That not only did Hubbard found it that long ago, but the IRS actually took it seriously as early as 1993, when here in Europe it's very much something of the 2000s. Of course, Europe having a less strict view of religious freedom (as of many things), new and very silly religions like Scientology are going to run into legal trouble hard, as indeed they do in France and Germany.

I wouldn't mind the movement collapsing, as it's hard to see it doing much good to balance out all the bad. So let's hope the defectors are right, though those experts were probably wise to question that.