Leah Remini's sister rips Scientology

The sister of celebrity Leah Remini's is talking about why the sisters have left Scientology after decades with the group.

Getting to Know.. Scientology

• 1911: L. Ron Hubbard is born in Tilden, Nebraska
• 1930's: Hubbard becomes known as a science fiction writer
• 1940's: Hubbard serves in the Navy during World War II
• 1950: Dianetics is published, putting forth the view that man is immortal, basically good and has loops of memory from past lives called "engrams" that must be cleared to bring unity with the universe and psychological and physical health. Drugs and other tools of psychology just create needless suffering
• 1953: Hubbard formally establishes the Church of Scientology (no relation to Christian Science)
• 1977: The FBI raided Scientology centers in Los Angeles and Washington and found evidence that Scientologists had been wiretapping
• 2000: Battlefield Earth is released, a movie based on a Hubbard novel starring John Travolta; it cost more than $100 million to produce and market but earned only $21 million
• 2000's: Scientology is considered a Cult by the governments of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Canada, etc.
• 2007: Financial gifts to the Church of Scientology by various celebrities are revealed, including:
Tom Cruise - $5 million (over the previous four years)
Kirstie Alley - $5 million (in 2007)
John Travolta - $1 million (in 2007)
Kelly Preston - $1 million (in 2007)
Priscilla Presley - $50,000 (in 2007)
• 2008: Actor Jason Beghe leaves the Church of Scientology. He took courses from the organization for 14 years and even appeared in promotional spots, but in a YouTube video he calls Scientology “destructive” and a “rip-off." Beghe had roles G.I. Jane and X-Men: First Class, and has been featured in numerous TV dramas.
• 2009: A New Jersey teenager is given a year in prison for orchestrating a cyber attack on Church of Scientology Web sites almost two years ago. 19-year-old Dmitriy Guzner pleaded guilty to computer hacking charges. He has denied being part of an underground group that protests the Church of Scientology as prosecutors claim.
• 2009: A French court convicts the cult and six of its members of organized fraud.
• 2009: The Church of Scientology buys a church building in Northern Kentucky. Scientologists pays $1.64 million for a building that once housed The Florence Baptist Church until the congregation moved into a new $15 million facility.
• 2010: The city of Clearwater fines Scientology more than $410,000 for not getting its new building up to snuff fast enough.
• 2010: A lawsuit brought against the Church of Scientology as former members claims the religious group is tied to human trafficking incidents.

Scientlogy Lawsuit

KTLA-TV in Los Angeles reports on a lawsuit brought against the Church of Scientology as former members claims the religious group is tied to human trafficking incidents.

Celebrity Scientology

The voice behind the cartoon character Bart Simpson is a Scientology supporter. Actress Nancy Cartwright donated $10 million to the group in 2007. That’s about twice her annual salary. In return, Cartwright’s been given Scientology's Patron Laureate Award. Here’s a rundown of other celebrity gifts given to the cult. Each member was given an award at a secret ceremony in Florida:

• Tom Cruise - $5 million (over the last four years)
• Kirstie Alley - $5 million (in 2007)
• John Travolta - $1 million (in 2007)
• Kelly Preston - $1 million (in 2007)
• Priscilla Presley - $50,000 (in 2007)

Cyber Attack

A New Jersey teenager has been given a year in prison for orchestrating a cyber attack on Church of Scientology Web sites almost two years ago. 19-year-old Dmitriy Guzner pleaded guilty to computer hacking charges. He has denied being part of an underground group that protests the Church of Scientology as prosecutors claim.

Scientology Decision

The Church of Scientology is calling a decision by a French court a "modern Inquisition." The church plans an appeal of today's verdict, convicting the cult and six of its members of organized fraud. They will spend as much as two years in prison and pay as much as $595,000 in fines. The 3-judge panel did not ban the church as prosecutors asked them to do. The issue came to court when two former members said the group defrauded them out of money.

Smith's Deny School Pushes Scientology

Will Smith and his wife opened a private school this year based on instructional methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. But Jada Pinkett Smith insists it’s not a Scientology school. Students are pushed to keep retaking tests until they score 100%.

The New Village Leadership Academy has 60 students and hopes to expand. She’s also been tapped to star in a new series on TNT called HawthoRNe. The couple have two children, ages eight and ten.

Church of Scientology in New Mexico

The Church of Scientology is asking the Albuquerque city council to allow the organization to move into a downtown building. KOB-TV reports.

Actor Dumps Scientology

Acotr Jason Beghe has left the Church of Scientology. He took courses from the organization for 14 years and even appeared in promotional spots. But in a YouTube video he calls Scientology “destructive” and a “rip-off." Beghe played Demi Moore’s love interest in the movie G.I. Jane and has been featured in numerous TV dramas.

Scientology Protest

Mostly faceless protesters gathered at the Church of Scientology located in Biloxi, Mississippi this weekend (it's actually called Mission of the Gulf Coast Church of Scientology). They wore a variety of masks to hide their identities out of fear of reprisals from the group. hey called it Operation Re-connect as opposed to a Scientology's own term disconnection - meaning breaking away from family members. Leaders say they plan to gather again next month. Here's what one of their earlier protests looked like:

WILL SMITH & SCIENTOLOGY

Actor Will Smith says he’s not a Scientologist. The rumor has been fueled by his close association with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Smith says he’s a Christian and likes to study various religions. Radar magazine reports the church is looking to gain members from the African American community, having opened a center in Harlem a few years ago.

WILL SMITH QUOTE

"You don't have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg. You don't have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don't have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise. I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths." – Will Smith in an interview with the New York Daily News

THEY SAID IT - WILL SMITH

“98 percent of the principles [in Scientology] are identical to the principles of the Bible.” - actor Will Smith