I hear you, narlacat, and as always, respect your views on Scientology. I too have read lots of craziness and have read many of OLG's posts with so much good, but disturbing, personal experience.
I am not ready to become a Scientology apologist!! LOL! But you know me - I've always got an eye out for the other side of things.
I do find the secrecy that seems to cloak Scientology off-putting. And of course, secrecy is one of the big red flags when it comes to classifying something as a cult or a religion.
I think if you have found something that works to make the lives of human beings on Planet Earth better and more joyous and more peaceful and more free then you have a moral obligation to sing that truth from the rooftops.
This is, of course, the idea behind witnessing your faith. And I surely don't see Scientologists sending people to other countries to proclaim the good news, though I do see them sending people to other countries to up their numbers and their wallets.
When all is said and done, the only thing I'm pretty sure of is that if we humans were handed The Truth with instructions in print and on video, we would - in service to our own egos - find some way to screw it up!! Bless our hearts....I'm sure glad I believe in a patient God!