That L. Ron Hubbard was a brilliant man, almost godlike. I suspect they have to hammer that into their heads for years to make them gullible enough to buy the denouement.
I seem to recall a thread around here in the not too distant past in which a FReeper w/some knowledge of the cult related the story that Scientology originated when Hubbard made a bet with some other guy (name would be recognized by most, but I don't recall it) that he could write a book of total horseshi'ite and be able to palm it off on enough people as 'religion' to get rich.
Barnum was right.