", Chris Collbran, for his part, wants nothing to do with his former church. We commit to cover sensible issues responsibly through the principles of neutrality. But after 13 years and growing disillusionment, the Collbrans decided to leave the Sea Org, setting off on a Kafkaesque journey that they said required them to sign false confessions about their personal lives and their work, pay the church thousands of dollars it said they owed for courses and counseling, and accept the consequences as their parents, siblings and friends who are church members cut off all communication with them. Mike Rinder - Wikipedia They now had a child and no money, but they thought they were still in good standing with their church. The couple now have two small children. Rinder married his first wife, Cathy Bernardini, in 1976, when they both were members of the Sea Org. The television show featured stories from former members of the Church of Scientology who shared their statements of alleged abuse and harassment by the Church. 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. On the pay issue, it says that Sea Org members expect to sacrifice their material well-being to devote their lives to the church. These were not the claims made by outsiders looking to dig up dirt against us, Mr. Haggis wrote. She was also continually violating ecclesiastical procedures, all of which inevitably led to her demotion. And it went on and on and onher screaming at me about various things that she wanted to get across to me that she thought was bad. ", The church is vague about its membership numbers. As a doula her greatest talent is her ability to connect with her clients on a personal level. 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. Billion year contract | ScienceBlogs Freedom Magazine: Christie Collbran's Affair with Mike Rinder They would lose the possibility of living for eternity. The same year, he joined the Sea Organization, a Scientology organization that the Church of Scientology describes as a "fraternal religious order, comprising the church's most dedicated members." In 11 hours with a reporter over two days, Mr. Davis, the churchs spokesman, gave the numbers of Sea Org members (8,000), of Scientologists in the Tampa-Clearwater area (12,000) and of L. Ron Hubbards books printed in the last two and a half years (67 million). She married Chris Collbran in 1999, when she was 22 and he 18. 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. The church in Johannesburg is thriving now that the Collbrans have left, Davis said. They signed a contract for a billion years - in keeping with the church's belief that Scientologists are immortal. It is very, very prevalent.. Provided. In 1969, he again visited the home to participate in advanced Scientology courses and auditing. "And since they're removed, the church is expanding like never before," said Davis, a second-generation Scientologist whose mother is the actress Anne Archer. The church says the defectors are lying. She finally left the Sea Org three years ago. And it was her decision. When she was 8 or 9, she took the basic communications course, which teaches techniques for persuasive public speaking and improving self-confidence and has served as a major recruiting tool. The church has responded by denying the accusations and calling attention to a worldwide building campaign. We never will.". 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. "These are common religious tenets," he said. TV Personality, Podcast Host, Former Scientologist, Former Senior Executive of the CSI, Sea Org, Former Scientologist, Former Senior Executive of the CSI and Sea Org, Mike Rinder and Leah Remini launched a podcast called'Scientology: Fair Game' in July 2020. . When Christie first called me and we had our first . 2010 Rinder served as a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology for over two decades before being removed from his disgrace in 2009. 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." Shortly thereafter, Rinder dispatches her to New York and Anderson Cooper where she rambles incoherently on why none of it was really her faultnot that she broke her parents hearts, not that shes turned against her religion. He visited the founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard's home in England with his family for the first time in 1966. He neither asked about nor visited his cancer-stricken son. Scientologists believe human beings are impeded by negative memories from past lives, and that by applying Hubbard's "technology," they can reach a state known as clear. Her mindset then, Ms. Collbran said, was: This planet needs our help, and people are suffering. Scientology parishioners interviewed in Clearwater seemed unperturbed by the protests, headlines and lawsuits. 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. When Christie first called me and we had our first talk about what she was doing, it started out sort of, you know, okay. They now had a child and no money, but they thought they were still in good standing with their church. And it was her decision. Our family was going along this path. 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. Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. The church discovered that Mr. Collbran had traveled to Texas to talk with Mr. Rathbun, the defector who runs a Web site that has become an online community for what he calls independent Scientologists., The church immediately sent emissaries to Ms. Collbrans parents house in Los Angeles to inform them that their daughter was suppressive, Ms. Collbran said. Ms. Collbran, who is 33, said she loved the church so much that she never thought she would leave. She absolutely knows what shes doing. She was well known as a hot shot Establishment Officer. She said the defectors stories were like what you would hear if I asked your ex-husband what he thought of you., Its so not news, she said. Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. They have refused to speak to her ever since. And if I don't do something he's going to do damage,'" she said. Letters they wrote to each other were intercepted, they said. The church acknowledges that Sea Org members are not allowed to have babies, but denies that it pressures people into having abortions. He was absent during his son's cancer treatment. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. Anonymous said it was protesting the Church of Scientologys attempts to censor Internet posts of material the church considered proprietary including a video of Tom Cruise, an ardent Scientologist, that was created for a church event but was leaked and posted on YouTube. With multiple surgeries and radiation treatments, Benjamin started recovering after two years. Christie Collbran - Business Owner, Buddha Belly Doulas - LinkedIn For one, they said, the church had taken their passports. As for the defectors, Mr. Davis called them apostates and said that contrary to their claims of having left the church in protest, they were expelled. 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. Some months later, their then 24-year-old son, Benjamin, was diagnosed with a rare but dangerous form of skin cancer called desmoplastic melanoma and was given less than five years to live. She further stated that her mother was "damaged for life" as she is in pain every day. 09 | March | 2010 | Moving On Up a Little Higher Mr. Davis, the churchs current spokesman, said Scientologists are no different from Mormons, Catholics, Jehovahs Witnesses and Amish who practice shunning or excommunication. Her parents were dedicated church members in Los Angeles, and she attended full-time Scientology schools for several years. Scientology: From The Inside Out We never have. [9] After finishing high school he joined the Sea Org on the ship Apollo at 18. The same year, she left the Sea Org and Christ. The New York Times has a striking account today of Scientologists who allegedly faced threats and coercion in seeking to leave the church. So she intentionally conceived a child. 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. Scientology library: "Christine King "Christie" Collbran" Author (s): Laurie Goodstein. TRANSCRIPT: Our family was going along this path. But after 13 years and growing disillusionment, the Collbrans decided to leave the Sea Org, setting off on a Kafkaesque journey that they said required them to sign false confessions, pay thousands of dollars to the church, and see their parents, siblings and friends cut off all communication with them. Davis said there is no such thing: "One can't be a Scientologist and not be part of the church. Subsequently, he appointed and ordained himself the "First Independent Scientology Minister" in 2010. The defectors say Sea Org members were repeatedly beaten by the churchs 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. 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. A Scientologist Speaks Out On Church Abuse According to an article published in November 2021 on the Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination (STAND League) website, Rinder was expelled from the Church for criminal misconduct, including secretly conspiring to suborn perjury and gross misconduct. The Sea Org is a religious order that requires enormous dedication, he said, and leaving any religious order can be a lengthy process. Marty Rathbun, once Miscavige's top lieutenant, is now one of the church's top detractors. If the church believed that someone was an enemy and needed to be silenced or destroyed, it was my job and I did it," hesaid. Last year, it built or renovated opulent Scientology churches, which it calls Ideal Orgs, in Rome; Malmo, Sweden; Dallas; Nashville; and Washington. 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. 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. They may spend hundreds of hours in one-on-one auditing sessions, holding the slim silver-colored handles of an e-meter while an auditor asks them questions and takes notes on what they say and on the e-meters readings. See Photos. They could not just up and go. She was well known as a hot shot Establishment Officer. As for the defectors, Davis called them "apostates" and said they were expelled. CC King. On the pay issue, it says that Sea Org members expect to sacrifice their material well-being to devote their lives to the church. 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. Christie King Collbran was in the Sea Org from the age of 16 until the age of 29. Davis, the church spokesman, said the Collbrans' exit was not unusual. John Travolta Opens Their parents, siblings and friends who are Scientologists would have to disconnect from them. The family livedas the Kings still doin a suburb outside Los Angeles. Christie celebrated 45th birthday on January 29. She went to see Rinder stop her son from being exploited in Rinder's media stunt, but Rinder immediately attacked her. They were also handed what the church calls a "freeloader bill" for services rendered, of $90,000, which they later negotiated down to $10,000 for Christie Collbran's portion and paid. But, you know, after all this time and all she's said and all she's done, it's like, she's not a loving daughter. 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. The defectors say that the average Scientology member, known in the church as a public, is largely unaware of the abusive environment experienced by staff members. To save a few weeks? March 7, 2010 Courtesy of Christie King Collbran . ", In June 2013, he married his second wife, Christie King Collbran, also raised as Scientologist. She believed in the mission: to "clear the planet" of negative influences by bringing Scientology to its inhabitants. The podcast was launched on 21 July 2020. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_5',146,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0'); Rinder worked in the Sea Org for 34 years, serving in many posts, primarily in top-level positions. Marty Rathbun, who was once Mr. Miscaviges top lieutenant, is now one of the churchs top detractors. Apr. As for the defectors, Davis called them "apostates" and said that contrary to their claims of having left the church in protest, they were expelled. But, after 13 years, she grew disillusioned with the Church's leadership and left. Church of Scientology Mission And one day, while Mike was in London, I was not hearing from him at all. 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. (Photo: Facebook). They signed a contract for a billion years in keeping with the churchs belief that Scientologists are immortal. His wife, who said the church coerced her into having two abortions, has also filed a suit. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_17',153,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); "I was married to Mike for over 31 years and we had two children and lived together all those decades. Her mind-set then, Collbran said, was: "This planet needs our help, and people are suffering. And what we see here is evidence of the fact that were definitely better off without them.. She fully believed in the mission: to "clear the planet" of negative influences by bringing Scientology to its inhabitants. Cathy said that she and her children had never heard from Rinder for those two years. She waited until her pregnancy had almost reached the end of the first trimester to inform her superiors. In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Instead of telling his wife of 31 years or his children himself, Rinder emailed Bernardini's associate to break the news that "he left and isn't coming back.". He also dealt with legal and governmental matters of the CSI at an international level. Christie was born into a family of Scientologists, and her parents are Liz and Ed King. All rights reserved. But the Ideal Orgs are supposed to be self-supporting, and the Johannesburg church was generating only enough to pay each of the Collbrans $17 a week, Mr. Collbran said. This is a result of our expansion. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. She endured sadistic and bizarre injustice for the simple reason that she would not robotically follow demands to abandon her personal integrity. When she was 8 or 9, she took the basic communications course, which teaches techniques for persuasive public speaking and improving self-confidence and has served as a major recruiting tool for the church. Mike Rinder's then girlfriend, Christie, verbally attacked her mother, Liz, and publicly humiliated both her parentsbehavior her father had never . 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. which Rindercallsthe "floating headquarters for Scientology. The Collbrans went back to work for the church in Los Angeles, but Christie 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. So of course, everybody loved him. By 10, 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. ". 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 so it can introduce visitors to Scientology with little need for Scientologists on site. Mike Rinder - Wife, Leah Remini, Age & Kids - Biography YOUNG RECRUITS Christie King Collbran, left, and her husband, Chris, center, in Johannesburg in 2004. Losing faith, and paying to be let go - heraldtribune.com Videos. Anonymous said it was protesting the Church of Scientology's attempts to censor Internet posts of material the church considered proprietary - including a video of Tom Cruise, an ardent Scientologist, that was created for a church event but was leaked and posted on YouTube. 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. 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. Were working 16 hours a day trying to save the planet, and the church is shrinking., The church is vague about its membership numbers. 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." Now, all Mike wants to do is "expose the abuses ongoing in the church" and "provide a forum for the exchange of information." CLD, CLC, PCPD. Mr. Davis said there is no such thing: One cant be a Scientologist and not be part of the church., Mr. Collbran, for his part, wants nothing to do with his former church. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In fact, Cooper couldnt even bring himself to at least mention that his ingnue interviewee was the absentee Rinders current live-in lovercertainly a germane fact for viewers to assess her credibility. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-leader-4','ezslot_16',172,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-leader-4-0'); We assure our audience that we will remove any contents that are not accurate or according to formal reports and queries if they are justified. And in Clearwater, it continued buying buildings (54 in all) and constructing a 380,000-square-foot mecca that looks like a convention center. Then the church discovered that Chris Collbran had traveled to Texas to talk with Rathbun, who runs a Web site for what he calls "independent Scientologists." By 16, she was recruited into the Sea Org. When Rinder quit the Sea Org, he also decided to abandon his wife and their children because they remained Scientologists. Ms. Collbran says she still believes in Scientology not in the church as it is now constituted, but in its teachings. In 1969, he again visited the house to participate in advanced Scientology courses and auditing. When a Sea Org member is with child, the couple is granted a leave of absence from the religious order until the child comes of age. [8] When he was 5 years old his parents became interested in Scientology and the family began attending the Church of Scientology International center in Australia. Defectors Say Church of Scientology Hides Abuse - New York Times For one, they said, the church had taken their passports. Christie Rinder's Father Tells of Her Rejection, Abuse of Parents In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years. Christie and Chris Collbran were married in a simple ceremony at the Scientology center in Manhattan. Soon after, naturally, Collbrans strings were yankednot pulledback to Rinders bed in Florida. Though Hubbard was sometimes cruel and harsh, he was compassionate and humorous other times, but Miscavige was exclusively cruel and harsh.". So it was with the Collbrans. But even more important, they knew that if they left the Sea Org without going through the church's official exit process, they would be declared "suppressive persons" - anti-social enemies of Scientology. Their parents, siblings and friends who are Scientologists would have to disconnect completely from them, or risk being declared suppressive themselves. Rinder also sat on the Board of Directors of Church of Scientology International until he quit the organization. His friends sought out his council when making life decisions. And found out that he had left," Bernardini revealed. "We never have. But recently 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." 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). The Sea Org is a religious order that requires enormous dedication, he said, and leaving any religious order can be a lengthy process. However, Christie got pregnant in 2006 amid their fragmented marriage. Youre so into it, its everything you know: your family, your eternity.. Christie King Collbran | www.scientology-cult.com 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. Christie King Collbran, who has left the Church of Scientology's elite religious order, the Sea Org, at her home in Safety Harbor, Fla. U.S. > Image > March 7, 2010 Comedy Cute Inspirational Ministry Movies Music News Popular Popular Hymns Sermons Podcasts. I didn't get any messages or a normal letter, even if it's a little note, or anything. Christie and I together were seen as a major threat to Miscavige, and the harassment was non-stop. As a result, Rinder was called to visit Sussex's church facility. In the end, the documentary premiered on 17 May 2007 as a part of BBC One's Panorama series. 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." Previously city included Tarpon Springs FL. I couldn't move and he put his face right up to me and was screaming, 'You bitch, you bitch.' After failing such job attempts, he teamed up with some other individuals who were also expelled from the Church to establish a competitor church. After being expelled from the Church, Rinder tried to hold down various jobs, including Toyota car salesman and telemarketer. He has no contact with his two adult children from his first marriage. However, their scheme failed, and they were even required to pay more than $42,000 to the Church of Scientology. Shes notshes not the daughter that I knew. She eventually started a love affair with Rinder, married him, and welcomed their son together. 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. The couple's deteriorating relationship and Chris' degrading mental stability led him to attempt suicide. Christie Collbran Founder Buddha Belly Buddha Belly She spent years in persistent pain and physical therapy. Claire King - IMDb 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. 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,. He is 66 years old as of 2021. After Christie Collbran hooked up with Mike Rinder, she yelled and screamed at her mother to leave her religion, then Christie abandoned her familyjust like Rinder did with his. Recently, Christie Collbran received an e-mail message from her mother calling her a "snake in the grass.". Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. CLEARWATER | 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. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.. 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.. Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. Christie's segment begins at about 6:35. "You're in fear," Chris Collbran said. Christie King Collbran was in the Sea Org from the age of 16 until the age of 29. His parentsbecameScientologists in1960. Collbran says she still believes in Scientology -- not in the church as it is now constituted, but in its teachings. It's pinch-yourself material.". Freedom Magazine: Christie Collbran's Affair with Mike Rinder, CNN Mike Rinder was born Michael John Rinder on 10 April 1955 in Adelaide, Australia, to Barbara and Ian Rinder. And she has only herself to blame. 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. She fully believed in the mission: to clear the planet of negative influences by bringing Scientology to its inhabitants. CLEARWATER, Fla. 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. She thought that she could talk to me and tell me the things that she was going to tell me that would make me think ScientologyI should abandon it.

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