What do you think?

Everything I have read, seen or heard about it, in my view it is a cult. Slave labor, Human trafficking, racketeering, intimidation just to name a few crimes.

L. Ron Hubbard stated in the 1940's "If you want to become rich, start a religion". Why not, the guy failed miserably at everything else in his life. He did have a memorable career in the Navy I must say when he commanded the Sub chaser and saw a barrel in the water and thought it was a Submarine and called in all resources and tied them up for two days using every last bit of ammo they had, calling in other ships and planes for attack and all off the Oregon Coast.

Then less then a month later in the same ship he navigates wrong and ends up in Mexico and decides to do a live fire exercise firing into Mexican territory causing an international incident getting him removed from command and basically sacked and finishing his military career in a Naval hospital for an ulcer. Yet he claims that he had 21 war decorations and medals, sailed into Japan, wandered around the island for three days, was blinded by a grenade, was paralised and cured himself using his secret method you can discover by buying his book. The Navy released his file completely and he only had service ribbons and was denied a promotion, but he counters that he was a deep cover Naval Intelligence Agent That one I cant stop laughing about given the fact he was the commanding officer of two easily avoidable screw-ups, hardly the type a highly decorated naval intelligence officer would make. Also Naval intelligence officers aren't in command of a small sub chaser stationed in Oregon, they are in the field or in Washington.......

So many former high ranking members have come out with the many crimes committed. If Scientology was on the up and up why would they hire Private Investigators to follow and harass former members up to decades after they leave?

Then there is the whole disconnect policy, that is the biggest red flag that what you involved with is a cult.

Cult,dangerous one too!

Damn... Now I want some Kool-Aid.

make sure it is not Bitter-Almond-Flavored!

I am not well versed in scientology but from what I have viewed, it seems pretty ridiculous to me.

As of March 11, 2016, the established church of Scientology in the United States lost its tax-exempt status after a ruling of the Supreme Court.

So, no, it is not a religion. =)

And they are going to owe Uncle Sam SO MUCH MONEY.

Edit: Of course, the loss of tax-exempt status doesn't necessarily mean the "cult" can't still be deemed as a religion, but in the view of the IRS, which is a pretty big judge of character, they do not meet the requirements for tax-exempt status as a religious organization.

To me that's a very big deal. =)

Definitely cultish.....

Unless I'm wrong,
Religions are based around and upon a CREATOR or GOD figure,

And Scientology is based around/upon (so I understand) attaining different levels of clearness

So I would have to say it is a CULT.

Where did you see that? I haven't heard anything about them losing their tax exempt status. I am hoping your right though.

After you pay about $1,000,000 (conservative estimate) they give you a copy of this novel that reads like an episode of Star Trek where all the supposed secrets of the universe are revealed about space warlords and spirits that were dropped in volcano's by space ships that were identical to the Douglas Passenger Aircraft and then nuclear bombs were dropped on them and all those spirits are still here because of a galactic overlord named Xenu or some BS like that.

Go get one of those free stress tests. The Brainwashing starts there. Then they will I promise you will find some drastic problem (like your suicidal) with you that they say they can cure then try and sell you the Dianetics book for $50.00, then to get to the next level it will cost you around $1,000.

Scientology cost Tom Cruise two marriages. Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. You would think he would learn by now........

maybe a second reason...

Technically all religions are cults, it's just that some get an "accepted" status. So the question one must ask is:

How many members does a religion have to have before it no longer becomes a "cult?"

apparently no such luck!

http://www.snopes.com/church-scientology-tax-exempt/

FALSE

Origin:On 11 March 2016, social media users began spreading a report that the U.S. Supreme Court had revoked the Church of Scientology's tax-exempt status:

In a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court today, the eight justices ruled in favor of revoking the Church of Scientology’s tax-exempt status in the United States. Under the ruling, Scientology will still be able to operate as a business but no longer as a non-profit religious organization.

There was no truth to this rumor, however. It was just a bit of fiction apparently originating with one of the clickbait fake news malware sites that illegally appropriate the trademarks of legitimate news organizations in order to drive traffic and thereby generate advertising revenues. One such site carries a disclaimer reading:

If you are reading this, you've been duped yet again by one of my unimaginative, unfunny fake "news" stories. More money for me, you stupid idiot. Ha, ha!

In reality, the history of the relationship between the Church of Scientology and the Internal Revenue Service is a long and complicated one. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 but lost its religion-based tax-exempt status in 1967 when the IRS determined the outfit was a commercial enterprise and not a religious one. However, after Scientology operatives engaged in a lengthy organized campaign by (including lawsuits, investigations by detectives hired by Scientology's lawyers to dig into the private lives of IRS employees, the creation of phony news bureaus, and the group's financing of whistleblowers to attack the IRS publicly), the Internal Revenue Service granted tax exemptions to Scientology organizations again in 1993.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a42957/fake-supreme-court-scientology-ruling/

Don't Believe the Fake Reports. The Church of Scientology Is Still Tax Exempt.

Actually they are not. People who leave Scientology actually escape and that is an accurate term. It is like escaping from a prison.

* Their members know they are the correct religion and need to save everyone from being mislead.

I usually define a cult as any group that has specific rules about food, clothing, who you can talk with, apperance, etc. If a deity is so powerful, why do they need you to dress a certain way, not eat certain foods, etc. This is only done so people can be controlled. No group can get you into heaven... it is your own actions... whether you pass through the pearly gates or have Anubis weigh your heart against a feather.

depends on what god is king when you die as to you need to present to Anubis... i have a gold coin for when i meet him...

haha, i just watched "the gods of Egypt"...