“Apostate” and “liar”… The Church of Scientology confronts a critic

No less than 40 minutes after today’s newspaper went to print, the Church of Scientology’s public relations department got in touch. They wished to respond to the request I had lodged earlier – seeking comment on reports that its employees had attempted to dig up dirt on the South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker (pictured).

In the interests of journalistic fairness, their emailed statement is printed in full below.

For the record, I’ve personally seen no evidence that Marty Rathbun, the original source of the South Park story, is a “liar” or a “suborner of perjury” (though he does have an informative and colourful blog, here). Neither do I know if “the document” this statement refers to was indeed sourced via Mike Rinder, as the Church alleges).

The purpose of running the full Church of Scientology statement, in italics below, is instead to allow y’all to hear both sides of what is clearly a hostile and somewhat complex debate. You are of course free to make up your own mind as to who is, or is not telling the truth.

Dear Mr. Adams,

Thanks for contacting us.

I looked into it and the Church knows nothing about the document. It was put out by an individual who is an admitted liar and suborner of perjury. He probably obtained the document from Mike Rinder, his best good buddy. Rinder is another apostate who was removed from his position in the Church for, among other things, his “fight people at all costs” tactics.

Rathbun was removed in 2002 and Rinder five years ago. The tales told by the sources of this story reflect the type of mindset that resulted in their removals and later expulsion from the Church. They’ve been spreading false tales to the media for two years and it is bizarre that they now bring up this alleged document. They are neither current nor credible sources.

Both sources have already confessed, in their own words, that the type of conduct they are referring to is exactly what was unacceptable to the Church, stating such things as, Rinder: “Bottom line is that I have had a totally criminal moral code and operated with a totally criminal mind attitude that I have not fully confronted (even down to lying about lying and doing illegal things).” And Rathbun: “When there is a threatening situation or suit, [I] get the [external affairs] staff and attorneys wound up toward ‘destroying the threat.’”

As to South Park, the Church has nothing to say. We haven’t heard about the show in years. The record shows that since the show aired, the Church never did a thing.

You are being led down the primrose path by a couple of liars posting sensationalistic rumors on a small time blog. This isn’t a story, I’m sorry.

Best regards,

Karin Pouw

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• Colin Nicholas

  Right on Anteaus. Totally in agreement. But as we’re just cousins of chimps and bonobos – and as they don’t appear to have an afterlife – I believe that death is simply death – for us as for all things.

  Cheers mate!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JK76I3EWMKLBRW4JKGKNGRQKRQ barbsnow

  The Church of Scientology seems to think the designation “apostate” is a negative characterization.  Quite the opposite — if one ever was a member, it is good thing to now be an apostate.  In fact, the league of Scientology apostates grows daily and is probably a much bigger group that those who still count themselves as members.  When Scientologists  say “apostate” they are describing  ”a member who renounced us once he or she joined and learned what we are like.” 

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TZQO6UOG4EA6ZR54XSJHR4WDCE John

  Any believer of the Church of Scientology would not be allowed to view anything on the internet like this site. Freedom!!! Not if you belong to the CoS. In fact they control and suppress freedom of thought and try to make you feel guilty for thinking anything but what they want you to think.