Scientology is one of the world’s most popular cults religions, but thanks to a lot of hushing (or worse) from the big guys, little is known about its inner workings. You probably know about recent news stories about high profile church members like Tom Cruise’s divorces or Leah Remini’s departure from the church, but Scientology has been stirring up controversy for half a decade. Much of what we lowly mortals do know about the organization comes from escaped members and they’re often tales of abuse and brainwashing—much to the chagrin of leader David Miscavige.
Founded and developed by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in the early ‘50s, Scientology claims to be the only group that can offer society a cure from its many ailments. There’s more than 50 years worth of mystery to be revealed about the notoriously private religion. HBO's upcoming documentary Going Clear gives an in-depth look at the secrets of Scientology, with interviews from former members about the dark side of the religion. To learn a little bit before you watch the documentary, here are 20 things you likely didn’t know (and for your safety, probably shouldn’t know) about Scientology.
Rachel Aster Perlman is an aspiring funny person from New York. Follow her @cRAEzy.