MovieChat Forums > Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (2016) Discussion > Surprised at Mike Rinder

Surprised at Mike Rinder

posted 7 years ago by andrewc_33
18 replies | jump to latest

Watching the last episode I guess I suspected Mike to be more apologetic towards the journalists (especially Mike Sweeney) who he stalked and helped torment during his filming of the documentary for the BBC. He did go over the rationale that he was not taking any personal attacks at them individually when they were trying to investigate Scientology but I saw the BBC documentary and they did indeed pull some very aggressive attacks against him. Maybe he did apologize previously in other meetings with the journalists but I was expecting him to take more personal accountability since he was very involved in attacking these journalists during his time in the church

[–] lexi_jay 7 years ago

I can't remember which episode it was but I do remember Mike saying that he felt really bad about the things that he did to people in the name of Scientology. I suspect he has already apologized. He probably didn't want to make the episode about him. If I'm not mistaken in a prior episode didn't he say that he had spoken to that BBC guy right before he went public? And when(Mike) was on the phone with him a couple of Scientologist had started harassing him and the BBC guy caught it all on recording? If my memory is correct then these two at least have had previous contact and in that case I'm sure Mike apologized then.

[–] sgetti4me 7 years ago

I think it was that his ex and daughter attacked him in the car while his now wife was at the doctors. The BBC guy did catch it on recording BBC they were on the phone at the time.

Also, they all did state that they see Mike as a friend now, which makes me think they have all been in contact.

Damn the man! Save the Empire! Rave On, Rave On

[–] darkavenger77 7 years ago

I suspect he has already apologized.

That was my take on it as well. In my experience, you're never really close friends with someone until you have a significant difference of opinion or disagreement with them and then reconcile- then you can be great friends. This may take years.

Ignoring politics doesn't mean politics will ignore you.
-Pericles paraphrased in <100 characters

[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]

[–] whatever94401 7 years ago

Thank you!! Yes. How are people sympathetic or trusting these people. Did you watch all the videos of them lying, repeatedly,so convincingly and accusing the people telling the truth, asking questions, etc. of being liars, having mental illness, being paranoid, being weird, etc. They all did this. I have seen none apologize or feel guilty with true contrition. They didn't have a gun to their head. If it didn't work with Nazis, who would kill people, how will the taking orders defense work with these folks? How weak are these people to fall for
This crap initially? You're in a religion that claims to be perfect and the leader is beating people and women have to abort their babies? And you stay because you think you're fixing the world? Any concrete evidence of this? Like is the neighborhood around the celebrity center crime free, drug free, disease free? No.
These people don't disavow what they learned they just complain about Miscavage, etc.
Also, have any of you ever lied and felt guilty? If you do, it should be difficult for you to call the person you are lying to a liar, crazy, etc. Do these people have any shame? Also, how can anyone trust these people? Remini is on camera saying Xenu is some crazy thing the reporter made up and the reporter is therefor nuts. Rinder says the reporter is paranoid, no one is following him, etc. I'm not perfect but if I told 5% of these lies while simultaneously accusing my friends and family of being the liars, crazy, I would never expect them to trust me again. Like ever.

[–] A_l_a_c_h_u_a_1 7 years ago

I would forever be suspect of these people. The CoS relies on lying, coercion, and manipulation. Part of their tactic is to shape the reality of their followers, and for those followers to use those manipulation tactics to defend and promote the CoS. So even though people like Leah and Rinder have "blown" - who knows what their real intentions are. They have been so messed up in the head all those years, I couldn't put a lot of trust in them. Even though they have left, they still know all those psychological manipulation tactics, how to *beep* with people's heads, and all that craziness. It may sound like paranoia, but why take your chances with people like this.

[–] Gothish 7 years ago

I believe in Leah's sincerity, and Mike Rinder's to a certain extent. But I understand why others are wary, to say the least.

One thing to take into account is that most of these people consider themselves victims of a cult - I'm not saying that that should absolve them of responsibility for their actions (and I don't think they are necessarily saying that either), but it does add a different spin to their mindset.

"Two gin and Frescas"
"Shaken, not ridiculed"

[–] SvenViking 7 years ago

How weak are these people to fall for This crap initially?

Many if not most of the former Scientoligists featured on the show were raised in Scientology from childhood.

Regarding the rest of your message: l can understand your point of view, but if nothing else bear in mind that the show features a number of people who were never Scientologists (non-Scientologist family members, journalists etc.), and their stories are pretty similar. In some cases, such as Paulette Cooper's in the special episode, they're even more remarkable than those of the former Scientologists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Freakout

Edit: Added URL tags for easy clicking.

[–] marmot-47785 7 years ago

How weak are these people to fall for This crap initially?

They prey in the weak. My sister almost got in Dianetics in Barcelona, I refused to lend her the money for her first book and lecture, while the bitch trying to get to her attempted to convince me to go with her but she got scared of me when I told her I did not believe a single word she said and I will do anything in my power to stop my sister or others to join that crap (27 years ago).. Luckily enough three days later it was closed by police until they changed the name etc, and my sister saw the light.

I did see trough them but my sister was/is a seeker, she has always have very low selfesteem and they knew how to get into her mind. She is one of the ones who got away.

[–] Haaken78 7 years ago

It's hard for me to get a read on Mike Rinder, but I give him the benefit of the doubt for now...

The former Scientologist who creeped me out was the AV tech guy who produced so many phony films for CoS. You could tell by his little smug smiles that he relished the power of being able to fool so many people and probably still gets off on the memory of being chief propagandist for a criminal organization.

[–] zubutix 7 years ago

Dont forget that they met in 2010 already, and im sure thats when Mike told Sweeney he was sorry. There is a follow up doc by Sweeney "The secrets of scientology" by Panorama.

[–] zubutix 7 years ago

Dont forget that they met in 2010 already, and im sure thats when Mike told Sweeney he was sorry. It was the follow up doc by Sweeney "The secrets of scientology" by Panorama.

[–] Wood-20 7 years ago

I'm more surprised that John Sweeney still seems to have PTSD over his encounters with Scientology. This is a serious longtime journalist who comes across like he has nightmares over the 2006 special. If anything, I hope this series will take some of the pressure off John, because for a while, he basically had the full force of Scientology against him, without much outside support. It's only been since Sweeney's shocking original special that a more united front of critics has begun materialising, and it seems only now that there is a real opportunity to chip away at the organisation. This series with Leah and Mike has managed to gather all of those critics together in one place to really give Scientology a kick in the groin.

[–] christmastiger-16003 7 years ago

Trust me, John Sweeney got nothing compared to Paulette Cooper, she wrote a book about Scientology in the 70's and got sued 19 times and framed for bomb threats, they hired a guy to befriend her and become her roommate.

You can tell Mike is good friends with these guys now, I've seen them working with him before so I believe that he was truly apologetic and it's something that they've moved past years ago.

I think it's hard for us to properly understand that given it seems like it's his first time seeing them and the way they talked about Mike make it seem to us like he should be constantly apologizing.

But it's literally the reason he's doing this show. It's why he basically destroyed his relationship with his children, so that he could atone for all of the horrible things he's done.

Mike has said, "If I could help save one person that I hurt, or prevent one person from getting into Scientology this will all be worth it"

He went through all of the fair game tactics and smear campaigns when he didn't have to. If he'd stayed silent he probably would have been able to at least be on good terms with his children and live a quiet life.

I comment Mike for what he's doing, especially because he's one of the few people who knew beforehand how bad it was going to be. It takes balls to go into that storm willingly instead of being blindsided by it.

[–] animerika 7 years ago

Trust me, John Sweeney got nothing compared to Paulette Cooper, she wrote a book about Scientology in the 70's and got sued 19 times and framed for bomb threats, they hired a guy to befriend her and become her roommate.

If it wasn't for the FBI intervention, I don't know what would have happened to her, they were so close to completely destroy her, she'd have gone insane or they would've complete their mission by killing her, she was all alone, none of us can imagine what she went through.

She was completely alone and she survived, she's a hero.

[–] miss_october77 7 years ago

Maybe he was more apologetic off-camera, like before the show or when they were asked to be on the show.

[–] divaexigente 7 years ago

I think Mike Rinder has apologized and made peace with the people we see on the show, but he can sometime come off as cold and/or unsympathetic on the show. I imagine he had to be this way while still being a member of the "church" and it is second nature, but I believe he is doing it purposely for the carmenas. You know that the "church" is watching this footage and trying to demonize them to current members, so to me his whole demeanor is a big middle finger to the church.You harass, lie, and stalked me but I'm still standing.

[–] animerika 7 years ago

Mike said he was sorry, but he also that they are friends now, I'm sure he apologized to them before, the journalists seemed very forgiving because they know how that organization works and believe Mike didn't do it because he was bad, but because he really believed in that cause.

In Going Clear, Mike also mentioned John Sweeney, he said he was sorry and that the thing he regretted the most was that incident with him, this clearly made a huge impact on him because shorty after, Mike left the cult.