Watch Bill Maher's documentary Religulous it covers all of the basics of Scientology

Watch the South Park episode about it. They also have a Mormon episode that's informative.

Scientology is a racket, pure and simple

Well, thank you friends, for the information. I can hardly believe there is something out there that is worse than the Catholics! I think they also have pedofiles!

It is one of the more inherently controlling and abusive religions, based on the documentaries I've seen and the testimonies of ex-Scientologists. It might well be the most abusive one of any size. I would have to characterize the Branch Davidians and the Jonestown cult, for example, as more abusive, but that turned out to be a self-limiting problem in those cases.

Any religion has to strike a balance between controlling and abusing followers, and sustainability / growth / profitability. Scientology is one of those that presses fewer individual adherents harder for fund raising purposes. It also has a penchant for going after more affluent members, which is why it focuses so much on Hollywood. Also, it appears that the more $$ and influence you can offer up to the religion, the more surreptitious privileges and exemptions you get.

Unlike David Koresh or Jim Jones, when Scientology founder Ron Hubbard felt the walls closing in on him, rather than lead his followers to death or exile, he only exiled himself and a handful of acolytes (he was "on the lam" abroad from the IRS for many years, living largely off a boat in international waters). On the other hand, ominously, Scientology is the only religious organization intimidating enough to coerce the IRS into reinstating its tax exemption after it had been revoked. You don't easily wear down the IRS, but they managed to do it.

usual cult sells you ways to better your self demands utter loyalty doesnt really have a god as such my friends mother was pretty high up in south african branch told some fcked up stories won't talk to her now or let her see her grandkids

I have the book of scientology in digital form. If you want it, I'll send it to you.

[en.m.wikipedia.org]

It is a business masquerading as a religion. They sell people “happiness” and self-actualization in the form of books and classes that they must continue to buy - they bully people into taking out loans to do so, for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. and when it doesn’t fix you, it’s because you didn’t try hard enough.