north St. Louis County will teach methods developed by Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

But executives with Applied Scholastics International say the center is completely secular, licensing educators and schools in the learning methods Hubbard developed, known as study technology.

Hubbard, who died in 1986, is best known for establishing Scientology, defined by the church as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes and other life.

"We have no religious materials. They are separate organizations," chief executive officer Bennetta Slaughter said.

The article also includes comments from notorious cult apologist Gordon Melton, who not surprisingly weighs in on the side of Scientology:

J. Gordon Melton, director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, Calif., has written about Scientology and visited Applied Scholastics centers. He said Applied Scholastics presents itself as separate from Scientology, and from everything he's seen, that's the case.

Applied Scholastics isn't licensed to use any Scientology materials.

"It has to be separate, or it would just be too controversial," Melton said.

Read the full article here.