Personally, I think it's ridiculous, corrupt, and evil. Of course, my religion has been all of those things at one time or another, too, so I must tread carefully.
I just don't understand how someone could have a health problem and think it was being caused by the ghosts of aliens. Keep in mind that I believe in demons, and this still sounds insane to me. Also, if I were perusing the Scientology pamphlet and thinking about joining the Church, and assuming that the whole "pay your way to paradise" thing didn't arouse my suspicion, I'm pretty sure about the time I got to the part about the Dread Space Warlord Xenu I'd probably look for spiritual fulfillment elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I mean I think that my religion would be a touch more exciting if it had Galactic Empires and evil alien emperors too, I mean, Jesus and Xenu could have this dramatic throwdown like the end of Revenge of the Sith, but really, doesn't that sound retarded, even for a religion? Especially when it's founder was a guy who wrote horrible surreal science fiction while drunk and drugged up and floating around on a sailboat. Seriously, it seems like this never should have gotten as popular as it did.
Now, assuming that Scientologists are responsible for the things people are claiming, like murders for example, then those who are accountable should be held responsible, and by that I mean those specific people who had a hand in the evil deeds, not the Church as a whole, ridiculous though it may be. I really don't think that the US judicial system could disband the Church or anything like that, and if they did, I would be frightened, because even though I think Scientology is a big scam for the mentally unsound and the easily manipulated, we still have to respect it as a religion and not inhibit the free practice thereof. If we don't what's to stop someone from saying "Gee, you know that religion that worships a Jewish carpenter who lived 2,000 years ago, I think that whole things a scam and they've done all sorts of horrible things over the last millennium or two and should be dissolved. Plus, I mean come on, eternal life? Streets made of gold?! God Incarnate dying for all mankind?!" In this country, freedom means taking the good with the bad.
Still, I live in exciting times, and I feel like I may be watching history in the making. It's like I live in some weird hybrid of a Orwell, Bradbury, and Moore story.
