Mike Rinder
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| Michael Rinder | |
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| Born | 1956 Australia |
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| Occupation | Commanding officer, Office of Special Affairs International |
| Website Scientology profile |
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Mike Rinder (born ca. 1956)[1] is a former Scientologist,[2] and was the commanding officer of the Office of Special Affairs International, a division of the Church of Scientology.[3] He has appeared as an official spokesperson for the organization on television shows such as The Today Show, Rita Cosby Live & Direct and Dateline NBC. He participated in church public relations activities regarding the Lisa McPherson scandal, the Lisa McPherson Trust, and the BBC documentary Scientology and Me.[4][5]
Rinder is an Australian national who joined the Sea Org on the Apollo at 18.[6] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Rinder said he had experienced discrimination in Australia during the period when southeastern Australia had banned Scientology: "You couldn't own Scientology books ... If you did, you had to hide them because if the police came and found them, they'd take them away."[6] According to Radar Magazine, Rinder is no longer head of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs or its Chief Spokesman, and left the Church of Scientology in the summer of 2007: "In what many ex-members describe as a significant black eye for the Church, Rinder blew last summer and now lives in Williamsburg, Virginia."[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Staff writer. "The Truth about $cientology", The Daily Mail, 2006-04-13.
- ^ a b Cook, John. "Scientology - Cult Friction: After an embarrassing string of high-profile defection and leaked videos, Scientology is under attack from a faceless cabal of online activists. Has America's most controversial religion finally met its match?", Radar Online, Radar Magazine, March 17, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ Morgan, Lucy (1999-03-29). Abroad: Critics public and private keep pressure on Scientology. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
- ^ Mike Rinder
- ^ Scientology in the UK: Archived news item
- ^ a b Reitman, Janet (2006-02-23). Inside Scientology. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
[edit] External links
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