Editing Scientology ethics and justice (section)

== Statistics ==

In Scientology, production ''statistics'' (measurements) are of paramount importance. "Stats", as they are frequently called, are plotted on a graph, usually weekly, and the slope of the line of the graph indicates one's ''condition'' for the week. Per Straus, "the term statistics is more
generally used in a symbolic sense to refer to a person’s level of effectiveness and productivity or as a qualitative measure of the effects he/she causes." Stats are monitored by ethics officers, who may also "assign" conditions to others, regardless of stats.{{r|straus|page=71}}

{{blockquote|When you reward down statistics and penalize up statistics you get down statistics. If you reward non-production you get non-production. When you penalize production you get non-production.|author=L. Ron Hubbard {{r|straus|page=71}}}}

=== Ethics conditions ===

Hubbard defined seven levels of conditions (and five ''lower conditions'') and codified a ''condition formula'' to perform in order to rise to the next higher condition. For example, one starts a post in the condition of ''Non-existence''; if one performs the steps for the condition of Non-existence, then one rises to the next higher condition which is ''Danger''. Continuing to perform the requisite formulas, one will rise up to ''Emergency'', then ''Normal'', ''Affluence'', ''Power'', and finally ''Power change''. If one fails to correctly perform the steps of the condition one is in, one drops down to the next level lower.{{r|straus|benjamin}}{{r|hubbard-ethics|at=Chapter 5}}

The conditions are usually represented with Non-existence at the bottom and Power change at the top, and the conditions are assigned based on the angle of the line on the graph.
* Power change: What one does if one takes on someone else's post that was in a Condition of Power
* Power condition: A ''Normal'' trend in a new higher range
* Affluence condition: Line on graph is steeply up trending
* Normal condition: Line on graph is slightly up trending
* Emergency condition: Line on graph remains level or is slightly down trending
* Danger condition: Line on graph is more than slightly down trending
* Non-existence condition: Line on graph is steeply or vertically down, or no statistics at all

An example of a ''condition formula'' is the Emergency formula:{{r|hubbard-ethics|pages=112–113}}
# Promote.
# Change your operating basis.
# Economize.
# Prepare to deliver.
# Stiffen discipline.

=== Lower conditions ===

Lower conditions are ''not'' based on statistics graphs. When there is deviance from social or production norms, one is assigned one of the five ''lower conditions'', which also have formulas. The purpose of performing the steps of each formula is to get upgraded to the next higher condition until one is back at ''Non-existence''. The rankings of lower conditions start at the lowest level which is ''Confusion'', and rises through ''Treason'', ''Enemy'', ''Doubt'', ''Liability'', and then to ''Non-existence''.{{r|straus}}<ref name=benjamin>{{cite book |last1=Benjamin |first1=Elliot |title=Modern Religions: An Experiential Analysis and Exposé |year=2013 |isbn=9781257082612 |ol=38576378M |pages=241–242|publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref> An example of a step on a lower condition is step #3 of the ''Liability formula'': "Make up the damage one has done by personal contribution far beyond the ordinary demands of a group member."{{r|straus|page=76}}

{{Anchor|Ethics protection|Ethics upstat|Upstat}}

=== Upstat, downstat, ethics protection, Kha-Khan ===

A person whose statistic is up trending, is called an ''upstat''. A person whose statistic is down trending is called a ''downstat''.

In 1965, Hubbard wrote, "Ethics actions are often used to handle down individual statistics. A person who is not doing his job becomes an Ethics target" and goes on to detail how a Scientologist can protect himself from Ethics punishment by being more productive and keeping statistics up: "In short, a staff member can get away with murder so long as his statistic is up and can't sneeze without a chop if it's down."<ref>HCOPL 1 Sep 1965 (reissued 5 Oct 1985) "Ethics Protection"</ref>

If the staff member's production is sufficiently high (as evidenced by an up statistic), the Scientologist gains an immunity to the Ethics process (''ethics protection''), even if they have openly committed violations:
{{blockquote|text=When people do start reporting a staff member with a high statistic, what you investigate is the person who turned in the report. In an ancient army a particularly brave deed was recognized by an award of the title of '''Kha-Khan'''. It was not a rank. The person remained what he was, BUT he was entitled to be forgiven the death penalty ten times in case in the future he did anything wrong. That was a Kha-Khan. That's what producing, high-statistic staff members are – Kha-Khans. They can get away with murder without a blink from Ethics.... And Ethics must recognize a Kha-Khan when it sees one – and tear up the bad report chits on the person with a yawn.|author=L. Ron Hubbard|source=HCOPL 1 Sep 1965, "Ethics Protection"}}