"It was all built on lies," Collbran said. But recently even some celebrities have begun to abandon the church, the most prominent of whom is the director and screenwriter Paul Haggis, who won Oscars for Million Dollar Baby and Crash. Mr. Haggis had been a member for 35 years. Last year, it built or renovated opulent Scientology churches, which it calls Ideal Orgs, in Rome; Malmo, Sweden; Dallas; Nashville, Tenn.; and Washington. Her parents were dedicated church members in Los Angeles, and she attended full-time Scientology schools for several years. Soon after, naturally, Collbrans strings were yankednot pulledback to Rinders bed in Florida. In Johannesburg, officials made the church look busy for publicity photographs by filling it with Sea Org members, the Collbrans said. They signed a contract for a billion . The 42-year-old finished Saturday's Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend wheelchair half-marathon in 2 hours and 37 seconds. In 11 hours with a reporter over two days, Davis, the church's spokesman, gave the numbers of Sea Org members (8,000), of Scientologists in the Tampa-Clearwater area (12,000) and of L. Ron Hubbard's books printed in the last 2 1/2 (67 million). Instead of reporting to Sussex, he decidedto leave the churchin 2007. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0'); In his website bio, Rinder says he left the church after he decided that "there was no way he could change the culture of violence and abuse that had become endemic under the leadership of David Miscavige. Christie talks about Jim Lynch, the washed-up reporter hired by "Freedom" magazine to harass targets of scientology's Fair Game campaigns. After signing a "billion After graduating high school in April 1973, Rinder worked for his now-deceased father in the wholesale grocery business. "It was all built on lies," Collbran said. However, Miscavige was unhappy that Rinder could not stop the documentary from being premiered. It is a gradual process, but eventually scientologists become convinced they are the only people on earth who understand what is going on, that anyone who questions or doubts them is an "enemy of mankind" and that hurting people or destroying their lives is justified as being for the "greater good." if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'biographyhost_com-box-3','ezslot_1',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-3-0'); Mike Rinder is an Australian-American former Scientologist known for being a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization (Sea Org), based in California. Defectors Say Church of Scientology Hides Abuse, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/us/07scientology.html. She joined the Sea Organization at 16 in 1993 and married Chris Collbran at 22 in 1999. TRANSCRIPT: Our family was going along this path. Completely. Then, in 2006, even while their fractured marriage was nearing its end, Christie got pregnant. And so the couple continues their sorry affair, having alienated their families and saddled with a child born out of deception. The defectors say that Sea Org members were repeatedly beaten by the church's chairman, David Miscavige, often during planning meetings; pressured to have abortions; forced to work without sleep on little pay; and held incommunicado if they wanted to leave. She knew that the Sea Org did not allow its members to have children, and she had known women who were removed when they refused to have abortions. Since Anonymous has come forward, said Marc Headley, who belonged to the Sea Org for 16 years, more and more people who have been abused or assaulted are feeling more confident that they can speak out and not have any retaliation happen.. ", "It's so not news," she said. Finally, Ms. Collbran was permitted to go to Los Angeles, but husband and wife were kept separated for another three months, the Collbrans said, while they went through hours of special auditing sessions called confessionals. The auditors tried to talk them out of leaving, and the Collbrans wavered. Well, at least they have each other. Despite all they have been through together, the Collbrans are divorcing. Mike Rinder's then girlfriend, Christie, verbally attacked her mother, Liz, and publicly humiliated both her parentsbehavior her father had never . Actress: Bad Girls. "Eventually I realized I was part of a con," he said, "and I have to leave it and get on with my life.". NBC Today show - Christie King Collbran Posted on March 9, 2010 by Mark C. Rathbun | 114 comments Tune into NBC Today show this morning (7 or 7:30) your time to watch the Mat Lauer interview with Chrsitie King Collbran. Now, at the age of 33 and after the lengthy and costly process of leaving the organization, she says the leaders of the Church of Scientology are greedy and abusive tyrants who have perverted the original teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. They worked seven days a week, on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. To make their numbers look good for headquarters, South African parishioners took their maids and gardeners to church to be counted. Fair enough, except she didnt tell it all. But there were a few pertinent details that went unmentioned on her ambling interview with Cooper. And it was her decision. They went through that file, wrote this affidavit as if I wrote it and I never wrote this affidavit, the church wrote it and made me sign it.. The same year, she left the Sea Org and Christ. March 7, 2010 Courtesy of Christie King Collbran . After failing such job attempts, he teamed up with some other individuals who were also expelled from the Church to establish a competitor church. Scientologists are cut off from observation and told what to think. Now, all Mike wants to do is "expose the abuses ongoing in the church" and "provide a forum for the exchange of information." All of the personal things you ever said, all the secrets, the transgressions, are all kept in there. "All of the personal things you ever said, all the secrets, the transgressions, are all kept in there. She began acting in musical theatre productions at the age of four, which led her to roles in film and television. Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. By 10, Ms. Collbran had completed the Purification Rundown, a regimen that involves taking vitamins and sitting in a sauna (a fixture inside every Scientology church) for as much as five hours a day, for weeks at a time, to cleanse the body of toxins. "These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.". He visited the founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard's home in England with his family for the first time in 1966. Coopers response as to why he didnt let his viewers know would no doubt be his favorite catchphrase: I didnt think it was relevant.. She joined the Sea Organization at 16 in 1993 and married Chris Collbran at 22 in 1999. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_12',171,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); It was her second marriage, and the information about her first marriage is unknown. Although she and her parents were very close, she said they had spent so much to advance up the bridge that they could not afford to attend the wedding. He said the church does require departing staff members to pay freeloader bills and to sign affidavits drawn up by church officials, but he contends that the affidavits never contain confidential information drawn from auditing sessions. And one day, while Mike was in London, I was not hearing from him at all. "You're in fear," Chris Collbran said. Mike Rinder - Wikipedia The family livedas the Kings still doin a suburb outside Los Angeles. Freedom Magazine: Christie Collbran's Affair with Mike Rinder, CNN Rinder later toldThe New York Timesin March 2010 that his mother, sister, brother, daughter, and son disconnected from him after he departed from the church. The very survival of a religion is contingent on its protecting itself.. They went through that file, wrote this affidavit as if I wrote it.". The Sea Org is a religious order that requires enormous dedication, he said, and leaving any religious order can be a lengthy process. He had spent months at church headquarters in Clearwater revising the design for the Johannesburg site to meet Mr. Miscaviges demands. Comments # the jakal 2010-04-04 06:11. Now, "disconnection has become a way of controlling people," said Rinder, who says his mother, sister, brother, daughter and son disconnected from him after he left the church. " He has no contact with his two adult children from his first marriage. 2023 www.heraldtribune.com. She believed in the mission: to "clear the planet" of negative influences by bringing Scientology to its inhabitants. He and his second wife, Christie King Collbran, were married in 2013 and have a son. Letters they wrote to each other were intercepted, they said. He neither asked about nor visited his cancer-stricken son. And then I could hear through my ear, my bones starting to crack. Joanie Sigal is a 36-year parishioner in Clearwater who promotes the churchs antidrug campaign to local officials. He said he did not know how to account for the findings in the American Religious Identification Survey that the number of Scientologists in the United States fell from 55,000 in 2001 to 25,000 in 2008. "It's a big yawn, actually. [9] After finishing high school he joined the Sea Org on the ship Apollo at 18. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.. Comedy Cute Inspirational Ministry Movies Music News Popular Popular Hymns Sermons Podcasts. To become pregnant to avoid standard procedures in leaving a religious order? I can't believe the encouraged abortions. "These were not the claims made by 'outsiders' looking to dig up dirt against us," he wrote. The documentary investigates the Church of Scientology and some former members, who allege "the Church uses a mind control technique to put opponents at a psychological disadvantage." The new Flag Building, in Clearwater, Fla., which has been under construction since 1999. The churches used to be busy places where members socialized and invited curious visitors to give Scientology a try, he said, but now the church is installing touch-screen displays with little need for Scientologists on site. He said as many as 100 people, including him, were held at "The Hole" and were made to live in poor conditions like having to eat "slop," beating each other up until they confessed their supposed crimes. In March 2007, Rinder was suddenly sent on a mission to London to defend the CSI and prevent British journalist John Sweeney from premiering his television documentary,Scientology and Me. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-narrow-sky-2','ezslot_20',156,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-narrow-sky-2-0'); Rinder's daughter, Taryn, calls him a "cold and uncaring father." Christie and Chris Collbran were married in a simple ceremony at the Scientology center in Manhattan. They would lose the possibility of living for eternity. Recently, Christie Collbran received an e-mail message from her mother calling her a "snake in the grass.". By 16, she was recruited into the Sea Org, so named because it once operated from ships, wearing a Navy-like uniform with epaulets on the shoulders for work. The Collbrans went back to work for the church in Los Angeles, but Christie Collbran found the atmosphere so oppressive that she again resolved to leave. In 1969, he again visited the home to participate in advanced Scientology courses and auditing. She eventually started a love affair with Rinder, married him, and welcomed their son together. He concludes, "Scientology is shrinking.". It still took two months before the church let the Collbrans go, in 2006, and not before making them sign affidavits. Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. Searching the Internet for Web sites about Scientology that are not sponsored by the church (an activity that was prohibited when they were in the Sea Org), they discovered that hundreds of other Scientologists were also defecting - including high-ranking executives who had served for decades. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.". So she intentionally conceived a child. And then it ratcheted up and ratcheted up andto the point where Christie was screaming in my ear. She is an actress, model, and spokesperson for the Girl Scouts, USA. Finally, Christie Collbran was permitted to go to Los Angeles, but husband and wife were kept separated for another three months, the Collbrans said, while they went through hours of special auditing sessions called "confessionals." But asked about the church's membership, Davis said, "I couldn't tell you an exact figure, but it's certainly, it's most definitely in the millions in the U.S. and millions abroad.". Meanwhile, husband Chris grew as unstable as the couple's relationship. An orthopedic surgeon informed her she would never recover full use of her arm. "You're in fear," Chris Collbran said. Mike has since remarried, tying the knot with Christie King Collbran in 2013, with whom he has a son, and according to his blog, they are a happy family, residing in Palm Harbor, Florida. I didn't get any messages or a normal letter, even if it's a little note, or anything. It claims it will wake you up and make you happier and more able to communicate with the world around you," he continues, "In practice it accomplishes the polar opposite. Michael John Rinder (/ r n d r / ; born 10 April 1955) is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. Christie celebrated 45th birthday on January 29. He said the church does require departing staff members to pay freeloader bills and to sign affidavits drawn up by church officials, but he contends that the affidavits never contain confidential information drawn from auditing sessions. Following the failure of the scheme, Rinder abandoned his "Independent Minister" and transformed himself into an anti-Scientologist. The church acknowledges that Sea Org members are not allowed to have babies, but denies that it pressures people into having abortions. He said he did not know how to account for the findings in the American Religious Identification Survey that the number of Scientologists in the United States fell from 55,000 in 2001 to 25,000 in 2008. Finally, Christie Collbran was permitted to go to Los Angeles, but husband and wife were kept separated, the Collbrans said, while they went through hours of special auditing sessions called "confessionals." "Eventually I realized I was part of a con," he said, "and I have to leave it and get on with my life.". He also claimed that Miscavige built a detention center called "The Hole" at Scientology's headquarters in Hemet, California, in the early 2000s for high-ranking members who displeased him. He was absent during his son's cancer treatment. When Chris Collbran decided he wanted to leave the Sea Org, he was sent to Los Angeles, where potential defectors are assigned to do menial labor while they reconsider their decision. Claire King. Rinder's official life story has since been removed from the official Scientology website. Scientology is an esoteric religion in which the faith is revealed gradually to those who invest their time and money to master Hubbard's teachings. And at its base here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, it continued buying hotels and office buildings (54 in all) and constructing a 380,000-square-foot mecca that looks like a convention center. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0'); As the Office of Special Affairs' representative, he was quoted in multiple news stories and appeared on numerous television shows. The Collbrans went back to work for the church in Los Angeles, but Ms. Collbran found the atmosphere so oppressive, the staff members so miserable, that she likened it to living under martial law and again resolved to leave. And since theyre removed, the church is expanding like never before, said Mr. Davis, a second-generation Scientologist whose mother is the actress Anne Archer. Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of Scientology running, known as the Sea Organization, or Sea Org. Let Children Think For Themselves Christie Collbran The reason, they agree sadly, is that they no longer see eye to eye on Scientology. They signed a contract for a billion years -- in keeping with the belief that Scientologists are immortal. After leaving the Sea Org, Rinder divorced his wife after 31 years of marriage in 2007. Its a big yawn, actually., The Collbrans, despite their efforts to remain in good standing in the church, were declared suppressive persons last year. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. 2010 if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_18',154,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0'); In April 2009, when Benjamin was starting his recovery, Bernardini said she informed Rinder, who lived in Denver. It was in Johannesburg, where the couple had gone to supervise the building of a new Scientology organization, that Chris Collbran, who is 29, began to have doubts. It was in Johannesburg, where the couple had gone to supervise the building of a new Scientology organization, that Chris Collbran, 29, began to have doubts. In her interviews with The New York Times and The Today Show, she still adamantly insis. Anyone can read what you share. Rinder also sat on the Board of Directors of Church of Scientology International until he quit the organization. That Cooper himself knew every sordid detail of Christie Collbrans story and never whispered a word of it to AC360 viewers is yet another wrinkle in her soap opera. He acknowledges that he pushed a 17-year-old staff member against a wall and yelled at his wife, who was his deputy. "This is a result of our expansion. ''You're so into it, it's everything you know: your family, your eternity.". The building, which is 380,000 square feet, has 33-foot ceilings and a chapel that will seat 250 people. The church works hard to cultivate public members especially celebrities like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Nancy Cartwright (the voice of the cartoon scoundrel Bart Simpson) whose money keeps it running. Owner at Christie King's Home Daycare. They worked seven days a week, often on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. And what we see here is evidence of the fact that were definitely better off without them.. But recently even some celebrities have begun to abandon the church, the most prominent of whom is the director and screenwriter Paul Haggis, who won Oscars for "Million Dollar Bab" and "Crash." In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years.

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