Peachy, I share with you suspicion about Scientology, but don't see any difference between it and many Christian groups, who don't get the same sort of scorn.
Most Christian sects have at some time required their people to give money, and in places like Germany they had actually got the state in on the idea.
As for it being a dangerous cult...
Someone once said that a cult was a religion without political muscle.
No one here seems to have any knowledge of them actually doing any violence to anyone ever.
Try to write down a description of the regime of Monks and Nuns to be found in most Christian groups, that doesn't sound cultish ?
I can't. Can you ?
They do try to convert people, that is of course the official duty of every Moslem and Christian. Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door, indeed all of us have had various sorts of Christian trying to convert us.
Don't recall any of them being outlawed for it.
I had a friend who became a Scientologist. His nickname before was "Mad Ian", so it wasn't much of a shock. So yes, I see them as more flakey then most religions, but not that much more.
Also I don't think I should have the power to enforce my view upon them. To me that's the basis of any religious freedom. Once you start saying that the state has the right to say what's OK to believe, it's hard to see that ending well.
In Germany Tom Cruise is being persecuted in a way that would cause outrage if he was a member of a more politically powerful religion.
OK, he's a movie star, and it's an inconvenience which he can live with, but what if he was just some bloke trying to do his job ?