[Rocko]

Hubbard discovered that starting a milk-cow "religion" would bring him more income than writing for a hundred years for Astounding would ever have. He also suckered a number of other science fiction writers with going along with his loony theories for a short time (to their embarrassment).

Scientology is a criminal, dangerous cult.

[Surtur]

Hubbard discovered that starting a milk-cow "religion" would bring him more income than writing for a hundred years for Astounding would ever have. He also suckered a number of other science fiction writers with going along with his loony theories for a short time (to their embarrassment).

The rumor is that Hubbard and several other sci-fi writers met at a convention and got drunk together. One of the topics under discussion was that any sci-fi writer worth anything could create a religion easily. Hubbard then made a bet with Isaac Asimov over who could create a religion first. Hubbard won, proving once again that some people will follow any goof no matter how inane his proposals are.

[antiRepublicrat]

Hubbard discovered that starting a milk-cow "religion" would bring him more income than writing for a hundred years for Astounding would ever have.

So we're not accused of throwing around unfounded accusations here on FR, let's get some facts. Harlan Ellison ("A Boy and His Dog" and the story that Terminator is based on) said that Hubbard told John Campbell (editor of Astounding), "I'm going to invent a religion that's going to make me a fortune. I'm tired of writing for a penny a word." Sam Moskowitz (sci-fi historian) backs this up.