Is scientology any less valid than any other world religion?

[Meeker]

We may have had a thread similar to this at some point, so forgive me if I'm repeating.

I was talking with a friend the other day and somehow or another Tom Cruise came up. He said how much he disliked Cruise because scientology was crazy and such. Keep in mind that this friend isn't religious at all and probably has never been to a church service in his life. Anyways, I said that while I thought scientology was ridiculous, it really wasn't any more ridiculous than any other organized world religion.

Obviously people with strong religious beliefs are going to disagree with my statement, so this is mainly directed at those who don't believe in an organized religion. Is scientology any worse of a religion than others? Should you disdain a scientologist any more or less than you would a follower of any other world religion? (Including the possibility of not having any disdain, of course).

[Meeker]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

[Meeker]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

Define "belief". Define "followers". Define "crazy" and Define "wrong".

Semantics are so important in debates like this.

Should those people who accept the doctrine of scientology as presented by the leadership of the chuch be viewed with any greater disdain (or lack of disdain) than people who accept the doctrine of any other religion as presented by the leadership of their respective churches?