Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)

There's not much more to say honestly. Winner of 3 primetime Emmy awards, '' Going Clear '' destroys all of Scientology's lies in one riveting swoop. The whole documentary is really well made and painfully interesting. Good on them for speaking out against this sordid cult.

----It always shocks me (almost physically) when listening to individuals explain the allures a certain cult had for them..."Going Clear" contains dozens of such interviews of individuals who had been ardent supporters of Scientology---many of them, quite successful in their particular fields of endeavour....---The truly "shocking" aspect for me is in realising the almost limitless number of the truly gullible and credulous who are living among us....WHAT makes a person so weak? WHAT causes an otherwise intelligent individual to suspend all rational disbelief---and buy into whatever claptrap a smooth-talking confidence man (such as L. Ron Hubbard) is selling?----I confess to being totally at a loss as to why anyone would be attracted to such a cult--- not being (at all) a "follower-type," and a born sceptic, to boot....It is fascinating, however, to hear the various stories of those who succumbed to Hubbard's siren song (the type of "fascination" one experiences when viewing an accident in slow-motion, in order to discover where the driver went terribly wrong).....

This is not a documentary, it deliberately shows one side only. All the interviewees are people that have been many many years ago members and all of them have a negative attitude towards Scientology. Isn't it peculiar that ALL of the interviewees are of that sort?It is called hate, discrimination, but even that hate isn't genuine -it's all for the buck only.

If you wanted to know about Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism. You might go to a church, temple or mosque and speak to a cleric or preacher and ask for more information. They would probably give you some leaflets and pamphlets. If you were interested in converting they would ask you to attend some talks, visit some classes so you will learn more.With Scientology, it will cost you hard cash. Want to know more? We take Visa and Mastercard.Of course Scientologists are more subtle at first. I first noticed them in adverts in computer magazines for Dianetics, where you unleash the full potential of the brain. They had a picture of Einstein in the ads.First time I saw Scientologists it was in Hollywood Boulevard. They just kind of approach you by handing out leaflets. It is the first step in getting you to do some initial audits and then sucker you into buying their books and courses. They have a big building just up the road.Over the last few years, the organisation has been criticised by ex members, ex sea-org workers who have posted their critique online and on YouTube type video sites. Scientologists so keen to go on the offensive to take down dissenters have problems shutting down people in the internet age.Going Clear was an expose of L Ron Hubbard, the pulp fiction writer who embellished his own status and started a cult and planned to make as much money as he could and keep it.It was also an unveiling of David Miscavige under whose leadership they have amassed billions of dollars in assets and tax exemption status as they are classified as a recognised religion despite the bullying tactics used against the IRS and other government departments.The key revelations are by ex church members some of them who were high up in the church, even involved in high profile smearing of rivals and critics. The dirty tricks brigade of the church is really eye popping. I am surprised the FBI have not branded them as a terrorist organisation.With Paul Haggis, the Oscar winning screenwriter I was aware of his public falling out with the church especially as the Scientologists are anti gay and Haggis had two gay daughters which seemed to be the source of the friction.Their is always the suspicion that these vocal critics have an axe to grind. They are ex members who have fallen out. Some of them lied, bullied and deceived on behalf of the church. One of them publicly denied that the church beat and humiliated people to another documentary crew a few years ago and now admits he lied.The church was given a right to reply but they declined. Membership of Scientologists is apparently falling and dissent is growing and becoming more public.No doubt that this was an interesting and wide ranging documentary, maybe a little too long. I did feel that the focus on Tom Cruise did smack a little like character assassination by using clips to make him look weird. In essence it has the problems of a lot of documentaries where you feel it was slanted to do a hatchet job even though it was deserved in this case.