By 16, she was recruited into the Sea Org. 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. ''You're so into it, it's everything you know: your family, your eternity.". ", "It's so not news," she said. Scientology parishioners interviewed in Clearwater seemed unperturbed by the protests, headlines and lawsuits. Mr. Davis, the churchs current spokesman, said Scientologists are no different from Mormons, Catholics, Jehovahs Witnesses and Amish who practice shunning or excommunication. She absolutely knows what shes doing. And in Clearwater, it continued buying buildings (54 in all) and constructing a 380,000-square-foot mecca that looks like a convention center. 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. The family livedas the Kings still doin a suburb outside Los Angeles. When Christie first called me and we had our first . Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. His parentsbecameScientologists in1960. And found out that he had left," Bernardini revealed. 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. 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. 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. She further stated that her mother was "damaged for life" as she is in pain every day. 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. Why did we work so hard for this organization, Ms. Collbran said, and why did it feel so wrong in the end? Youre so into it, its everything you know: your family, your eternity.. 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. He acknowledges that he pushed a 17-year-old staff member against a wall and yelled at his wife, who was his deputy. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. 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. Scientologists are cut off from observation and told what to think. He had spent months at church headquarters in Clearwater revising the design for the Johannesburg site to meet Mr. Miscaviges demands. We have never violated that trust, Mr. Davis said. 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. In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years. Mike Rinder, who for more than 20 years was the church's spokesman, said the disconnect policy originated as Hubbard's prescription for how to deal with an abusive spouse or boss. Videos. 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. And thenand then telling me how stupid I was. (Photo: Facebook). For one, they said, the church had taken their passports. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. As a result, he was raised a Scientologist from the age of six. The building, which is 380,000 square feet, has 33-foot ceilings and a chapel that will seat 250 people. 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. And she has only herself to blame. 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. In March 2007, Rinder was suddenly sent on a mission to London to defend the CSI and prevent British journalist John Sweeney from premiering his television documentary,Scientology and Me. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[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. When Christie first called me and we had our first talk about what she was doing, it started out sort of, you know, okay. 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. She is an actress, model, and spokesperson for the Girl Scouts, USA. which Rindercallsthe "floating headquarters for Scientology. ", Chris Collbran, for his part, wants nothing to do with his former church. 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." They do believe in God, or a Supreme Being that is associated with infinite potential. Eddie King, a former professional football player, was an opinion leader in every circle that he was a part of. Collbran, who is 33, said she loved the church so much that she never thought she would leave. They signed a contract for a billion years in keeping with the churchs belief that Scientologists are immortal. They signed a contract for a billion . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. And that was what she wanted to accomplishthats what she was trying to do. And then it ratcheted up and ratcheted up andto the point where Christie was screaming in my ear. In Johannesburg, officials made the church look busy for publicity photographs by filling it with Sea Org members, the Collbrans said. Our family was going along this path. Her parents were dedicated church members in Los Angeles, and she attended full-time Scientology schools for several years. 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. Collbran, 33, said she loved the church so much that she never thought she would leave. Her mind-set then, Collbran said, was: "This planet needs our help, and people are suffering. 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. Browse . It is very, very prevalent.. 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 1969, he again visited the home to participate in advanced Scientology courses and auditing. The reason, they agree sadly, is that they no longer see eye to eye on Scientology. [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. 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 said Rinder was just trying to look like he was a caring father. Subsequently, he appointed and ordained himself the "First Independent Scientology Minister" in 2010. Christie Collbran remained in Johannesburg, and the church refused to allow them to contact each other, the Collbrans said. "Scientology hooks people with the promise of making them better. You know, like, how can this be true, what youre saying?. Collbran says she still believes in Scientology -- not in the church as it is now constituted, but in its teachings. What Growing Up in a Cult Taught Me About Parenting . The couple now have two small children. I wasnt expecting it. "So all of a sudden, he just grabbed my arms and crossed them in a vise. 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. Christie King Collbran, who was core to the Scientology leadership group, has left her post after having to hide being pregnant. And we have the answers.". Scientology parishioners interviewed in Clearwater seemed unperturbed by the protests, headlines and lawsuits. 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. Rinder also sat on the Board of Directors of Church of Scientology International until he quit the organization. Last year, it built or renovated five churches. 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. We commit to cover sensible issues responsibly through the principles of neutrality. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-leader-1','ezslot_10',149,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-leader-1-0'); In several written correspondences, the website also mentioned that Rinder acknowledged his dishonesty and criminal behavior. She said the defectors' stories were like what you would hear "if I asked your ex-husband what he thought of you. Mike has two younger siblings named Judy and Andrew. "This is a result of our expansion. Comedy Cute Inspirational Ministry Movies Music News Popular Popular Hymns Sermons Podcasts. She finally left the Sea Org three years ago. Mike Rinder with his current wife Christie on their wedding day in 2013. They have refused to speak to her ever since. 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. This is a result of our expansion. Ridiculous. The church works to cultivate public members -- especially celebrities like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) -- whose money keeps it running. They signed a contract for a billion years - in keeping with the church's belief that Scientologists are immortal. He also claimed that Miscavige built a detention center called "The Hole" at Scientology's headquarters in Hemet, California, in the early 2000s for high-ranking members who displeased him. March 7, 2010 Courtesy of Christie King Collbran . As a doula her greatest talent is her ability to connect with her clients on a personal level. Were working 16 hours a day trying to save the planet, and the church is shrinking., The church is vague about its membership numbers.