I'm reading Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. "Prison of belief" - Jupiter sq Pisces! 
I've just started the book, but the author called Scientology a "boutique religion". What a wonderful phrase!

I have several people try to recruit me into Scientology when I was a teen and POOF! I don't know where you have to go to run into a recruiter these days. I haven't seen tables with Dianetics books on them for 30 years.

What do you know about Scientology?

I know there's a Scientology church/center in a stone building near where I live. I saw a gentleman standing outside there talking on his phone. There was a security guard visible just past the glass doors.

I have Pisces sq Sag.  I wore out two paperback books.  Back then in my little world I was considered on the fringe on this one.  Chiron in Aqua in the 11th. 

It seemed like a good concept at the time. 

A couple of years back I tried to access their web site and boy did it really mess up my computer. 

I figure it's like anything else when it comes to trying to organize a religion, it just gets convoluted. 

But yes, Where are they all now? 

I have heard it was started on a bet. Two sci-fi authors arguing re: create a religion of SciFi--would people buy it?

I can't verify it, but it is a fun rumor to spread.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote science fiction novels before the inspiration to formulate Scientology.

Science fiction vs. religion

How can you not blur the two?  The key word might be Heaven.  He ascended into heaven, define heaven. He came down from the heavens. 

Myths, legends, archtypes, bible stories, doesn't it all begin in the imagination of the mind. 

According to this book, he routinely beat his wife, Sara.   There was a terrible stigma to being divorced at the time (1940's), which is a worthwhile topic on its own.

Scientology is not officially recognized as a religion in Canada, and does not receive tax-exemption. There is a centre downtown. 'Would you like to take a personality test?' I looked at one once. 100 questions of 'what would you do if'. Too tedious. I didn't go further which is saying something---as a Sagittarius ASC, I am interested in all kinds of beliefs. There is a whole financial question involved--having to spend money. Religion should be free and access to information about the religion should be free as well. I support my country's refusal to classify Scientology as a religion. I also feel a lot of it borders on brainwashing and the money angle is the main reason I feel it is, if not a cult, then cult-like. Or cult-lite. 

In 1983 I was on an all-out attack for Philosophy.

I visited all the religions (Catholics, Christians, Mormons

Jehovah Witness, Buddist).  Took up a few college courses

on psychology...

... then I took the Scientology test.  Many questions.  Many.

It seemed like 300, but was probably more like a hundred.

I believe I mailed it in.  I got a call some time later with

them telling me:  "Hey, man, you're really messed up, you

better get in here quick"...  Click.

Yeah. 

Chad, everyone messes up on the Personality Test (seriously. They do).

@Kashmiri:  Hmmm...  Well...  I have had bosses tell

me to go home and smoke some pot...

And, I have had a jewish boss tell me I had a personality

disorder...

I have also had bosses tell me that they no longer felt

like they ran their own businesses...

Maybe if I become baptised "Scientological" I could

get into the movies...????????????????????? 

Myths, legends, archtypes, bible stories, doesn't it all begin in the imagination of the mind. 

Yes daisy. And I think the whole shebang ends there as well. Politics, Science, it's interesting to see how many things are really mindstuff. edit out

I read an interesting article on Scientology a month or so ago: Is Scientology Self-Destructing? It mentions that the number of Scientologists worldwide may be as low as 40,000; the number of people in the United States who identify as Scientologists dropped from 55,000 in 2001 to 25,000 in 2008. 

"Boutique religion" is a great phrase; I'm going to remember that one.

When I worked in bookstores (late 80s early 90s) Scientology folks used to come in and buy all the Dianetics books in one fell swoop (I think to keep it in bestseller mode?).

I would label it a cult.  No thanks.

@ Jilly: That is interesting about the bookstores. I work in a library, and we have been sent tons of unsolicited "donations" from the Church of Scientology. We added Dianetics and a few others to our collection, but we drew the line at a 10-volume "Encyclopedia of L Ron Hubbard". It's unbelievable the amount of money they must pour into spreading the propaganda!

The Warren Jeffs people also send us copies of his writings. They go straight into the garbage.

They're all out here in Hollywood. There are two Scientology churches (?) in my little neighborhood, including the big hq; at least four more buildings I can think of in Hollywood proper (I'm kind of adjacent ish) including the L. Ron Hubbard museum. On Hollywood and sunset boulevards - not cheap real estate.

Wiki article says there were 83 registered Scientology Members in my country 2008. I don't think the number has gone up since. They had big trouble financially here about 10 years ago, and I don't think the motherchurch is ready to pump money for such a small market.

Author Lawrence Wright is on Book TV talking about this book now.

It's over now but it is stored on the site and  can be searched for by title in the search box.

Thanks, jana. :)