The Church of Scientology is under attack. No, not from alien souls called ‘Thetans’ who want to inhabit our bodies, but rather from a new documentary that is set to air on HBO come March 29. The documentary has already premièred at the Sundance Film Festival and critics have heaped much acclaim on the film’s inside scoop on the religion and how it operates.

We brought you THIS a while back about that première,  including the revelation that HBO is reported to have hired a team of 160 lawyers to prepare for the inevitable backlash to follow. It was also reported that the religion pressured Tom Cruise into divorcing Nicole Kidman as she remained sceptical…that crazy Aussie right?

The Daily Beast have had a chance to feast their eyes on ‘Going Clear’ and had this to say:

It portrays L. Ron Hubbard’s strange history as a purportedly disgraced war veteran (who accidentally shelled an island) and alleges that he was an abusive, sci-fi obsessed husband. It also claims to show how Scientology grew, and eventually obtained tax-exempt status with the IRS, which has allowed it to thrive via tax-free real estate deals and donations.

Yeah, they do say one of the quickest ways to get rich is to start a religion, and it helps when you are a revered science-fiction writer with an already loyal fanbase. The mind boggles.

[source:dailybeast]