Let’s have a look at these actors. You may recognise one of them from Grease, and the other for standing on Oprah’s couch. The one on the extreme right has made us follow her weight issues for decades.

You’s be mistaken for thinking this was a group of Hollywood celebs congratulating a friend getting their hands pressed into concrete on Hollywood Boulevard. Well, it’s not exactly that. They are listening to another celeb, but it’s at a Church of Scientology opening and actress Jenna Elfman is speaking (from Dharma and Greg, remember?).

With the Scientology documentary Going Clear doing the rounds at the minute, a whole lot has been learned about the “religion”, like the fact that they practically own the town of Clearwater in Florida.

Scientology’s impact has been devastating. It’s where it has built its headquarters and rules the place with an iron fist. The beautiful resort of Clearwater has millions of tourists every single year – but few ever set foot in the downtown area.

If you look at this picture, you’ll see 11 buildings marked as belonging to Scientology within a few small blocks.

Click HERE to see what all the buildings are for.

The Church owns “67 buildings over ten square miles, which includes motels, training centers, offices for ‘Special Affairs’ and ‘religious retreats’ for visiting Scientologists”.

Apparently city officials and the Church butt heads often with the most recent one regarding the building of a new aquarium.

City Commissioner Karen Seel told the Tampa Bay Times ‘I kept asking: “Why are you so against the aquarium?” I never got what I considered to be a good answer. After the meeting I thought and thought, and it’s because they want the rest of downtown for expansion. I think that’s their purpose.’

Let’s talk about the “Super Powers building”. It’s the main HQ and worth millions upon millions of dollars. What’s it for? Scientology followers “are charged thousands of dollars for special courses which will give them super human powers”.

Ex-Scientologist Mike Rinder was on the Board of Directors and was executive director for special affairs and PR amongst other things. He had to leave behind his entire family when he fled the church in 2007 after 34 years and is now an “outspoken critic”:

Clearwater should have a prosperous, flourishing downtown, but instead it’s the dead zone. People steer clear of it because it’s Zombie Land. The generally impression of Scientology to them is sinister and secretive and they don’t want to go anywhere near it. So they just stay away. Most of them are too afraid to say anything critical as they fear repercussions. So Scientology can do what it wants in Clearwater.

We’re not talking a handful of crazed and deluded fans, either. It’s thousands of people and a good pile of assets worth well over $2billion.

[Source: The Daily Mail]