Scientology: The Truth Rundown

The leader of the Church of Scientology strode into the room with a boom box and an announcement: Time for a game of musical chairs.

David Miscavige had kept more than 30 members of his church's executive staff cooped up for weeks in a small office building outside Los Angeles, not letting them leave except to grab a shower. They slept on the floor, their food carted in.

Their assignment was to develop strategic plans for the church. But the leader trashed their every idea and berated them as incompetents and enemies, of him and the church.

Prove your devotion, Miscavige told them, by winning at musical chairs. Everyone else — losers, all of you — will be banished to Scientology outposts around the world. If families are split up, too bad.

Fascinating articles from the St. Petersburg Times website, Tampabay.com, giving the stories of high-ranking defectors from the Church of Scientology concerning their leader, David Miscavige, the physical and verbal intimidation he doles out, the church's totalitarian "ecclesiastical justice," how the Church crookedly strong-armed the IRS to get its tax-exempt status back, and details into the cover-up of Lisa McPherson's death.

Of course, the Church is denying what they're saying, in their usually creepy manner. But be sure to see the "dirt" they dug up on the defectors for the reporters: aren't you glad to know that bungling a business deal is "treason"?