With multiple surgeries and radiation treatments, Benjamin started recovering after two years. In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years. It was in Johannesburg, where the couple had gone to supervise the building of a new Scientology organization, that Mr. Collbran, who is 29, began to have doubts. He also traveled to Australia, England, and Ireland to speak out about Scientology abuses. Christie King Collbran never wanted to become a Scientology defector. 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. However, Miscavige was unhappy that Rinder could not stop the documentary from being premiered. Christie King Collbran was in the Sea Org from the age of 16 until the age of 29. Christie and Chris Collbran were married in a simple ceremony at the Scientology center in Manhattan. They do believe in God, or a Supreme Being that is associated with infinite potential. And, and I was likereally, I was traumatized, I really was traumatized. 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. which Rindercallsthe "floating headquarters for Scientology. Mr. Headley, who wrote a book about his experiences, is suing the church for back wages, saying that over 15 years his salary averaged out to 39 cents an hour. She flew out to Denver, but Rinder didn't want to speak to her, and he returned from Denver. Why did we work so hard for this organization, Ms. Collbran said, and why did it feel so wrong in the end? She eventually started a love affair with Rinder, married him, and welcomed their son together. Our family was going along this path. The couple's deteriorating relationship and Chris' degrading mental stability led him to attempt suicide. Meanwhile, husband Chris grew as unstable as the couple's relationship. He also dealt with legal and governmental matters of the CSI at an international level. She waited until her pregnancy had almost reached the end of the first trimester to inform her superiors. 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. All rights reserved. Actress: Delivering Christmas. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Mr. Davis, the churchs current spokesman, said Scientologists are no different from Mormons, Catholics, Jehovahs Witnesses and Amish who practice shunning or excommunication. in Historic Downtown Ocala, Florida, Church of Scientology of Tampa Expands Into New Historic Landmark Ybor Square Home, Church of Scientology Opens New Church in the Heart of Moscow, Ribbon Falls on Australia's First Ideal Church of Scientology, Church of Scientology flips the switch on 185,000-square-foot Dissemination and Distribution Center, Ribbon Falls on New Church of Scientology for the Pacific Northwest, New Ideal Church of Scientology Welcomed to Historic Home in City of Roses, New National Organization for Mexico Opens its Doors in the City of Palaces, Church of Scientology of Los Angeles Opens New Ideal Quarters, Diverse Community Welcomes New Life Improvement Centre in Johannesburg, Fastest-Growing U.S. City Welcomes New Church of World's Fastest-Growing Religion, New Scientology Church in the Historic Heart of French Canada, The First Branch of Churches of Scientology for Europe opens in Brussels, New Scientology Church on Washington DC's "Church Row", In the Eternal City, a New Church of Scientology, The Landmark Fort Harrison Fully Restored, Mike Rinder's Live-in Media Puppet, Christie Collbran, AKA: Running Away From the Subject of Their Program, Anderson Cooper's Definition of "An Investigation", A Beating Every Day While 10,000 Miles Away, The True Face of Scientology: Unparalleled Growth Since 2004, A Timeline of CNN's Investigation aka: Running, Tricks of the Trade: How Anderson Cooper Tries to Sound Learned But Is Actually a Hack, CooperSpeak: How Terrorists Become Protesters, How Anderson Cooper Torpedoed an Interview, Marty Rathbun: ABriefChronology of Monumental Disasters, The Career of Kingpin Rathbun, Postcards from the Edge or Marty Takes a Holiday, Marty Rathbun: AHistory ofHiddenViolence, The Kinky Relationship, Rathbun&Rinder, The Confessions of Marty Rathbun as Told by His AlterEgo, The Rathbun Family: Madness, Mayhem and Mysterious Death, Amy Scobee: Sex, Lies andtheBlogosphere, Steve Hall: The Man Who Tells It Straight From the Straitjacket, Defrocked Apostates: TheRoadtoRedemption. Joanie Sigal is a 36-year parishioner in Clearwater who promotes the churchs antidrug campaign to local officials. It still took two months before the church let the Collbrans go, in 2006, and not before making them sign affidavits. Her daughter, Taryn, was also severely shaken by her mother's injury caused by herfather's assault. See Photos. The church says the defectors are lying. By 16, she was recruited into the Sea Org, so named because it once operated from ships, wearing a Navy-like uniform with epaulets. Chris Collbran, wants nothing to do with his former church. "Eventually I realized I was part of a con," he said, "and I have to leave it and get on with my life.". She finally left the Sea Org three years ago. 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. It didnt work. He is also co-hosting theScientology: Fair Gamepodcast with Leah Remini. 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.". But the Johannesburg church was generating only enough to pay each of the Collbrans $17 a week, Collbran said. 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, Collbran said. She was well known as a hot shot Establishment Officer. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. This is funny: 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 . I couldn't move and he put his face right up to me and was screaming, 'You bitch, you bitch.' The church in Johannesburg is thriving now that the Collbrans have left, Davis said. Ms. Collbran says she still believes in Scientology not in the church as it is now constituted, but in its teachings. Searching for Web sites about Scientology that are not sponsored by the church (an activity 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. She was well known as a hot shot Establishment Officer. 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. 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. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. 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. Its like, No Christie, Im sorry, thisthis isnt going to happen. "These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.". "All of the auditing that you do, there's files kept on it," Christie Collbran said. After failing such job attempts, he teamed up with some other individuals who were also expelled from the Church to establish a competitor church. Rinder visited the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard's home in England with his family for the first time in 1966. Previously city included Tarpon Springs FL. In 2008, organizers with the Internet-based group Anonymous began waves of protests outside Scientology churches in many countries. It is very, very prevalent. 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. 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." 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. Fifty-six years after its founding by the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986, the church is fighting off calls by former members for a Reformation. We never will. The church in Johannesburg is thriving now that the Collbrans have left, Mr. Davis said. Although on the other hand, whats a poor Anchor Boy to do? if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',148,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); In October 2009, Rinder and CSI's fellow senior executive Marty Rathbun told St. Petersburg how Scientology silenced critics. Personal Profiles for Christie June Collbran from Palm Harbor, FL and Christie J Collbran from Palm Harbor, FL, and one other person with the same name, addresses, phone numbers, emails. In the end, the documentary premiered on 17 May 2007 as a part of BBC One's Panorama series. 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. Joanie Sigal is a 36-year parishioner in Clearwater who promotes the church's anti-drug campaign to local officials. Comments # the jakal 2010-04-04 06:11. 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. (Photo: Facebook). 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.". 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." Rinder married his first wife, Cathy Bernardini, in 1976, when they both were members of the Sea Org. "Scientology hooks people with the promise of making them better. Her parents were dedicated church members in Los Angeles, and she attended full-time Scientology schools for several years. 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. Lives in Yukon, Oklahoma. She began acting in musical theatre productions at the age of four, which led her to roles in film and television. 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. John Travolta Opens The podcast was launched on 21 July 2020. Mike Rinder's then girlfriend, Christie, verbally attacked her mother, Liz, and publicly humiliated both her parentsbehavior her father had never . For one, they said, the church had taken their passports. They now had a child and no money, but they thought they were still in good standing with their church. 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. Rinder served as a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology for over two decades before being removed from his disgrace in 2009. To make their numbers look good for headquarters, South African parishioners took their maids and gardeners to church to be counted. Rinder was born in Adelaide, Australia, to Ian and Barbara Rinder in 1955. They could not just up and go. In the past, Christie has also been known as Collbran Christie June, Christie June Collbran and Christie J Collbran. So of course, everybody loved him. And it was her decision. She believed in the mission: to "clear the planet" of negative influences by bringing Scientology to its inhabitants. He also oversaw a large extent of Scientology litigation and directed the destruction of anti-Scientologists. Well, at least they have each other. Scientology parishioners interviewed in Clearwater seemed unperturbed by the protests, headlines and lawsuits. 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. Christie was born into a family of Scientologists, and her parents are Liz and Ed King. Scientology parishioners interviewed in Clearwater seemed unperturbed by the protests, headlines and lawsuits. "That's the difference between the old Scientology and the new: The brave new Scientology is all these beautiful buildings and real estate and no people," said Rathbun. Collbran, 33, said she loved the church so much that she never thought she would leave. 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. Its pinch-yourself material.. When Rinder quit the Sea Org, he also decided to abandon his wife and their children because they remained Scientologists. "Part of my job was to discredit and destroy critics who spoke out against the church. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Growing up, Rinder went to a private school in Adelaide. "It was all built on lies," Collbran said. Davis, the church spokesman, said the Collbrans' exit was not unusual. These were not the claims made by outsiders looking to dig up dirt against us, Mr. Haggis wrote. To become pregnant to avoid standard procedures in leaving a religious order? And what we see here is evidence of the fact that were definitely better off without them.. "We have never violated that trust," Davis said. Mike Rinder was born Michael John Rinder on 10 April 1955 in Adelaide, Australia, to Barbara and Ian Rinder. "All of the auditing that you do, there's files kept on it," Christie Collbran said. 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." Defectors Say Church of Scientology Hides Abuse, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/us/07scientology.html. They went through that file, wrote this affidavit as if I wrote it.". "Why did we work so hard for this organization," Christie Collbran said, "and why did it feel so wrong in the end? 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. She endured sadistic and bizarre injustice for the simple reason that she would not robotically follow demands to abandon her personal integrity. Over the next several years, Christie's relationship with the Church and Chris headed south. She endured sadistic and bizarre injustice for the simple reason that she would not robotically follow more T tua 2 1k followers More information Christie King Collbran | www.scientology-cult.com Christie Collbran remained in Johannesburg, and for three months the church refused to allow them to contact each other, the Collbrans said. Youre in fear, Mr. Collbran said. "It was all built on lies," Collbran said. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Christie King Collbran, who was core to the Scientology leadership group, has left her post after having to hide being pregnant. Furthermore, Rinder abused several female colleagues before leaving the Sea Org. 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." Now, disconnection has become a way of controlling people, said Mr. Rinder, who says his mother, sister, brother, daughter and son disconnected from him after he left the church. ", The church is vague about its membership numbers. [9] After finishing high school he joined the Sea Org on the ship Apollo at 18. 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 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. Despite all they have been through together, Ms. and Mr. Collbran are getting a divorce. These are common religious tenets, he said. Soon after, naturally, Collbrans strings were yankednot pulledback to Rinders bed in Florida. 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. 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. 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. They signed a contract for a billion years -- in keeping with the belief that Scientologists are immortal. Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. They worked seven days a week, on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. Last year, it built or renovated opulent Scientology churches, which it calls Ideal Orgs, in Rome; Malmo, Sweden; Dallas; Nashville; and Washington. They signed a contract for a billion years in keeping with the churchs belief that Scientologists are immortal. He was crushing me. 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. 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. YOUNG RECRUITS Christie King Collbran, left, and her husband, Chris, center, in Johannesburg in 2004. In the end, the documentary premiered on 17 May 2007 as a part of BBC One's Panorama series. And we have the answers.. Christie talks about Jim Lynch, the washed-up reporter hired by "Freedom" magazine to harass targets of scientology's Fair Game campaigns. Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. Recently, Christie Collbran received an e-mail message from her mother calling her a "snake in the grass.". On the pay issue, it says that Sea Org members expect to sacrifice their material well-being to devote their lives to the church. He had already paid her airfare from Florida, so he too really had no choice but to pass her off as a credible source and take her for a stroll in New Yorks Central Park. Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. "This is a representation of our success," said the church's spokesman, Tommy Davis, showing off the cavernous atrium at the climax of a daylong tour. In 2000, the couple transferred to the Churchs South African Continental Office in Johannesburg, and over the next several years their relationship with each otherand with the Churchheaded south. Mike Rinder with his current wife Christie on their wedding day in 2013. And to then tell the press where it will permanently remain available for retrieval on the Internet in perpetuity? The church has responded to the bad publicity by denying the accusations and calling attention to a worldwide building campaign that showcases its wealth and industriousness. Marty Rathbun, once Miscavige's top lieutenant, is now one of the church's top detractors. All of the auditing that you do, theres files kept on it, Ms. Collbran said. Davis, the church's current spokesman, said Scientologists are no different from Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses and Amish who practice shunning or excommunication. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. I was pinned. She said her mother could do nothing because of her crippled arm, and she helped her in everything, from tying her shoes, cutting her food, making her bed, and doing up her buttons. Last year, it built or renovated opulent Scientology churches, which it calls Ideal Orgs, in Rome; Malmo, Sweden; Dallas; Nashville, Tenn.; and Washington. However, Christie got pregnant in 2006 amid their fragmented marriage. Her performance as Sofia in Delivering Christmas gained recognition, earning the Young Artist Academy Award and . And it was her decision. They soon discovered others who felt the same. Completely. His parentsbecameScientologists in1960. 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. 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. 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. ", The church immediately sent emissaries to Christie Collbran's parents' house in Los Angeles to inform them that their daughter was "suppressive," Collbran said. [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. 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. So it was with the Collbrans. It still took two months before the church let the Collbrans go, in 2006, and not before making them sign affidavits. 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. The Sea Org is a religious order that requires enormous dedication, he said, and leaving any religious order can be a lengthy process. Christie Collbran Birth Doula Services Jan 2009 - Dec 20146 years Tampa, Florida, United States Supported and guided families to have a positive birth and postpartum experience. It was all built on lies, Mr. Collbran said. Mr. Davis, the church spokesman, said the Collbrans exit was not unusual. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-leader-2','ezslot_13',150,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-leader-2-0'); According to STAND League, Rinder soon launched a "billion-dollar" anti-Scientology harassment scheme with an anti-Scientologist Robert Almblad to profit off his independent church. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Bradford-born King played the dastardly Kim Tate on Emmerdale originally for 10 years from 1989. Their parents, siblings and friends who are Scientologists would have to disconnect completely from them, or risk being declared suppressive themselves. "All of the personal things you ever said, all the secrets, the transgressions, are all kept in there. 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. Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, gave a detailed account of they were effectively raised to serve the ultra-secret Sea Organization, or Sea Org in the Church. She joined the Sea Organization at 16 in 1993 and married Chris Collbran at 22 in 1999. "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. Scientologists are cut off from observation and told what to think. Its a big yawn, actually., The Collbrans, despite their efforts to remain in good standing in the church, were declared suppressive persons last year. 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. Her parents were dedicated church members in Los Angeles, and she attended full-time Scientology schools for several years. She further stated that her mother was "damaged for life" as she is in pain every day.
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