Protesters from around the globe have noticed a steady decline in activity at Scientology entities in 2012 and the New Year appears even worse. In 2008, the American Religious Identification Survey found that the number of American Scientologists had dropped to 25,000.

WireService.ca Media Release - Dec 12, 2012 - Many Scientology buildings are in disrepair, with countless millions required for renovations to even consider opening to the public. Montreal's new property purchase several years ago, with visions of renovating and opening an Ideal church ORG, still sits empty and the main church building in Toronto recently closed for renovations. Reliable sources from the new Ideal ORG in Quebec City say church "traffic is close to invisible - - a massive building sitting near empty.'

Scientology is infamous for fudging numbers and claiming outrageous statistics for membership. In 2007 a Church official claimed 3.5 million members in the United States, but a 2001 survey conducted by the City University of New York found only 55,000 people in the United States who claimed to be Scientologists.

Scientology's front group Narconon, a drug rehab cash-cow for many years, took devastating hits in 2012, with the Quebec government shutting down a 100 bed rehab and Narconon Arrowhead, Narconon of Georgia, and others, are under government and police scrutiny. Several patient deaths at Arrowhead and Georgia have attracted much media and public outcry, demanding they be shut down immediately.

Countless wrongful death lawsuits and human rights and freedoms investigations are no doubt draining Scientology's litigation war chest; one source claiming to be as much as one billion dollars. Some of the best, top lawyers in the USA are representing several complainants. In Georgia, the executive director was caught lying under oath for Scientology and just recently, the Court slammed Narconon with an unprecedented sanction.

As 2012 draws to a close, Scientology is licking its wounds and strategizing for several court battles in 2013 - - indeed a costly endeavour, both financially and bad public relations.

David Edgar Love