There is a very interesting article the latest eSkeptic magazine (10 Apr 2013) entitled “Scientology Exposed”. It seems from all the rational attention Scientology is getting these days, that it might be the first major religion which could be wiped from the face of the earth much like the smallpox virus has been. It is arguably almost as nasty (though, luckily hasn’t managed to spread as widely as smallpox did in its heyday. Next stop, Mormonism, the polio of religions. 
First I wouldn’t call it a major religion. According the themselves, there are 8 millions adherents worldwide. Others estimate as low as 200,000 worldwide. (Wikipedia article). Second, it’s been around since about 1940/50. That’s nothing. Sure it has some popular adherents but so what. And third, the amount of damage it may have caused utterly pales in comparison to the real major religions of the world. If religion was an elephant, Scientology would be a couple hairs on the elephants behind, no more. So why debunkers spend so much time on it is beyond me. My guess is the other religions don’t like the new guy muscling in on their sources of funding.
I kinda agree with Cuthbert. Scientology is more akin to herpes than smallpox. I’m with you on Mormonism, Ullrich. Polio is an apt analogy.
It seems from all the rational attention Scientology is getting these days, that it might be the first major religion which could be wiped from the face of the earth much like the smallpox virus has been.I wouldn't get cozy with it. The Romans had their chance with Christianity when it was just some odd sub-cult within Judaism and they not only blew it, the more they cracked down it, the faster it grew until eventually, the Christians were running the Empire. In spite of all the evidence which tends to falsify it, religions have enormous staying power.