It might be possible during L. Ron Hubbard's "exile" days aboard his ship. If he decided to go to ground for a while, and his SeaOrg people came with him, then overly aggressive government actions against him could lead to such a standoff. It is well-known that he had become increasingly paranoid in those days, and that his followers were naming people as "suppressive" both right and left.
So if FBI with the Costguard had boarded his boat in US Waters back there in 1960s and it had let to a shootout. Would Scientology have existed today?
No...he's it. It's not like Catholicism where you can say "The Pope got shot but the faith is still here."
He's pretty much it. Especially back then.
Besides, there weren't big stars attached to him then. It wasn't like Yul Brenner and Paul Newman were going to stand up and support him or anything.
Whilst the Branch Davidians were a small cult isolated in one real base,Scientology is widespread enough to make this impossible. Also whilst the nutcase leader abused children,slept with various women and held hostages the Scientology movement is on the face of it clean (Although I for one belive that they brainwash people).
No...he's it. It's not like Catholicism where you can say "The Pope got shot but the faith is still here."
He's pretty much it. Especially back then.
Besides, there weren't big stars attached to him then. It wasn't like Yul Brenner and Paul Newman were going to stand up and support him or anything.
Actually, the Church of Scientology has been implicated in kidnapping people (who were detractors), threatening detractors, attacking detractors, purging records unfavorable to them, keeping people cut off from their families with devotion only to the church, etc., etc., etc.
IE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Freakout
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White
And Scientology is not really that widespread and its own numbers for members are dubious and likely very exaggerated.