By Anna Schecter
Rock Center
Though Katie Holmes has not addressed reports that Scientology was a reason she split with Tom Cruise, a former Church of Scientology spokesman said some families, including his own, were torn apart when one spouse wanted to leave the religion.
“My wife, my son, my daughter, my mother….they disconnected from me. They will not communicate with me,” said Mike Rinder in an interview with Kate Snow airing on Thursday, July 12 at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.
Rinder joined the church as a child in Australia and rose to be Scientology’s international spokesman before he left the church in 2007.
He said he had been unhappy inside the church for a long time, but was afraid to leave because he said the church encouraged members to cut ties with relatives who want to leave.
“Part of that environment is keeping track of how people think…it’s a crime to …think bad thoughts about what’s going on and people will turn you in. Even your spouse will turn you in or your children will turn you in and then you’ll be in trouble,” he said.
When he finally decided to leave, he said he called his wife of 31 years and their two children and asked them to join him.
“The first thing that I did was I contacted them and said, 'Okay, I'm done. I'm gone. I'm in Virginia. Please come and join me.' And the answer was, ‘F-you.’ Literally,” he said.
In addition to losing his family, Rinder said he has been harassed by the church, an assertion the church denies.
“They've had private investigators follow me for months and months and months, everywhere I went,” he said.
In 1998, Rinder was on the other side of the fence, defending Scientology in an interview with Dateline.
"There isn't and hasn't been any effort which has been taken to quote silence critics," said Rinder to Dateline in 1998.
Today, Rinder says he frequently lied to the public in his role as a church spokesman.
The Church of Scientology says it does not encourage members to cut ties with relatives who have left the church.
In a letter to NBC News, an attorney for the church wrote that Rinder is, “untrustworthy, unreliable and biased,” adding that he is a self-promoter who is using a tragic personal matter to forward his own anti-Scientology agenda. The church denies following or harassing Rinder after he left the church.
The church has said Rinder abandoned his wife and their two children and has accused him of being violent towards his ex-wife and other members of the church.
NBC News could not reach Rinder’s ex-wife for comment.
Rinder said at times he was violent towards some church members prior to his separation from the Church of Scientology, but said it was all part of the environment inside the church.
More from Rock Center:
Families question Scientology-linked rehab after recent deaths
Breaking Away: What is Scientology?
Breaking Away: What happens when a Scientologist leaves?
Tom Cruise's former Scientology auditor speaks about Cruise/Kidman Divorce
Leave a Comment:
Maybe if Tom and Katie had done more than just roll in the hay with each other before they were married, they would've had time to discuss important things like religious beliefs and how they wanted to raise their child BEFORE they were married. That's what happens when the baby comes before the wedding.
I was involved with the formal church for several years and left about 10 years ago. I can not speak to the experiences of others but my experience didn't include stalkers, private investigators, or anything like that. I still have some contact with members and have never been asked to disconnect. While involved with the church I had issues with family as we all do. Family members that I just hated to be around and family BBQ's were dreaded. While talking about it at church I would be asked, "do you want to handle this or disconnect"? Since disconnection isn't something you want to do with most family, I chose to handle it. But it was always my choice.
This all being said, I know and have seen there are some paranoia issues in the church, especially upper level churches and leaders. The church has fallen into the same trap many organized religions fall into, where it gets too big, and the church as a name and an organization gets to be more important than the people who its made of. I would say don't dismiss everything in the subject based on what you hear or based on the actions of the formal church. The same as you wouldn't dismiss all wisdom in the Bible because a Jehovah's Witness once pushed you too hard. There are thousands of people practicing Scientology outside the church, and that wouldn't happen if there wasn't something to the subject.
Scientology isn't a religion, it's a cult. Will they PLEASE all drink the poisoned Kool-Aid already? If Scientology wasn't enough, perhaps Katie left Tom because he's a TOOL? Now that she's a big girl and can think for herself, she finally said "Enough of this Sh*t!"
Scientology is NOT a religion, it is just a cult. Mormonism is not a Christian sect it is really a cult also.
It's all crowd control, Keeps everyone in check one way or another
I was once told by a man who once was a Pentacostal preacher (although he recanted) that there were only three spiritual principles a man had to follow in order to be considered a "good man" worldwide.Didn't matter whether one was a follower of Buddha,Yahweh,Allah, or whatever.
1. Treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself( commonly referred to as the "Golden Rule")
2. Strive to be the best person you can be. Strive for personal perfection, knowing you'll never attain that state.
3. Be of service to all of humankind to the best of your ability. Your fellow travellers on this path called life sometimes need help.
I really like that Ed. In Scientology I ran across something similar but not as comprehensive that I really liked.
"Only cause things which others can experience easily"
"Be able to experience anything"
Whether its your social group, family, or work, I have found these helpful. For one thing everybody likes a "rock" in their life that can roll with the punches and keep going. persevere. But nobody likes it when you throw the punches.
The beauty of these three principals is that one does not need some religion( middle man) telling him/ her how to believe. I am often asked what my religion is and I always remark "love for humankind"
But there's no money and power in something that simple.
There was this carpenter who walked the face of the earth about 2000 years ago, whose philosophy pretty much mirrored these three principals. Keeping things simple is usually best.You're right, peanut gallery theater, there is no money to be made. Shame, isnt it? ;-)
In the name of the Father the Son and the "Holy" dollar...Xenu...seriously?
It never ceases to amaze me that sentient beings can actually believe the nonsense that Scientologists believe. Of course, the notion of a deity becoming a man, dying and being resurrected for the 'sins' of mankind is just as absurd, but at least there is a sociocultural explanation (as well as psychological) for the continued existence of Christianity (in the West we are brainwashed from an early age to accept the Christian nonsense).
Unitarian is a religion that does not believe in a Triune god. Several of the Founding Fathers of the US were Unitarians.
This debate about a Unitarian god versus a Trinity godhead is as old as the acceptance of the Christian religion as the "State Religion" of the Roman Empire. Before that there was no concept of a Trinity in Christianity.
Many believe that a concept of a 'trinity' god was added by the politically savvy Romans to make conversion to Christianity more palatable to the numerous Pagans living in the borders of the far-flung Roman Empire. Many Pagans had a concept of god in a triune form. The best example of such a Pagan belief is the Mother Goddess existing as 'Maiden', 'Mother", and 'Crone', the three phases of a woman's life. The Mother Goddess could show herself in the form that was most needed by the particular dilemma a person found themselves in. This belief is making a comeback in modern Paganism, which is also a fast growing modern religion.
Ridiculously, but predictably, people on both sides of this inane "Trinity versus Unitarian God" debate have paid with their lives for their belief.
I am so in agreement with the other Posters who say that "God is Love", and if a person lives according to this belief, whether it is expressed in Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or whatever form, and they leave me alone to do my thing, then I think it is wonderful that they have a belief that nourishes them.
I am not Pagan, or Wiccan, I have friends who are though; this "Wiccan Rede" shows the 'power of three', in this belief system...
Bide the Wiccan Law ye must,
in perfect love, in perfect trust.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An' ye harm none, do as ye will.
An' ever mind the Rule of Three:
What ye sends out comes back to thee.
Follow this with mind and heart, An' merry ye meet, an' merry ye part.
If anybody has ever been to a Star Trek convention or seen the loyalty of George Lucas fans to both the man and the movies, you would understand how L. Ron Hubbard could start a church! Science Fiction fans are made from a different mold - they would follow their heroes to the stars and back! As well as believe anything they can write or say is real.
I cannot bring the word "cult" into this statement, because we are all free to believe anything we want and I am not here to judge. I do believe the report on Rock Center, because I doubt Scientology would let their strongest go without a fight - maybe the weaker who would be no threat to be heard (as on Rock Center) would be left alone, but not the big guns.
Although Scientology followers don't seem to care that they put all their trust in a machine that could have been re-called and results that could be altered to make them feel better, if they want it, they got - people pay huge amounts of money to change body sizes so they can reach a higher level of happiness & good feeling in life.
Unfortunately, I must admit that if I ever came across a "Squirrel Buster" party I would call for a "Prayer Muster" - surround the people, get in their faces, stare into their eyes and pray for their souls for hours ... so just hope I don't find one. Even if Mr. Cruise, the man who can talk the science talk, but always takes the divorce walk, was there - I would have to tell him God loves him and always will, no matter what L. Ron wrote.
Sorry if what I wrote wasn't perfect, but I am human and expected to make some mistakes. To go to the church I go to I don't have to commit for life, pay money or try and reach levels of contentment on a video game. I make decisions for myself, question teachings continually and keep an open mind & heart ... it's called being "human" - once you start spitting words back out that are fed to you, you have become a robot and lost your soul - kind of like a Science Fiction Novel.
No one has the right to control and abuse another person and get away with it. Scientology is a dangerous cult parading as a religion to get tax exempt status which is a crime. Religions do not use abuse and bully tactics when a member wants to leave, Scientology does. Read "SCIENTOLOGY'S DISGRACE: AN OPEN LETTER TO TOM CRUISE" written by Tony Ortega for the Village Voice former cult members describe the abuse they endured. The author also went to court and heard the testimony of abuse first hand. Tom Cruise's best friend and cult leader David Miscavige's wife Shelly has been missing since 2007. This cult must be investigated and appropriate charges filed. Just because a cult has a lot of money they are not above the law.
Scientology is a dangerous cult that utilizes abuse, harassment and brainwashing to keep members who attempt to leave the cult. Tom Cruise is a controlling, cult wacko. I boycott all Tom Cruise movies because I refuse to support a dangerous cult.
I'm surprised the news report didn't reveal how Scientology is the most homophobic of all religions. Christians constantly get a bad wrap for how homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible, but Scientology is spared of its hateful view against gays.
Where is the outcry from the gay community against this "religion" & especially the celebrities who are devoted to an organization whose founder said gays are perverts &, "the Church of Scientology has determined that gays pose a grave danger to society. The Church has a solution. Gays can either be quarantined and institutionalized, or undergo Church "processing."
It looks like NBC and Brian Williams hope to save a dying network by these exposes' on Scientology. Once every few years some ace reporter like Anna Sheckter (oh is that a Jewish name--for shame Anna, better spend more time at the Synogogue and learn the history of religious persecution) thinks they can make their bones by trashing Scientology or the Mormons, etc. Wrong. These groups just get bigger and stronger. The Catholics were similarly persecuted when they started. They met in secret, they were regarded as a cult, they were persecuted and executed. Same stuff 2000 years ago. NBC is on the rocks. This is Maury Povich, Jerry Springer style of reporting. Sit back in your trailer and have another brew, bud. Jay Leno just had to take a huge pay cut and lay off 20 staff due to falling ratings yet he's miles above Brian Williams in the public eye. I don't see Williams or Schecter working at NBC five years from now but Scientology and the Mormons will be thriving. They've got something people want but it's not for everybody obviously. Hey NBC, are you reading these postings. You are appealing to a public of haters. Your network can't survive appealing to that kind of people.
I was so disappointed in your report on Narconon. You did not show both sides of the story. You only talked to a set of disgruntled parents. My son went to Narconon in Watsonville California, I feel like their program saved my sons life. They did not try to convert him to Scientology. they taught him life skills that will last forever. I feel like the story was completely unfair to Narconon, I would love for you to tell many of the success stories of Narconon, with the millions of people they treat and you could only report the negative. I would be happy for someone to contact me to talk about our success, my son would also be willing to talk about the program and what it did to save his life.
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986), starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics.[4] Hubbard characterized Scientology as a religion, and in 1953 incorporated the Church of Scientology in Camden, New Jersey
The Church of Scientology is one of the most controversial new religious movements to have arisen in the 20th century.
Scientology managed to get legally recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States and some other countries.
The Church of Scientology
Emphasizes
this as proof that it is a bona fide religion
Read that again, if your goal is to enter through the narrow gate of heaven you need to evealuate your following of this group.
The Church of Scientology is one of the most controversial new religious movements to have arisen in the 20th century.
Scientology managed -
to get legally recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States and some other countries.
The Church of Scientology Emphasizes - this as proof that it is a bona fide religion
Read that again
Now you can say what you wish, manipulate all written word to make your point.
Bottom line- If you wish to follow this group.
I know you not - is in your future.
Request a lifeline - no chance.