HBO is showing a documentary right now called Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. It's two hours and worth every minute. I only thought I knew the details of their "belief system" - Xenu, the Galactic Overlord?? - but the inner workings of this group are scary beyond belief. L Ron Hubbard was a writer of pulp science fiction novels and basically made up this religion. When he died, this guy named David Miscaviage took over. He's maybe 5'3" tall and that plus the way he runs that group makes the Hitler comparisons more than obvious.
They make you do these auditing sessions - where you basically confess everything you've ever done to an auditor who uses a device to measure your body's response so you can cleanse yourself of the thetan aliens inhabiting your body. But the reality is that the auditors take copious notes and then create a dossier on you that is then used to blackmail and control you. Thinking about leaving? Your wife gets an anonymous note telling her you had impure thoughts about a female co worker. John Travolta thought about leaving - remember the whole "Travolta is gay" gossip?
And Tom Cruise is Satan's right hand. The "Church" kisses his ass, does anything he wants, buys him anything he wants, up to and including coercing female members to be Cruise's rent-a-girlfriend until he tires of them. Then the girls are punished within the "Church" for displeasing him. He is fucking nuts.
Most of the top leaders have defected over the last ten years, and are speaking out. They and their families have been stalked, harassed, slandered, libeled, and abused constantly. The "Church" has an "Office of Special Affairs" and they bought the house across the street from the former second in command and head of that OSA and kept cameras on him and his wife and baby 24/7/365 for five years.
If you get a chance to watch this film, do it.