Scientology. The First of the Comic Religions.

Ahhhh, Scientology. Where even to begin? I mean, I think it's funny that Belgium decided to prosecute Scientology. I mean, this makes basically two contributions from that country. And the first one was waffles. Actually, that might have been better than this.

Nonetheless, I find myself caught between two amusements: the idiocy of the religion and its followers, and the utter brilliance of L. Ron Hubbard as a manipulator of people's minds paired with his utterly horrible forays into literature (Battlefield Earth...I mean really, I just threw up in my mouth). Although I *do* find it interesting that the very process described by Heinlein in his fantastic novel "Stranger in a Strange Land" parallels on about three levels the way that Hubbard came up with Dianetics and his whole philosophical miasma.
Who was clowning who? Hmmmm...I'm actually too lazy to look up which came first. But neither scenario would surprise me.