Former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder says doc ‘Going Clear’ is ‘masterful’

TORONTO – Mike Rinder is one of the few viewers who was unlikely to learn much from the documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.”

Rinder spent 25 years as a senior executive with the Church of Scientology International, often acting as the organization’s spokesperson in the midst of some big scandals.

He left the church in 2007 and has since become a vocal critic of the Church of Scientology on his blog.

He talked to The Canadian Press about the Church of Scientology and “Going Clear,” which hits Canadian theatres, iTunes and video-on-demand services Friday. “Going Clear” aired in the U.S. on HBO in March.

The Church of Scientology has dismissed the documentary as a “false diatribe,” built on testimony of “vengeful apostates.” It has also claimed that Gibney and HBO “stonewalled 14 requests by the church to offer relevant information, with more than 25 individuals with first-hand information eager to speak.”

In an email to The Canadian Press in response to the following interview, the church claimed Rinder admitted “being paid by the hour by plaintiffs’ attorneys filing frivolous lawsuits against the church.”

CP: What did you think of “Going Clear?”

Rinder: I thought it did a masterful job of capturing a very, very difficult and complex subject in an extremely limited amount of time.

(Director Alex Gibney) also did a wonderful job making the people who appear in the film relatively empathetic, because it is very easy to just say: “These people are a bunch of kooks, they’re stupid, I wouldn’t fall for that, no way would they ever get me involved in a cult like that.”

It’s not just a trap for the ignorant and the uneducated. Intelligent people get involved in things like this too and that’s perhaps even more dangerous than if it were just for suckers.

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CP: How do you think the leadership of the Church of Scientology is reacting internally, beyond the vitriolic quotes?

Rinder: Like chickens with their heads cut off — doing crazier and crazier things in response that are only proving what’s said in the movie.

They have gone about responding to this film in a way that is hard to contemplate. The explanation for this is insanity. They lost their minds.

Really, they are just increasingly losing touch with the outside world. Their response is done primarily for their internal public — they are trying to show that they’re doing something, railing against Alex Gibney and calling him a propagandist and claiming his father was some sort of CIA agent, or whatever wacky (stuff) they come up with.

The internal Scientology public claps and cheers, and the rest of the world looks at it and goes: These people are certifiable. They are absolute wack jobs.

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CP: A Scientology publication recently called you an “admitted liar, suborner of perjury, deadbeat, wife abuser and professional bigot.” (Rinder laughs). Clearly you find humour in this?

Rinder: Of course. It’s absurd. On my blog I send people to watch their wacky videos. It’s so stupid — they’re down to this silly name-calling.

They’ve made so many outrageous and ridiculous claims about so many people. They say (Canadian filmmaker and former Scientologist) Paul Haggis is a bitter, washed up, L. Ron Hubbard wannabe. Are you kidding me? That’s what you’re going to say about Paul Haggis?

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CP: The film delves into the intimidation tactics undertaken against former church members who speak out. How is that affecting you?

Rinder: I have got a fairly effective means of dealing with anything that they do, which is I put it on my blog.

Being held up to ridicule is really the one effective means of combating (church leader) David Miscavige particularly, because that’s something he cannot stand. He hates being made fun of. He hates anybody who doesn’t kowtow and accept his ultimate authority over all things animal, mineral or vegetable.

But it doesn’t make me entirely immune from their efforts. They’ve set up cameras on my street in a stupid birdhouse to watch my house. I’ve been followed numerous times, all over the world.

I would be stupid if I didn’t have some concern about an organization with the amount of money and resources that Scientology has. And probably more importantly, with (how) they treat people who don’t kowtow.

So it’s always there in the back of my mind, but I’m relatively inured to the tricks and the BS and the church. I guess that makes them less enthusiastic about spending money on these activities with me.

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Answers have been edited and condensed.

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