84-654: The Commodore's Messenger Organization ( CMO ) is a management unit within the Sea Org , the unincorporated paramilitary wing of the Church of Scientology . CMO oversees the various other Church of Scientology organizations. The first Commodore's Messengers were appointed by L. Ron Hubbard in 1968 while he was living aboard the Sea Org's ship Apollo . These messengers were his personal administrative assistants and operated solely under his direction, ensuring that Scientology management
168-520: A 1992 memorandum by the Church of Scientology International , the following information was provided to the Internal Revenue Service with regards to the nature of the Sea Org: [The Sea Org] does not have an ecclesiastical organizing board or command channels chart or secular existence such as an incorporated or unincorporated association. [...] Although there is no such "organization" as
252-478: A Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology . His intimate knowledge about the organization, both as a Sea Org member for 46 years and as head of OSA for 25 years, has been a revelation about the organization to the world. Rinder has discussed how OSA responds to critics of the church and stated that several events in the history of Scientology have rocked the organization: the death of L. Ron Hubbard in 1986,
336-430: A billion-year pledge of service to Scientology upon initiation. David Miscavige , the leader of Scientology, is the highest-ranking Sea Org officer with the rank of captain. The rank of commodore is permanently reserved for the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. Some ex-members and scholars have described the Sea Org as a totalitarian organization marked by intensive surveillance and lack of freedom. In
420-424: A confidential Sea Org executive directive that claimed that governments of the world were on the verge of collapse: "The Sea Org would survive and pick up the pieces." Sea Org Day is August 12, during which ceremonies are held to commemorate the achievements and contributions of Sea Org members, and when rank and promotion ceremonies take place. High Winds is the magazine of the Sea Org. The first issue
504-484: A family member decided to leave (or was not a member of) the church of Scientology. Rinder stated that his primary role as Director of the Office of Special Affairs was defending the church against critics by employing Scientology's " Fair Game " tactics, which are essentially to "intimidate, defame, harass, discredit, and effectively silence any criticism of Scientology". He and fellow defector Marty Rathbun , former head of
588-455: A friend at the time of Minton's death in January 2010. Both have said the policy was backfiring because victims, such as John Sweeney , reported their experiences with Fair Game and this led to more negative publicity and thus produced more critics than they were silencing. Rinder's own decision to speak out against Scientology is an example of this as well because he decided to speak out against
672-408: A month later, two Washington-based Scientology lawyers went to his home unannounced, informed Rinder that they knew about the newspaper's visit and asked what he had revealed. According to Rinder, this incident was another moment of clarity, because he realized he was now being subjected to Scientology's practice of fair game intimidation and harassment despite declining to speak out. He decided to do
756-447: A senior with "Sir". Work was hard and the schedule rigid with seven hours' sleep time from lights out to lights on, short meal breaks, no liberties and no free time ... When one young woman ordered into the RPF took the assignment too lightly, Hubbard created the RPF's RPF and assigned her to it, an even more degrading experience, cut off even from the RPF, kept under guard, forced to clean
840-610: A ship, La Bohème , which they renamed Freewinds . OT VIII , the highest auditing level of Scientology currently available, is exclusive to the Freewinds and can only be undertaken there. The ship also hosts various courses, seminars, conventions and events throughout the year, including the annual Maiden Voyage celebration. According to Hubbard, the Sea Org's mission is "an exploration into both time and space". Sea Org members act as goodwill representatives and administrators of Scientology; all policy and administrative posts in
924-441: A similar response, prompting many high-ranking Scientologists—including Pat Broeker —to leave the organization as a result. According to Rinder, virtually all of the executives, himself included, had rejected both of the above-mentioned Scientological tenets, however they nevertheless continued to train parishioners to accept them as true. Rinder's moment of clarity after the confrontation with Sweeney came when he realized that it
SECTION 10
#17328591342541008-406: A small weekly allowance. Sea Org members agree to strict codes of discipline, such as disavowing premarital sex , working long hours (on average at least 100 hours per week) and living in communal housing called berthing . They are allowed to marry, but must leave the Sea Org if they have or want to raise children. According to Hubbard, much of the galaxy, including Earth (known as "Teegeeack"),
1092-520: A spiritual commitment that is factually beyond the full understanding of the [Internal Revenue] Service or any other but a trained and audited Scientologist. The Sea Org was established on August 12, 1967, by L. Ron Hubbard , the founder of Dianetics and Scientology , initially on board three ships, the Avon River , the Enchanter , and HMS Royal Scotsman . Hubbard later rechristened the three vessels to
1176-570: A week, such as painting, plumbing, and upkeep of grounds. The work may involve teaching the member a skill such as carpentry. Members also spend five hours a day studying with an auditing partner. Former Scientologist Jon Atack argued, in A Piece of Blue Sky (1990), that treatment of Sea Org members in the RPF was a "careful imitation of techniques long-used by the military to obtain unquestioning obedience and immediate compliance to orders, or more simply to break men's spirits ..." One former member, Gerry Armstrong , said that during his time in
1260-416: Is the senior-most status of staff within the Church of Scientology network of corporations, but is not itself incorporated. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Sea Org was started as L. Ron Hubbard 's private navy, and adopted naval uniforms and ranks. Today, all Scientology management organizations are exclusively staffed with Sea Org members. The Sea Org maintains strict codes for its members, beginning with
1344-638: Is untrue. It was reinstated, he said, because Scientology abandoned its Fair Game practices against the IRS after Hubbard's death, and instead followed the IRS policy for obtaining tax-exempt status. According to Rinder, the Church never recovered from the FBI raid, because it provided documentary evidence to support critics' claims. This was also the primary source of information used in the article, The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power published by Time magazine in 1991. After
1428-550: The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission in 2022, the Church of Scientology Religious Education College Incorporated, Scientology's UK arm, claimed to have a total of 700 "volunteers" (including Sea Org) across Saint Hill, London, Manchester, Birmingham and other UK organizations. According to scholar Susan Raine, Hubbard created the Sea Org as a "kind of space navy, melding [sci-fi] space ideas with Earthbound naval ones." Hubbard biographer Jon Atack recalled
1512-707: The BBC series Panorama . In 2015 he appeared in the HBO documentary entitled Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief by Alex Gibney which is based on the book by Lawrence Wright . Along with Leah Remini , Rinder co-hosted the A&;E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath . Rinder published a memoir in September 2022 titled A Billion Years: My Escape From
1596-684: The Diana , the Athena , and the Apollo . The Apollo served as the flagship, or simply called "Flag", and Hubbard was referred to as Commodore. In 1971, the Sea Org assumed responsibility for the delivery of the upper levels of its auditing and training, known as the Operating Thetan or "OT" levels. In 1981, under the aegis of the Commodore's Messenger Organization led by David Miscavige, Sea Org members dissolved
1680-502: The Emmy Award -winning A&E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath . In 2020, he and Remini reunited to launch the podcast Scientology: Fair Game . In September 2022, he published a memoir titled A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology . Rinder was born in Adelaide, Australia , to Ian and Barbara Rinder in 1955. When he
1764-519: The Guardian's Office (GO) and assumed full responsibility for the church's international management, later reassigning the GO's duties to the Office of Special Affairs in 1983 during the corporate restructuring of the Church. It moved to land-based organizations in 1975, though maritime customs persist, with many members wearing naval-style uniforms and addressing both male and female officers as "sir". In 1985,
SECTION 20
#17328591342541848-581: The Internal Revenue Service , as well as from the governments of the United Kingdom , Australia , and Rhodesia . Sailing on the high seas meant the church could escape their attention. In 2000 the number of Sea Org members was listed at around 5,800. Most Sea Org members reside in church complexes in Los Angeles, Clearwater, Copenhagen, London, Saint Hill, and Sydney, with some at smaller centers or on assignment elsewhere. According to reports filed with
1932-535: The Los Angeles Police Department deny that she is missing. Mike Rinder joined the Sea Org at age 18 and worked under Hubbard on the Apollo ship in 1973. He joined the CMO in 1978, later becoming the Church's international spokesperson. Rinder left the Church in 2007 and has since spoken out against it. Pat Broeker was aboard the Apollo and, along with his wife Anne, were taking care of Hubbard at
2016-582: The Religious Technology Center , revealed through these interviews how this was done. For instance, Rinder told the Times that Scientology critic Bob Minton ceased his criticism of Scientology after Rinder discovered "things that, really, he was worried about and had caused problems for him in the investigation that we had done" and that they had reached a private settlement. Rinder regrets his role in that investigation and has stated he considered Minton
2100-500: The Aftermath ", Rinder said of his position: If the Church decided someone was an enemy and needed to be silenced or destroyed, it was my job and I did it ... Everything from following them 24 hours a day to having people camped outside their door, to being vilified on the internet, to following them wherever they traveled, I was the guy [that did it]. Rinder cited specific examples of this duty, saying that he personally traveled to London to prevent journalist John Sweeney , presenter of
2184-527: The Boston airport. She died in 2011. Sharone Stainforth , age 10, joined the Sea Org in 1967 at age 10, and became one of Hubbard's original messengers on the Apollo . After leaving Scientology, she became a critic of the organization. Michelle Barnett ( Shelly Miscavige ) became a messenger at age 12. She later married fellow messenger and future Scientology leader David Miscavige. She has made no public appearances since August 2007. The Church of Scientology and
2268-476: The Church if it lost a lawsuit, and anti-SLAPP laws that prohibited the Church from using lawsuits to financially drain a critic into submission. Although Scientology continued to sue individual critics, defendants began using discovery to introduce secret church documents into evidence, making them part of the public record, and thus viewable by anyone. An example of this was the 1993 case Church of Scientology International v. Fishman and Geertz . Mike Rinder
2352-636: The Church of Scientology purchased HMS Royal Scotsman which they renamed the Apollo , which was used as the Sea Org's flagship . In 1975, the church sold the Sea Org's ships and moved the organization to land bases around the world, which as of 2003, were operating in Clearwater, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Saint Hill Manor in the UK, and Sydney, with smaller offices in Budapest, Johannesburg, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, and Toronto. In 1987, they purchased
2436-473: The Church, because its abuse of the legal system was well documented. The Church spent approximately seven million dollars in an attempt to discredit Time's article, which ultimately had the effect of drawing more attention to Scientology and public criticism of its practices. According to Rinder, the Time Warner lawsuit was ultimately responsible for "shattering the cone of silence" around Scientology. In
2520-467: The EPF as soon as all the required courses have been completed and upon successfully undergoing a mandatory "7A Security Check", they are then allowed to join the Sea Org as full members. Sea Org recruits verbally agree to an 18-point code or pledge as part of a swearing in ceremony. Members formally reaffirm their acceptance of this code annually on August 12, the day when the organization was founded. In 1967,
2604-437: The FBI raid, Rinder said that Fair Game tactics had to be changed. Intimidation tactics were still used, but took the form of vexatious litigation . Rinder stated this was effective at silencing organizations from disseminating information critical of Scientology, and kept the public relatively unaware of information seized during the FBI raid. However, the 1991 Time magazine article, "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power," and
Commodore's Messenger Organization - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-649: The Religious Technology Center (RTC). David Miscavige joined the Messengers in 1977 at age 16. After Hubbard's death in 1986, Miscavige assumed the position of head of the Church of Scientology as well as ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Miscavige holds the rank of captain of the Sea Organization, and is its highest-ranking member. Sea Org The Sea Organization or Sea Org
2772-541: The Sea Org called the "SEALs", named after the United States Navy SEALs , who receive better lodging, sustenance, and uniforms than other Sea Org members. Lawrence Wright wrote in The New Yorker in 2011 that the Sea Org used small children drawn from Scientology families for what the article described as forced child labor. The article described extremely inhumane conditions, with children spending years in
2856-428: The Sea Org in the 1970s he spent over two years banished to the RPF as a punishment: It was essentially a prison to which crew who were considered nonproducers, security risks, or just wanted to leave the Sea Org, were assigned. Hubbard's RPF policies established the conditions. RPF members were segregated and not allowed to communicate to anyone else. They had their own spaces and were not allowed in normal crew areas of
2940-538: The Sea Org is reminiscent of the "Soldiers of Light" in Hubbard's science fiction story collection Ole Doc Methuselah . The publicized goal of the Sea Org is to "get ethics in on the planet". Academic Stephen A. Kent has argued that at least part of the reason for the establishment of the Sea Org was that the Church of Scientology's practices encountered resistance from the American Food and Drug Administration and
3024-439: The Sea Org on weekends or about an hour a day. Children of members have themselves joined the Sea Org when they came of age. Several former members have said they were advised (or even forced) to have an abortion when they became pregnant to avoid being sent to lower organizations. Scientology presents itself as opposed to abortion and actively speaks out against it in its publications. The Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)
3108-573: The Sea Org, sequestered from mainstream life. Mike Rinder Michael John Rinder ( / ˈ r ɪ n d ər / ; born April 10, 1955) is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the board of directors of CSI and also held the post of executive director of its Office of Special Affairs , overseeing
3192-421: The Sea Organization, the term Sea Org has a colloquial usage which implies that there is. There are general recruitment posters and literature for "The Sea Org" which implies that people will be employed by the Sea Org when in reality they will join, making the billion year commitment, at some church that is staffed by Sea Org members and become employees of that church corporation. [...] The Sea Org exists as
3276-513: The Training Routines, myself and two others practiced carrying messages to LRH. We had to listen to a message, repeat it in the same tone, and practice salutes." Sea Org member Doreen Smith recalled a conversation she had with Hubbard concerning the origins of the CMO and why he had focused on young girls to carry out his personal tasks and deliver his executive orders: I once asked him why he chose young girls as messengers ... He said it
3360-628: The Watchdog Committee (WDC) was created out of senior executives of CMO. Long the interface between Hubbard and the rest of the Church, part of the CMO became the senior management body: the Commodore's Messenger Organization International, or CMO Int. But as the Commodore's Messenger Organization was quite obviously connected to the Commodore, they had to find a new title. So the Watchdog Committee (WDC) came into being, in April 1979. It consisted solely of
3444-446: The chief spokesperson and representative of Scientology to the media for 25 years until replaced by Tommy Davis in 2005 under orders from David Miscavige. This office is responsible for overseeing public relations and legal issues for the church, as well as handling "internal investigations into members' behavior." According to a 2016 Rolling Stone recap of the second episode of Leah Remini 's documentary series " Scientology and
Commodore's Messenger Organization - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-447: The church after being victimized by Fair Game despite not criticizing the church after leaving. Rinder has been victimized by Fair Game numerous times and recalled an incident where he was sitting in his car at a doctor's office parking lot during a phone interview with BBC journalist John Sweeney when "five senior members of [Scientology's] California-based international management team – surrounded and screamed at him". The screaming
3612-524: The church purchased a 440-foot (130 m) motor vessel , the Freewinds , which docks in Curaçao in the southern Caribbean and is used as a religious retreat and training center, staffed entirely by Sea Org members. Sea Org members make a lifetime commitment to Scientology by signing a billion-year contract officially described as a symbolic pledge. In exchange, members are given free room and board, as well as
3696-466: The church's key organizations are held by Sea Org members. Sea Org are housed in communal housing, which they call berthing , and receive a basic allowance of about $ 50 per week. In accordance with Scientology beliefs , members are expected to return to the Sea Org when they are reborn; the Sea Org's motto is Revenimus , ("We Come Back"). Members must therefore sign a symbolic billion-year commitment, pledging to "get ethics in on this planet and
3780-443: The church, including family members. The device used during auditing, called an E-meter , has a disclaimer on it that says "it does nothing by itself" but members are told that it functions like a lie detector . Mike Rinder, Mark Rathbun , Marc and Claire Headley state that auditing sessions are secretly recorded, including ones with secrets about Tom Cruise and initially were forms of spiritual counseling. That changed due to
3864-989: The church. Rinder is a board member of the Foundation. In 2019, CHILD USA awarded Mike Rinder and Leah Remini the Barbara Blaine Trailblazer Award for having "taken a brave, public stand for justice and given voice to many of Scientology's victims." As of 2023, Rinder sits on the CHILD USA board of directors where he helps to "[change] the laws in numerous states across the US with legislation enacted to make it possible for victims to pursue their day in court." Rinder has two children with his first wife Cathy, daughter Taryn and son Benjamin. A second daughter, named Kimberley, died shortly after her birth in October 1982. In 2012, his partner, Christie King Collbran, gave birth to
3948-518: The church. Any Scientologist that doesn't disconnect from someone that leaves will be declared a suppressive person and expelled as well. This policy led to what Rinder stated are "captive" Scientologists – church members who stay not because they are faithful to the tenets but because they fear disconnection – and cites Leah Remini 's mother as an example of this because she stated she wanted to leave Scientology prior to Leah's departure but delayed doing so because she did not want to be disconnected from
4032-440: The commitment and attending the induction. Once induction is completed, the final decision to join is made. Members who leave the Sea Org are issued a "freeloader's bill", retroactively billing them for any auditing or training they have received. Although the bill is not legally enforceable, these Scientologists may not receive services at any Scientology organization until they pay the bill and perform an amends program. From
4116-443: The corporate, legal and public relations matters of Scientology at the international level. Rinder left Scientology in 2007. Ever since then, he has spoken about the physical and mental abuse inflicted upon staff members by Chairman of Scientology, David Miscavige , and by Rinder himself before his departure from the organization, and has explained how abuse was embedded into the culture of Scientology. From 2016 to 2019, he co-hosted
4200-516: The decade that followed, criticism of the Church became bolder, more public and consistently negative. In the early 1990s, when the Internet was in its infancy, internet startups could be intimidated by the threat of litigation by the Church. But a decade later, those same companies were now large corporations with the resources to defend themselves. They successfully lobbied for legislation that shielded them with " loser pays " laws that would indemnify
4284-502: The discovery of Operation Snow White by the FBI. The Church organized an illegal infiltration of 136 government agencies because of the IRS' refusal to reinstate the church's tax exempt status. The FBI raid that ensued led to the discovery of hundreds of documents detailing criminal activity by the Church, and dozens of high-ranking church officials were prosecuted. But according to Rinder, David Miscavige 's claim that Fair Game succeeded in regaining Scientology's tax-exempt status in 1993
SECTION 50
#17328591342544368-496: The discovery of Operation Snow White , the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, the mobile revolution of the 2000s and the rise of social media in the 2010s. These events have made it difficult for the church to attract new followers and retain current adherents and resulted in the church taking increasingly more draconian measures to ensure its survival. According to Rinder, Scientology's two principal weapons against critics within
4452-411: The duration of the EPF and are not allowed to have private or intimate contact with each other. While on the EPF, recruits are assigned an intensive daily regimen divided between five hours of manual labor and five hours of study and indoctrination known as "Product Zero". Scientology courses that are required to complete the EPF include: The EPF does not have a definite schedule. A recruit graduates
4536-520: The early 1970s to the start of the 21st century, the children of Sea Org members were often placed in the Cadet Org . Sea Org members may marry one another but are not permitted to marry outside the organization; extra-marital sex is also prohibited. Couples with children must leave the Sea Org and return to other staff positions within the church until the child is six years old; thereafter the children are raised communally and allowed to visit their parents in
4620-434: The executive director of Author Services Inc. and worked closely with David Miscavige. Annie Tidman (also known as Annie Broeker) became a messenger at age 12. She married fellow messenger Pat Broeker and they were among the few people in direct contact with L. Ron Hubbard during his final years. In November 1992, Tidman made an unannounced departure from the group, but returned after Church members intercepted her at
4704-536: The film Scientology and Me , from attending a movie premiere and to attempt to "discredit Sweeney in any way that he could". Rinder has said that he was living in The Hole for over two years "when he was suddenly pulled from his prison and sent on [a] mission to London to defend the Church against John Sweeney's film", Scientology and Me , in March 2007. Rinder defended Scientology leader David Miscavige , but Miscavige
4788-577: The followers they already had. The church's disconnection policy is primarily how the church discourages Scientologists from departing and is a mechanism of emotional blackmail . All communication with any Scientologist that "blows", or has an unauthorized departure as Rinder did, is immediately ceased. Since Scientologists are not permitted to have social relationships with non-Scientologists, they essentially lose contact with all their social contacts when they leave. Sea Org members are even more vulnerable when they leave because they are financially dependent on
4872-726: The interview with the St. Petersburg Times , and said he was speaking out because "I don't want people to continue to be hurt and tricked and lied to." He spoke about Scientology's management and the repeated abuse that he gave as well as received, and the interviews became part of the paper's "The Truth Rundown" special issue. Since then, Rinder has given numerous interviews to journalists and participated in several documentaries about Scientology. In March 2010, Rinder again confirmed allegations of abuse within Scientology to CNN 's Anderson Cooper on Anderson Cooper 360° . On September 28, 2010, Rinder appeared on The Secrets of Scientology broadcast by
4956-563: The litigation that followed it ended this secrecy. The year before Scientology sued Time magazine for defamation, the Church was successful at shutting down the Cult Awareness Network (CAN) by suing the group. However, unlike CAN, the Time Warner Corporation had the resources to defend itself, as well as the documents obtained from the earlier FBI raid. Time Warner was able to successfully prove that Scientology's lawsuit
5040-425: The organization are Auditing and Disconnection. Initially, auditing was meant to be a form of counseling (for which members pay over $ 500 per hour) to obtain the spiritual benefits of Scientology but by the time of his departure, he stated the practice had degenerated into a tool for interrogation and mind control . Non-compliant parishioners are labelled "suppressive persons" and disconnected from by other members of
5124-470: The police came and found them, they'd take them away." After finishing high school, at age 18 Rinder joined the Sea Org on the ship Apollo , then headquarters for Sea Org and for Scientology. Rinder became an early member of the Commodore's Messenger Organization and rapidly rose in rank to head of the Office of Special Affairs. As executive director of the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), he served as
SECTION 60
#17328591342545208-602: The reaction by many early Scientologists to the Xenu origin of man story found in OT III . They balked at it and began leaving the church and encouraging others to do so as well. According to Rinder, this is where the term "suppressive person" originated from. Rinder also stated that the prophecy of Hubbard's messiah-like return after death to prevent an apocalyptic alien invasion in OT VIII (released in 1988, two years after his death) garnered
5292-794: The rest of her family. Rinder stated that the policy of "routing out", or authorized departure, is a sham. The church claims that anyone can voluntarily leave, or route out, and not be declared by paying a fee for leaving but in reality everyone that leaves gets declared by policy because they will have access to the internet after leaving and any parishioner who remains in contact with them will also have unauthorized access as well. After leaving Scientology in 2007, Rinder and his first wife, Cathy, divorced after 35 years, and he has had no contact with her or his two adult children from his first marriage because of disconnection. In April 2010, Rinder, who lived in Clearwater, Florida , attempted to meet his son, who
5376-509: The senior executives of CMO Int. The function of WDC was to 'put senior management back on post.' They did this by absorbing all top management posts. In 1981, the All Clear Unit was set up at CMO Int with the purpose of ensuring an "All Clear" for Hubbard to emerge from hiding. As head of the unit, David Miscavige took orders only from Pat Broeker , who was accountable only to Hubbard. Suzette Hubbard , L. Ron Hubbard's youngest daughter,
5460-489: The ship's bilges , and allowed even less sleep. Several scholars, writers and former members have compared the Sea Org to a paramilitary group. In Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography (2008), Andrew Morton described it as a "fraternal paramilitary organization", and wrote that members are instructed to read The Art of War by General Sun Tzu , and On War by General Carl von Clausewitz . He wrote that Scientology leader David Miscavige created an elite unit within
5544-417: The ship. They ate after normal crew had eaten, and only whatever was left over from the crew meal. Their berthing was the worst on board, in a roach-infested, filthy and unventilated cargo hold. They wore black boilersuits, even in the hottest weather. They were required to run everywhere. Discipline was harsh and bizarre, with running laps of the ship assigned for the slightest infraction like failing to address
5628-472: The time of his death. An order was issued promoting Broeker and his wife to the rank of "Loyal Officer", but that order was later cancelled. Marc Yager joined the Sea Org in 1974 as a teenager and sailed with Hubbard on Apollo . Yager became a messenger and assisted Hubbard in video production. Yager was appointed commanding officer of the Commodore's Messenger Organization, chairman of the Watchdog Committee, and later, inspector general for administration in
5712-477: The universe". The church contends that the agreement is not a legally binding contract and is merely a symbolic demonstration of the dedication members are expected to give to the organization, and that they are free to leave if they wish. After signing, members report to the Estates Project Force, the Sea Org's induction program; J. Gordon Melton writes that members may take several years between signing
5796-464: Was 5 years old, his parents became interested in Scientology and the family began attending the Church of Scientology International center in Australia. In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone , Rinder said he had experienced discrimination in Australia during the period when the state of Victoria had banned Scientology: "You couldn't own Scientology books ... If you did, you had to hide them because if
5880-466: Was also living in Clearwater, after learning he was diagnosed with cancer, but his son refused to see him. The church also refused to let him on the property and had him cited for trespassing by the Clearwater Police. Rinder stated his biggest regrets in life is having two children that were born into Scientology and having enforced the disconnection policy (to which he is now being subjected) when he
5964-498: Was an idea he had picked up from Nazi Germany. He said Hitler was a madman, but nevertheless a genius in his own right and the Nazi Youth was one of the smartest ideas he ever had. With young people you had a blank slate and you could write anything you wanted on it and it would be your writing. That was his idea, to take young people and mould them into little Hubbards. He said he had girls because women were more loyal than men. In 1979,
6048-546: Was briefly in the CMO at the age of 13. When she was replaced she went to work on the decks. Janis Gillham , age 11, joined the Sea Organization in January 1968. She regularly attended to Hubbard for the next 11 years, until he went into hiding in 1979. In 2017, she authored Commodore's Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization , and in 2018 Commodore's Messenger Book II: Riding Out The Storms With L. Ron Hubbard . Terri Gillham later became
6132-486: Was co-executive producer of the show Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath in 2019 and 2020 when the show was nominated for the Emmy Awards , winning an Emmy for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series Or Special - 2020 . In 2018, Mike Rinder co-founded The Aftermath Foundation, a nonprofit which helps people escape from Scientology, and connects former Sea Org members with housing, work and other support upon leaving
6216-449: Was created in January 1974 as a system of work camps set up by the Sea Org, intended to isolate and rehabilitate members who have not lived up to the church's expectations, have failed security checks , or have violated certain policies. RPF groups are located within Sea Org facilities, and there are no locks on the doors. Many ex-Sea Org members have reported gruelling treatment. On the RPF, one works eight hours of physical work six days
6300-607: Was director of OSA. He stated the rise of social media in the late 2000s has allowed ex-Scientologists to connect with each other and form support groups for members who have left or want to leave. He credits the disconnection policy for the consistently negative media portrayal of Scientology . The reports of Scientology extracting large fees and their space opera beliefs were controversial, but their portrayal didn't become consistently negative until ex-Scientologists started sharing their stories through social media about families intentionally being broken up by disconnection because
6384-681: Was following Hubbard's policies. The original four messengers were sisters Janis Gillham (aged 11) and Terri Gillham (12), Annie Tidman (12), and Hubbard's youngest daughter Suzette Hubbard (13). In 1975 while sailing in the Caribbean, due to the heat and humidity, the Messengers devised their uniforms themselves: white shorts, tie tops and platform shoes with knee high socks. Messengers conveyed messages from Hubbard and they were trained to mimic Hubbard's exact tone and mannerisms. According to messenger Tonja Burden, CMO recruits were required to practice specific training routines to attain this skill: "During
6468-423: Was instructed by him to deny it happened. Rinder realized afterwards though that Sweeney's allegation about him was true and he was unable to rationalize why he was denying it. Afterwards, instead of reporting to Sussex, Rinder decided to leave Scientology. Rinder went to Virginia and told Scientology officials that he wanted to speak to his wife and also wanted his possessions. He did not speak to his wife, but
6552-457: Was released on Sea Org Day 1980. All new recruits are required to complete compulsory novitiate before they are allowed to join the Sea Org, which has been described as a boot camp . During this phase, known as the Estates Project Force (EPF), recruits are not considered to be full Sea Org members. They are required to address all members as "sir", regardless of rank, and must run everywhere instead of walking. Married couples are separated for
6636-554: Was ruled tens of millions of years ago by the Galactic Confederacy. The confederacy was controlled by a tyrant named Xenu , who was eventually overthrown by a group within the Galactic Confederacy known as the "Loyal Officers". Religious scholar Hugh Urban writes that the Sea Org is modeled after these Loyal Officers. Urban also describes the Sea Org, with the naval uniforms and ranks, as an idealized re-creation of Hubbard's own World War II military career . He also states that
6720-410: Was sent a FedEx package with a check for $ 5,000. His family photos were not sent. Rinder's official biography has since been removed from the official Scientology website. After leaving Scientology, Rinder relocated to Denver , Colorado , and initially did not intend to speak out against the organization; in 2009, when St. Petersburg Times first asked him for an interview, he declined. However,
6804-659: Was so loud, Sweeney was able to record the episode and later aired the recording on The Secrets of Scientology broadcast by the BBC's Panorama program. The policy was becoming increasingly ineffective starting the 1980s as it was unable to stop publication of A Piece of Blue Sky by ex-Scientologist Jon Atack or the documentary Scientology and Me which ultimately led to Rinder's departure. The internet made it even less effective because information can be uploaded anonymously and then viewed by anyone with internet access. Rinder said Fair Game's most significant failure came with
6888-450: Was the auditing sessions that led him to deny Sweeney's allegations that he knew were true. He later discovered the training he received during those sessions was developed from a book written by Hubbard in 1955 called Brain-Washing . According to Rinder, for decades enrollment has been declining, but departures were more concerning. Without new Scientologists entering the organization, the church became increasingly dependent on retaining
6972-480: Was unhappy that Rinder was unable to stop the documentary from being shown. As a result, Rinder "was to report to the church's facility in Sussex , and dig ditches" and then was to be allowed to return to the United States. Rinder claimed his moment of clarity came in a confrontation with the filmmaker, which was recorded on video. In the exchange, Rinder denied Sweeney's allegation that he had been abused by Miscavige and
7056-427: Was vexatious in nature, and that it was meant to financially drain critics into submission rather than to resolve any actual dispute. Additionally, the discovery process allowed for the subpoena of Church documents, which exposed the Church's litigation policies. As a result, the Church lost its lawsuit against Time Warner. In the aftermath of the Time Warner lawsuit, courts were less receptive to litigation brought by
#253746