The author is not naive...he just has not had true firsthand experience with Scientology. Unfortunately he is wrong, it is a cult. My ex-husband's first wife got sucked into Scientology like it was a life-sized Hoover vacuum. She was told she would be serving the great good of mankind, fat chance. As long as you paid money for the courses that they offered (usually running from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars) you could achieve greatness. They DO believe in Xenu - there is a special website for Scientologists that he went onto one day and with her password read all about Xenu and their achieving clear in order to be a perfect being.

As for the Sea Organization, she was "called" to join/serve and they did not allow her to tell him on her own they called him down to the (so-called) "church" and told him that she WAS going and he was welcome to go with her, but with or without him she would be going to the Sea Org. This happened the night before they were to marry. When she went home that night to pack, someone escorted her to make sure she returned with them.

If Scientology were a true religion and church, they would not need thousands (more like millions - they are I believe now the richest church) to teach their followers. I paid a nominal fee for my son to go to religious education, and the nice thing about any church other than Scientology you can leave whenever you wish and during the day too! You don't have to run off and escape in the middle of the night. You can also still speak with your family afterwards too! They don't disown you for not attending services.

Yes in all religions there are zealots, wrong doings and hypocrites - but you aren't held prisoner and told if you leave you'll never see your family again.

That is sad, crazy and inhumane.

I feel everyone has a right to believe in whatever God they wish - I just choose not to believe in theirs. I wouldn't recommend anyone else to either.