So der Titel des Artikels von Diane Johnson, welche anlässlich zweier Neuerscheinungen hinter die Kulissen der Sekte blickt. Lawrence Wright, der für seine gut recherchierten Bücher bekannt ist, legt mit Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief eine ausführliche Hintergrundrecherche vor.

Wie bei allen Religionen, geht es auch bei Scientology vor allem um das liebe Geld:

To climb up to the bridge in Scientology is expensive, perhaps in proportion to what the church thinks you can afford and find worth the expense. Some people go into bankruptcy to stay, some balk and leave, but Scientology is a moneymaking outfit, like Avon or Herbalife, getting revenue by giving each person a bonus for recruiting others to the sales force, so that besides conviction, there’s a financial incentive to serve the group. Participants’ earnings—“stats”—are expected to be always rising, or else they face punishment and demotion.

The Hollywood actor Jason Beghe estimates that he spent nearly $1 million on Scientology donations, material, and courses. One of Wright’s principal informants, Paul Haggis, a successful and talented television and screen writer and director (Casino Royale, Crash), also spent a considerable fortune.