Tory Christman
Encyclopedia
Tory Christman is a prominent American
critic of Scientology
and former member of the organization. Originally brought up to believe in Catholicism
, Christman turned to Scientology
after being introduced to the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
authored by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard
while staying with her parents in Chicago, Illinois. She identified with concepts described in the book including the idea of attaining the Scientology state of clear
, and became a member of the organization in 1969. She hitchhiked from Chicago to Los Angeles, California
in order to begin the process of studying Scientology, and initially felt that it helped improve her life. In 1972, she joined the elite division within Scientology called the Sea Org
. After being a member of the Scientology organization for ten years, Christman reached the spiritual Operating Thetan
level of OT III, and learned the story of Xenu
. She subsequently rose to a higher Operating Thetan level of OT VII, the second-highest within the organization. Her medical condition of epilepsy
caused difficulty while in Scientology, as the organization did not approve of taking medication in order to manage her condition.
She became an ordained minister within Scientology, and instructed celebrity member actor John Travolta
in initial coursework. Christman worked in multiple Scientology staff capacities, including for its drug rehab organization Narconon
, and at one of the organization's Celebrity Centres. After serving in these roles, Christman came to work for the Office of Special Affairs
(OSA), which functions as an intelligence agency
within Scientology. She participated in multiple missions for OSA, including a 1979 operation designed to advance the organization's interests in Clearwater, Florida
, and a 1985 operation assisting OSA agents during a lawsuit against Scientology. In 1999, OSA agents removed the censorship
software "Scieno Sitter
" from Christman's home computer, in order to allow her to carry out a mission of monitoring critical material about Scientology on the Internet
. It was in this capacity that she came across the Scientology critic website Operation Clambake
, managed by Andreas Heldal-Lund
.
Christman reported directly to OSA vice president, Janet Weiland, about her efforts to remove criticism of Scientology from the media and online. She supervised the Scientology Parishioners League, a group dedicated to removing criticism about the organization from the press, media, and Internet. After an operation viewed as successful where Christman complained to MTV
about a South Park
parody involving Travolta and characters from the comedy series which satirized Scientology, she was assigned in 2000 to monitor postings to the newsgroup
alt.religion.scientology
. Christman took the screen name
of "Magoo", and posted multiple times to the newsgroup in attempts to stifle criticism. This conflicted with her ideals of freedom of speech
, and after Andreas Heldal-Lund reached out to her by email
, she subsequently decided to leave Scientology.
After leaving Scientology, Christman's family and friends in the movement ceased communication with her, under the organization's policy of disconnection
. She traveled to Florida
to join members of the Lisa McPherson Trust
, a group dedicated to protesting against Scientology. For leaving Scientology and joining with a critic group, she felt she was subjected to the Scientology policy of "Fair Game
"; a form of retribution for criticizing the organization. Christman has since become one of the more prominent critics of Scientology; she lectures and gives interviews about the organization internationally. In 2008 she joined in protests organized by the movement against Scientology called Project Chanology
started by the Internet-based group Anonymous
, but criticized the group for some of their initial illegal acts. Christman maintains an account on YouTube
with the identification "ToryMagoo44", where she posts topically about Scientology. The Sunday Times
characterized Christman in a 2009 article as "a fierce critic of the church".
, an American football
player and member of the College Football Hall of Fame
who played college football
for the University of Missouri
and professionally for the Chicago Cardinals
and Green Bay Packers
. Christman was brought up to believe in Catholicism
. In 1969 at age 22, Christman went through a difficult period abusing heroin in San Francisco, California
. Christman had left home for California
with the intent of becoming a hippie
. She required medical treatment after using a dirty hypodermic needle
, and returned to her parents' residence in Chicago, Illinois. While recuperating in Illinois
after a stay at Lake Forest Hospital
, two Scientologist friends persuaded her to join the Scientology organization.
She read the foundational text Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
by Scientology founder, science fiction
writer L. Ron Hubbard
, and came to believe "it was a solution for helping other people". In recalling her initial thoughts upon reading the book by Hubbard, Christman commented, "I was really looking for a higher state of consciousness and a way of helping people. And I read Dianetics and I felt "WOW this is it!" You know, "I can help people go CLEAR
." She hitchhiked from Chicago to Los Angeles, California
to study Scientology in 1969. Her first course in Scientology cost US$
35.00. Christman was quoted with a positive comment about Scientology, in the 1992 edition of the Church of Scientology International
-produced book What is Scientology?. She stated in the book, "I find life just gets better and better." Christman has a son.
, an elite unit within the organization. 3 News
characterised the Sea Org as "Scientology's senior management". In their book Cults and New Religions, Douglas E. Cowan
and David G. Bromley
describe the Sea Org writing, "Described by the Church as 'a fraternal religious order,' members of the Sea Org 'occupy the most essential and trusted positions in the senior churches in the Scientology hierarchy'." Rolling Stone notes, "Sea Org members staff all of the senior ecclesiastic positions in the church hierarchy". In 2010, there were 5,000 members in the Sea Org. Her Sea Org career was short lived; she was instructed to cease taking prescribed medication for her epilepsy, and as a result experienced multiple serious seizure
s. In one instance two of her front teeth came out after she suffered a fall caused by a seizure while in the bathroom. She recounted these incidents of seizures, in an interview with CBS News
, "So I started having grand mal seizures, and I wasn't even off the medicine. I was only off part of the medicine, and I started having very bad grand mal seizures." Christman recalled that her epilepsy was not recognized as a genuine medical condition by the Scientology organization; whose practice was to instruct members to attempt self-treatment utilizing sauna
s and vitamin
s.
After a few months she was finally convinced by her mother to resume her medication, even though this meant expulsion from the Sea Org. She remained a member of the church.
After being a member of the Scientology organization for ten years, Christman reached the spiritual "Operating Thetan
" level of OT III. She recounted her experience of reading the Xenu
story upon reaching the level of OT III: "You've jumped through all these hoops just to get to it, and then you open that packet, and the first thing you think is, 'Come on.'" She explained, "You're surrounded by all these people who're going, 'Wow, isn't it amazing, just getting the data? I can tell it's really changed you.' After a while, enough people say it and you're like, 'Wow. You know, I really feel it.'"
While a member of the organization, Christman rose to the Operating Thetan level of OT VII, "the near-pinnacle of enlightenment", and second-highest level within the movement. She worked for a time in one of the organization's Celebrity Centres, and became acquainted with celebrity members including John Travolta
and Kelly Preston
. She became an ordained minister within Scientology, and in this role trained new recruits to the organization, including Travolta. She trained Travolta on the "Hubbard Qualified Scientologist", the second Scientology class after the initial communication course. Christman spent time working at Narconon International
, a group affiliated with Scientology and promoted as a drug rehabilitation program using methods created by L. Ron Hubbard. She later came to realize that Narconon was a recruitment arm for Scientology, "Narconon's orders come from the Church of Scientology's senior management. Their programs, policies -- it's all church policy. There's no question about this to anyone involved. ... At Narconon (they're) handling drugs in society. But in truth, it's to 'safe point the environment' – a goodwill gesture so they can recruit people."
According to Rolling Stone
, Christman became a "high-ranking Scientologist" during her time in Scientology. She had difficulty progressing higher than OT VII within the organization, in part due to her medical condition of epilepsy
.
(OSA) in her efforts to curtail or remove material critical of Scientology from the press, media, and the Internet
. She spent a total of 20 years working for the OSA agency while a member of the Scientology organization. OSA agents serve as the "internal security force and intelligence unit" within Scientology. Christman assisted OSA agents in 1979, when a politician in Clearwater, Florida
was attempting to hinder the Scientology organization's efforts to establish a presence in the city. She was ordered to participate in public meetings, and divert the focus of these events to questioning of the politician, Richard Tenning. He was defeated in a subsequent election, and the Scientology organization proceeded to increase its activities in Clearwater. In 1985, Christman helped OSA agents during a lawsuit from a former Scientology member. She attended the court proceedings and wrote reports about members of the jury
, and assisted Scientology lawyers in compiling profiles of the jurors. At the time, Christman was an ardent believer in the Scientology organization and did not question the activities of the OSA agents. Reflecting back on her experiences assisting OSA agents, she commented, "I was in a cult. Scientology promotes not watching the news. It keeps you inside a Truman Show
where you're totally unaware of things. It's like your own thinking gets shut down and you get used to not considering anything that might be critical of Scientology."
In 1998, the Scientology organization publicized an initiative to hand out software on CDs to all its members, which would help them create their own websites describing their activity in the movement, and linking back to the main site at www.scientology.org. The Scientology organization did not reveal to these individuals that the CD was simultaneously bundled with censorship
software which blocked websites critical of the organization. This censorship software was termed, "Scieno Sitter
" by critics of the organization. (Janet Weiland, vice president of the OSA, has stated that it remains Scientologists' personal choice whether to use the filter, to protect them and their family members from encountering on-line harassment, and some Scientologists have always chosen to surf the Internet without filtering.) OSA agents wished for Christman to specifically monitor such critical websites and report to the organizsation about her findings, so they removed the Scieno Sitter censorship software from the computer at her residence in 1999, allowing her to research sites online freely. She came across the Scientology critic website Operation Clambake
, managed by Andreas Heldal-Lund
.
Christman reported directly to OSA vice president, Janet Weiland, about her efforts to remove criticism of Scientology from the media and online. She assisted in dealing with public relations
for Scientology. Within the organization, negative publicity in the media was referred to as "Black PR". In 2000, Christman was in charge of the Scientology Parishioners League, a division formed by volunteers on orders from Weiland in order to respond rapidly to incidents of critical coverage of Scientology in the press. Weiland recruited Christman to the Scientology Parishioners League in 1999. She would receive instruction from OSA agents, and proceed to complain to journalism editors and television producers in an attempt to convince them to pull a critical segment on Scientology. A&E Network
produced a special television program analyzing cult
s, and the Scientology Parishioners League complained to the network and attempted to have Scientology removed from coverage in the program, asserting, "Scientology isn't a cult."
Christman was tasked with refuting facts posted on the Internet about the organization. She observed about her time working with OSA, "The guys I worked with posted every day all day. It was like a machine. I worked with someone who used five separate computers, five separate anonymous identities...to refute any facts from the internet about the Church of Scientology." She acknowledged that she setup multiple identities for use in this purpose online, "I was in charge of setting up phony accounts on the Internet that were designed to shut down free speech by blocking out opponents' sites or trick-routing people to pro-Scientology sites when they were looking for opposing information."
She was assigned to try to stop the MTV Movie Awards
from featuring a South Park
satire
which poked fun at Scientology and the film based on a book by its founder L. Ron Hubbard, titled Battlefield Earth
. Christman repeatedly called the New York
office of MTV in an attempt to get them to stop the satire from airing. In the eventual broadcast, which ran June 8, 2000, the South Park character Cartman was shown using a Scientology personality test as toilet paper
. Christman believed she had succeeded in her mission, for she thought that her efforts prevented the book Dianetics from being used by Cartman, instead of the personality test.
After the perceived success of her South Park assignment, OSA agents instructed Christman to deal with Scientology critics who congregated on the Internet. Her initial activities focused on a Warner Bros.
-operated bulletin board
which focused on Battlefield Earth, and she subsequently progressed to posting on the newsgroup
alt.religion.scientology
(ARS). In 2000, ARS functioned as a community of individuals whose efforts included posting material which reflected negatively on the Scientology organization. Christman took the screen name of "Magoo". From her Burbank, California
residence in 2000, Christman posted numerous attacks on Scientology critics that were active on ARS. She worked to become the most frequent poster on the newsgroup by July 2000. Scientology critics on ARS were mystified as to the identity of the individual behind the Magoo handle, and posited that it was either a collective of OSA agents, or David Miscavige
himself, the leader of Scientology management.
During this period of time in her efforts on behalf of the OSA agents, Christman felt conflicted in her activities, because she supported freedom of speech
and she felt her activities constituted censorship. The operator of Xenu.net, Andreas Heldal-Lund, saw Christman's posts on ARS and reached out to her via email on July 14, 2000. The two engaged in communication, and Heldal-Lund explained to Christman his motivation for managing the Operation Clambake site. Christman identified with Heldal-Lund's ideals of free speech, and on July 20, 2000, she announced her intention to leave Scientology in a public post to ARS. She realized she would face repercussions from the organization for her actions, and asked Heldal-Lund for help; he recommended she contact a group of protesters against Scientology called the Lisa McPherson Trust
(LMT) who were based in Clearwater, Florida
. The LMT was started by Robert Minton
and former Scientologists to highlight the controversial death of Scientology member, Lisa McPherson
.
Through the Scientology practice of "disconnection
", Christman's husband and the majority of her acquaintances and friends who were Scientologists at the time of her exit from the group were excommunicated
from her and cut off contact. Christman recounted how after leaving the organization, the Church of Scientology attempted to damage her reputation
through a policy referred to as "dead agenting". According to Christman, the Scientology organization publicized inaccurate information about her online, tried to get her removed from her position of employment, and opened a lawsuit related to her protesting against the group on church property. Then Scientology-spokesperson, Mike Rinder
, called her a "wacko" and rejected her assertions as "absolute bullshit".
Christman contacted the Scientology critics based in Clearwater, and arranged flight transportation to Florida
. She arrived at the airport in California
to find that her flight was cancelled. Her former supervisor, Janet Weiland, was waiting for her close to the ticket counter, and tried to convince her to remain in the organization. Christman eventually got on a flight to Tampa, Florida
, but was met at the gate when she arrived by agents of Scientology. Tampa police were notified, and escorted Christman safely away from the Scientologists. While a member of Scientology, Christman had given over $1 million to the organization; she used her inheritance money to pay for coursework. She commented to the St. Petersburg Times
of Florida
about the thought process she underwent after leaving the organization, "When you get out and you get the whole thing, you're like, 'What was I thinking?'. I know the people inside are brainwashed and they're laughing at me. But to me, the truth is, I'm free. I can do what I want. I can say what I want."
in Clearwater, Florida
. Scientology representatives in Clearwater complained to police in November 2000 about the picketing, and Christman and Minton were fined US$
100. On February 21, 2001, Judge Thomas E. Penick dismissed other charges in the case, and criticized Scientology for its treatment of critics, commenting, "I'm missing the point here. I hope someone will let us know when the great invasion is coming." This experience was a defining period for Christman, as she was concerned that her former church would attempt to characterize her as a criminal. She maintained that the actions by representatives of Scientology against her were examples of the policy, "Fair Game
"; a form of retribution for criticizing the organization.
In 2008, Christman was engaged in traveling around the world lecturing about Scientology and gave media interviews about the subject. In his 2008 book Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography
, author Andrew Morton
thanked Christman in the acknowledgements section for advising him with regard to the jargon
and complicated history of Scientology. In February 2008, Christman appeared on the National Public Radio program Morning Edition
in a piece about the protest movement against Scientology called Project Chanology
started by the Internet-based group Anonymous
; she said she objected to any illegal methods used, but appreciated new activists taking part in criticizing Scientology. Along with Scientology critic Mark Bunker
, she took part in the international protests against the organization in 2008 as part of Project Chanology. Christman maintains an account on YouTube
with the identification "ToryMagoo44", where she posts topically about Scientology. Her YouTube account was briefly shut down in April 2008 around the time period that the same thing happened to Mark Bunker; soon afterwards an unidentified individual posted to alt.religion.scientology
and boasted of "silencing" Christman. Christman resided in Los Angeles, California
in 2009. The Sunday Times
characterized Christman in a 2009 article as "a fierce critic of the church".
Media
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
critic of Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
and former member of the organization. Originally brought up to believe in Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, Christman turned to Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
after being introduced to the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is a book by L. Ron Hubbard which sets out self-improvement techniques he developed, called Dianetics. The book is also one of the canonical texts of Scientology. It is colloquially referred to as Book One...
authored by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
while staying with her parents in Chicago, Illinois. She identified with concepts described in the book including the idea of attaining the Scientology state of clear
Clear (Scientology)
Clear in Dianetics and Scientology is one of two levels a practitioner can achieve on the way to personal salvation. A state of Clear is reached when a person becomes free of the influence of engrams, unwanted emotions or painful traumas not readily available to the conscious mind...
, and became a member of the organization in 1969. She hitchhiked from Chicago to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in order to begin the process of studying Scientology, and initially felt that it helped improve her life. In 1972, she joined the elite division within Scientology called the Sea Org
Sea Org
The Sea Organization or Sea Org is an association of Scientologists established in 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer and founder of Scientology. Its members are found in the central management organizations of the Church of Scientology as well as in individual churches...
. After being a member of the Scientology organization for ten years, Christman reached the spiritual Operating Thetan
Operating Thetan
In Scientology, the state of Operating Thetan is a spiritual state above Clear. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, defined it as "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time ". According to religious scholar J...
level of OT III, and learned the story of Xenu
Xenu
Xenu ,also spelled Xemu, was, according to the founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of his people to Earth in a DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs...
. She subsequently rose to a higher Operating Thetan level of OT VII, the second-highest within the organization. Her medical condition of epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
caused difficulty while in Scientology, as the organization did not approve of taking medication in order to manage her condition.
She became an ordained minister within Scientology, and instructed celebrity member actor John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
in initial coursework. Christman worked in multiple Scientology staff capacities, including for its drug rehab organization Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
, and at one of the organization's Celebrity Centres. After serving in these roles, Christman came to work for the Office of Special Affairs
Office of Special Affairs
The Office of Special Affairs or OSA is a department of the Church of Scientology. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigations, publicizing the Church's "social betterment works," and "oversee[ing its] social reform programs"...
(OSA), which functions as an intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
within Scientology. She participated in multiple missions for OSA, including a 1979 operation designed to advance the organization's interests in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, and a 1985 operation assisting OSA agents during a lawsuit against Scientology. In 1999, OSA agents removed the censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
software "Scieno Sitter
Scieno Sitter
Scieno Sitter is a term coined by critics of the Church of Scientology to refer to a content-control software package created by the organization, which, when installed on a computer, blocks certain Web sites critical of Scientology from being viewed. Critics assert that the program is a form of...
" from Christman's home computer, in order to allow her to carry out a mission of monitoring critical material about Scientology on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. It was in this capacity that she came across the Scientology critic website Operation Clambake
Operation Clambake
Operation Clambake, also referred to by its Web address, Xenu.net, is a Web site and Norway-based non-profit organization, launched in 1996, that publishes criticism of the Church of Scientology. It is owned and maintained by Andreas Heldal-Lund, who has stated that he supports the rights of all...
, managed by Andreas Heldal-Lund
Andreas Heldal-Lund
Andreas Heldal-Lund is a Norwegian anti-Scientology activist best known for operating the website Operation Clambake.-Activist:...
.
Christman reported directly to OSA vice president, Janet Weiland, about her efforts to remove criticism of Scientology from the media and online. She supervised the Scientology Parishioners League, a group dedicated to removing criticism about the organization from the press, media, and Internet. After an operation viewed as successful where Christman complained to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
about a South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
parody involving Travolta and characters from the comedy series which satirized Scientology, she was assigned in 2000 to monitor postings to the newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
alt.religion.scientology
Alt.religion.scientology
The newsgroup alt.religion.scientology is a Usenet newsgroup started in 1991 to discuss the controversial beliefs of Scientology, as well as the Church of Scientology, which claims exclusive intellectual property rights thereto and is viewed by many as a dangerous cult...
. Christman took the screen name
User (computing)
A user is an agent, either a human agent or software agent, who uses a computer or network service. A user often has a user account and is identified by a username , screen name , nickname , or handle, which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term.Users are...
of "Magoo", and posted multiple times to the newsgroup in attempts to stifle criticism. This conflicted with her ideals of freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, and after Andreas Heldal-Lund reached out to her by email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, she subsequently decided to leave Scientology.
After leaving Scientology, Christman's family and friends in the movement ceased communication with her, under the organization's policy of disconnection
Disconnection
Disconnection, when used in Scientology, is a term used to describe the severance of all ties between a Scientologist and a friend, colleague, or family member deemed to be antagonistic towards Scientology. The practice of disconnection is a form of shunning. Among Scientologists, disconnection is...
. She traveled to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to join members of the Lisa McPherson Trust
Lisa McPherson Trust
The Lisa McPherson Trust was an organisation created in 1999 by Bob Minton. The trust was named after Lisa McPherson, a Scientology member who died in 1995 after being in the Church of Scientology’s care for 17 days...
, a group dedicated to protesting against Scientology. For leaving Scientology and joining with a critic group, she felt she was subjected to the Scientology policy of "Fair Game
Fair Game (Scientology)
The term Fair Game is used to describe policies and practices carried out by the Church of Scientology towards people and groups it perceives as its enemies. Founder L. Ron Hubbard established the policy in the 1960s, in response to criticism both from within and outside his organization...
"; a form of retribution for criticizing the organization. Christman has since become one of the more prominent critics of Scientology; she lectures and gives interviews about the organization internationally. In 2008 she joined in protests organized by the movement against Scientology called Project Chanology
Project Chanology
Project Chanology is a protest movement against the practices of the Church of Scientology by members of Anonymous, a leaderless Internet-based group that defines itself as ubiquitous...
started by the Internet-based group Anonymous
Anonymous (group)
Anonymous is an international hacking group, spread through the Internet, initiating active civil disobedience, while attempting to maintain anonymity. Originating in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan, the term refers to the concept of many online community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic,...
, but criticized the group for some of their initial illegal acts. Christman maintains an account on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
with the identification "ToryMagoo44", where she posts topically about Scientology. The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
characterized Christman in a 2009 article as "a fierce critic of the church".
Early life
Christman was born in 1947; she is the daughter of Paul ChristmanPaul Christman
Paul Joseph Christman was an American football player and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He played college football for the University of Missouri and professionally for the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.-Collegiate career:A St...
, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and member of the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
who played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
and professionally for the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Christman was brought up to believe in Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. In 1969 at age 22, Christman went through a difficult period abusing heroin in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Christman had left home for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with the intent of becoming a hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
. She required medical treatment after using a dirty hypodermic needle
Hypodermic needle
A hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...
, and returned to her parents' residence in Chicago, Illinois. While recuperating in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
after a stay at Lake Forest Hospital
Lake Forest Hospital
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is a community-based hospital in Lake Forest, Illinois and a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, one of the nation's premiere academic medical centers...
, two Scientologist friends persuaded her to join the Scientology organization.
She read the foundational text Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is a book by L. Ron Hubbard which sets out self-improvement techniques he developed, called Dianetics. The book is also one of the canonical texts of Scientology. It is colloquially referred to as Book One...
by Scientology founder, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
, and came to believe "it was a solution for helping other people". In recalling her initial thoughts upon reading the book by Hubbard, Christman commented, "I was really looking for a higher state of consciousness and a way of helping people. And I read Dianetics and I felt "WOW this is it!" You know, "I can help people go CLEAR
Clear (Scientology)
Clear in Dianetics and Scientology is one of two levels a practitioner can achieve on the way to personal salvation. A state of Clear is reached when a person becomes free of the influence of engrams, unwanted emotions or painful traumas not readily available to the conscious mind...
." She hitchhiked from Chicago to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to study Scientology in 1969. Her first course in Scientology cost US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
35.00. Christman was quoted with a positive comment about Scientology, in the 1992 edition of the Church of Scientology International
Church of Scientology International
The Church of Scientology International, Inc. is a Californian 501 non-profit corporation. Within the worldwide network of Scientology corporations and entities, CSI is officially referred to as the "mother church" of the Church of Scientology....
-produced book What is Scientology?. She stated in the book, "I find life just gets better and better." Christman has a son.
Rise within organization
In 1972, Christman joined the division of Scientology called the Sea OrgSea Org
The Sea Organization or Sea Org is an association of Scientologists established in 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer and founder of Scientology. Its members are found in the central management organizations of the Church of Scientology as well as in individual churches...
, an elite unit within the organization. 3 News
3 News
3 News is the television, internet and radio news service of New Zealand's TV3. Its flagship bulletin, which airs every evening at 6:00pm, is anchored by Hilary Barry and Mike McRoberts. Carolyn Robinson and Simon Shepherd are weekend and substitute anchors...
characterised the Sea Org as "Scientology's senior management". In their book Cults and New Religions, Douglas E. Cowan
Douglas E. Cowan
Douglas E. Cowan is a Canadian academic in religious studies and the sociology of religion and currently holds a teaching position at Renison College, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada...
and David G. Bromley
David G. Bromley
David G. Bromley is a professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. He has written extensively about "cults", new religious movements, apostasy, and the anti-cult movement.- Education and career :Bromley received his...
describe the Sea Org writing, "Described by the Church as 'a fraternal religious order,' members of the Sea Org 'occupy the most essential and trusted positions in the senior churches in the Scientology hierarchy'." Rolling Stone notes, "Sea Org members staff all of the senior ecclesiastic positions in the church hierarchy". In 2010, there were 5,000 members in the Sea Org. Her Sea Org career was short lived; she was instructed to cease taking prescribed medication for her epilepsy, and as a result experienced multiple serious seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s. In one instance two of her front teeth came out after she suffered a fall caused by a seizure while in the bathroom. She recounted these incidents of seizures, in an interview with CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, "So I started having grand mal seizures, and I wasn't even off the medicine. I was only off part of the medicine, and I started having very bad grand mal seizures." Christman recalled that her epilepsy was not recognized as a genuine medical condition by the Scientology organization; whose practice was to instruct members to attempt self-treatment utilizing sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
s and vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s.
After a few months she was finally convinced by her mother to resume her medication, even though this meant expulsion from the Sea Org. She remained a member of the church.
After being a member of the Scientology organization for ten years, Christman reached the spiritual "Operating Thetan
Operating Thetan
In Scientology, the state of Operating Thetan is a spiritual state above Clear. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, defined it as "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time ". According to religious scholar J...
" level of OT III. She recounted her experience of reading the Xenu
Xenu
Xenu ,also spelled Xemu, was, according to the founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of his people to Earth in a DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs...
story upon reaching the level of OT III: "You've jumped through all these hoops just to get to it, and then you open that packet, and the first thing you think is, 'Come on.'" She explained, "You're surrounded by all these people who're going, 'Wow, isn't it amazing, just getting the data? I can tell it's really changed you.' After a while, enough people say it and you're like, 'Wow. You know, I really feel it.'"
While a member of the organization, Christman rose to the Operating Thetan level of OT VII, "the near-pinnacle of enlightenment", and second-highest level within the movement. She worked for a time in one of the organization's Celebrity Centres, and became acquainted with celebrity members including John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
and Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
. She became an ordained minister within Scientology, and in this role trained new recruits to the organization, including Travolta. She trained Travolta on the "Hubbard Qualified Scientologist", the second Scientology class after the initial communication course. Christman spent time working at Narconon International
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
, a group affiliated with Scientology and promoted as a drug rehabilitation program using methods created by L. Ron Hubbard. She later came to realize that Narconon was a recruitment arm for Scientology, "Narconon's orders come from the Church of Scientology's senior management. Their programs, policies -- it's all church policy. There's no question about this to anyone involved. ... At Narconon (they're) handling drugs in society. But in truth, it's to 'safe point the environment' – a goodwill gesture so they can recruit people."
According to Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Christman became a "high-ranking Scientologist" during her time in Scientology. She had difficulty progressing higher than OT VII within the organization, in part due to her medical condition of epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
.
Office of Special Affairs
Christman worked with the Office of Special AffairsOffice of Special Affairs
The Office of Special Affairs or OSA is a department of the Church of Scientology. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigations, publicizing the Church's "social betterment works," and "oversee[ing its] social reform programs"...
(OSA) in her efforts to curtail or remove material critical of Scientology from the press, media, and the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. She spent a total of 20 years working for the OSA agency while a member of the Scientology organization. OSA agents serve as the "internal security force and intelligence unit" within Scientology. Christman assisted OSA agents in 1979, when a politician in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
was attempting to hinder the Scientology organization's efforts to establish a presence in the city. She was ordered to participate in public meetings, and divert the focus of these events to questioning of the politician, Richard Tenning. He was defeated in a subsequent election, and the Scientology organization proceeded to increase its activities in Clearwater. In 1985, Christman helped OSA agents during a lawsuit from a former Scientology member. She attended the court proceedings and wrote reports about members of the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
, and assisted Scientology lawyers in compiling profiles of the jurors. At the time, Christman was an ardent believer in the Scientology organization and did not question the activities of the OSA agents. Reflecting back on her experiences assisting OSA agents, she commented, "I was in a cult. Scientology promotes not watching the news. It keeps you inside a Truman Show
The Truman Show
The Truman Show is a 1998 American satirical comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The cast includes Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, as well as Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone...
where you're totally unaware of things. It's like your own thinking gets shut down and you get used to not considering anything that might be critical of Scientology."
In 1998, the Scientology organization publicized an initiative to hand out software on CDs to all its members, which would help them create their own websites describing their activity in the movement, and linking back to the main site at www.scientology.org. The Scientology organization did not reveal to these individuals that the CD was simultaneously bundled with censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
software which blocked websites critical of the organization. This censorship software was termed, "Scieno Sitter
Scieno Sitter
Scieno Sitter is a term coined by critics of the Church of Scientology to refer to a content-control software package created by the organization, which, when installed on a computer, blocks certain Web sites critical of Scientology from being viewed. Critics assert that the program is a form of...
" by critics of the organization. (Janet Weiland, vice president of the OSA, has stated that it remains Scientologists' personal choice whether to use the filter, to protect them and their family members from encountering on-line harassment, and some Scientologists have always chosen to surf the Internet without filtering.) OSA agents wished for Christman to specifically monitor such critical websites and report to the organizsation about her findings, so they removed the Scieno Sitter censorship software from the computer at her residence in 1999, allowing her to research sites online freely. She came across the Scientology critic website Operation Clambake
Operation Clambake
Operation Clambake, also referred to by its Web address, Xenu.net, is a Web site and Norway-based non-profit organization, launched in 1996, that publishes criticism of the Church of Scientology. It is owned and maintained by Andreas Heldal-Lund, who has stated that he supports the rights of all...
, managed by Andreas Heldal-Lund
Andreas Heldal-Lund
Andreas Heldal-Lund is a Norwegian anti-Scientology activist best known for operating the website Operation Clambake.-Activist:...
.
Christman reported directly to OSA vice president, Janet Weiland, about her efforts to remove criticism of Scientology from the media and online. She assisted in dealing with public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
for Scientology. Within the organization, negative publicity in the media was referred to as "Black PR". In 2000, Christman was in charge of the Scientology Parishioners League, a division formed by volunteers on orders from Weiland in order to respond rapidly to incidents of critical coverage of Scientology in the press. Weiland recruited Christman to the Scientology Parishioners League in 1999. She would receive instruction from OSA agents, and proceed to complain to journalism editors and television producers in an attempt to convince them to pull a critical segment on Scientology. A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
produced a special television program analyzing cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s, and the Scientology Parishioners League complained to the network and attempted to have Scientology removed from coverage in the program, asserting, "Scientology isn't a cult."
Christman was tasked with refuting facts posted on the Internet about the organization. She observed about her time working with OSA, "The guys I worked with posted every day all day. It was like a machine. I worked with someone who used five separate computers, five separate anonymous identities...to refute any facts from the internet about the Church of Scientology." She acknowledged that she setup multiple identities for use in this purpose online, "I was in charge of setting up phony accounts on the Internet that were designed to shut down free speech by blocking out opponents' sites or trick-routing people to pro-Scientology sites when they were looking for opposing information."
She was assigned to try to stop the MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
from featuring a South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
which poked fun at Scientology and the film based on a book by its founder L. Ron Hubbard, titled Battlefield Earth
Battlefield Earth (film)
Battlefield Earth is a 2000 American science fiction film adapted from L. Ron Hubbard's novel of the same name. It was directed by Roger Christian, and stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, and Barry Pepper...
. Christman repeatedly called the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
office of MTV in an attempt to get them to stop the satire from airing. In the eventual broadcast, which ran June 8, 2000, the South Park character Cartman was shown using a Scientology personality test as toilet paper
Toilet paper
Toilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. However, it can also be used for other purposes such as blowing one's nose when one has a cold or absorbing common spills around the house, although paper towels are more used for the latter...
. Christman believed she had succeeded in her mission, for she thought that her efforts prevented the book Dianetics from being used by Cartman, instead of the personality test.
After the perceived success of her South Park assignment, OSA agents instructed Christman to deal with Scientology critics who congregated on the Internet. Her initial activities focused on a Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
-operated bulletin board
Bulletin board
A bulletin board is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise things to buy or sell, announce events, or provide information...
which focused on Battlefield Earth, and she subsequently progressed to posting on the newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
alt.religion.scientology
Alt.religion.scientology
The newsgroup alt.religion.scientology is a Usenet newsgroup started in 1991 to discuss the controversial beliefs of Scientology, as well as the Church of Scientology, which claims exclusive intellectual property rights thereto and is viewed by many as a dangerous cult...
(ARS). In 2000, ARS functioned as a community of individuals whose efforts included posting material which reflected negatively on the Scientology organization. Christman took the screen name of "Magoo". From her Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
residence in 2000, Christman posted numerous attacks on Scientology critics that were active on ARS. She worked to become the most frequent poster on the newsgroup by July 2000. Scientology critics on ARS were mystified as to the identity of the individual behind the Magoo handle, and posited that it was either a collective of OSA agents, or David Miscavige
David Miscavige
David Miscavige is the leader of the Church of Scientology and affiliated organizations. His title is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center , a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard while a...
himself, the leader of Scientology management.
Decision to leave
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and she felt her activities constituted censorship. The operator of Xenu.net, Andreas Heldal-Lund, saw Christman's posts on ARS and reached out to her via email on July 14, 2000. The two engaged in communication, and Heldal-Lund explained to Christman his motivation for managing the Operation Clambake site. Christman identified with Heldal-Lund's ideals of free speech, and on July 20, 2000, she announced her intention to leave Scientology in a public post to ARS. She realized she would face repercussions from the organization for her actions, and asked Heldal-Lund for help; he recommended she contact a group of protesters against Scientology called the Lisa McPherson Trust
Lisa McPherson Trust
The Lisa McPherson Trust was an organisation created in 1999 by Bob Minton. The trust was named after Lisa McPherson, a Scientology member who died in 1995 after being in the Church of Scientology’s care for 17 days...
(LMT) who were based in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
. The LMT was started by Robert Minton
Bob Minton
During a April 20, 2002, hearing in the Lisa McPherson wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, Minton spoke against Ken Dandar, the attorney representing McPherson's family...
and former Scientologists to highlight the controversial death of Scientology member, Lisa McPherson
Lisa McPherson
Lisa McPherson was a member of the Church of Scientology who died of a pulmonary embolism while under the care of the Flag Service Organization , a branch of the Church of Scientology...
.
Through the Scientology practice of "disconnection
Disconnection
Disconnection, when used in Scientology, is a term used to describe the severance of all ties between a Scientologist and a friend, colleague, or family member deemed to be antagonistic towards Scientology. The practice of disconnection is a form of shunning. Among Scientologists, disconnection is...
", Christman's husband and the majority of her acquaintances and friends who were Scientologists at the time of her exit from the group were excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
from her and cut off contact. Christman recounted how after leaving the organization, the Church of Scientology attempted to damage her reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
through a policy referred to as "dead agenting". According to Christman, the Scientology organization publicized inaccurate information about her online, tried to get her removed from her position of employment, and opened a lawsuit related to her protesting against the group on church property. Then Scientology-spokesperson, Mike Rinder
Mike Rinder
Michael "Mike" Rinder is an Australian Scientologist who was a former chief spokesman of the Church of Scientology. Rinder served as Executive Director of the Office of Special Affairs and was a director of the Church of Scientology International...
, called her a "wacko" and rejected her assertions as "absolute bullshit".
Christman contacted the Scientology critics based in Clearwater, and arranged flight transportation to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. She arrived at the airport in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to find that her flight was cancelled. Her former supervisor, Janet Weiland, was waiting for her close to the ticket counter, and tried to convince her to remain in the organization. Christman eventually got on a flight to Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, but was met at the gate when she arrived by agents of Scientology. Tampa police were notified, and escorted Christman safely away from the Scientologists. While a member of Scientology, Christman had given over $1 million to the organization; she used her inheritance money to pay for coursework. She commented to the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
about the thought process she underwent after leaving the organization, "When you get out and you get the whole thing, you're like, 'What was I thinking?'. I know the people inside are brainwashed and they're laughing at me. But to me, the truth is, I'm free. I can do what I want. I can say what I want."
Public criticism
Shortly after leaving the organization, Christman began protesting in Florida against Scientology with members of the Lisa McPherson Trust. She picketed with signs outside of the organization's Fort Harrison HotelFort Harrison Hotel
The Fort Harrison Hotel serves as the flagship building of the Flag Land Base, the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida...
in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
. Scientology representatives in Clearwater complained to police in November 2000 about the picketing, and Christman and Minton were fined US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100. On February 21, 2001, Judge Thomas E. Penick dismissed other charges in the case, and criticized Scientology for its treatment of critics, commenting, "I'm missing the point here. I hope someone will let us know when the great invasion is coming." This experience was a defining period for Christman, as she was concerned that her former church would attempt to characterize her as a criminal. She maintained that the actions by representatives of Scientology against her were examples of the policy, "Fair Game
Fair Game (Scientology)
The term Fair Game is used to describe policies and practices carried out by the Church of Scientology towards people and groups it perceives as its enemies. Founder L. Ron Hubbard established the policy in the 1960s, in response to criticism both from within and outside his organization...
"; a form of retribution for criticizing the organization.
In 2008, Christman was engaged in traveling around the world lecturing about Scientology and gave media interviews about the subject. In his 2008 book Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography is a biography of actor Tom Cruise, written by Andrew Morton. The book was published in the United States in hardcover format on January 15, 2008 by St. Martin's Press, with a first printing of 400,000 copies, and an audio format on five CDs by Macmillan Audio...
, author Andrew Morton
Andrew Morton (writer)
Andrew David Morton is a former British Fleet Street journalist, a notable writer and biographer.Before moving into a career in journalism, he attended grammar school, then studied history at the University of Sussex....
thanked Christman in the acknowledgements section for advising him with regard to the jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
and complicated history of Scientology. In February 2008, Christman appeared on the National Public Radio program Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
in a piece about the protest movement against Scientology called Project Chanology
Project Chanology
Project Chanology is a protest movement against the practices of the Church of Scientology by members of Anonymous, a leaderless Internet-based group that defines itself as ubiquitous...
started by the Internet-based group Anonymous
Anonymous (group)
Anonymous is an international hacking group, spread through the Internet, initiating active civil disobedience, while attempting to maintain anonymity. Originating in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan, the term refers to the concept of many online community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic,...
; she said she objected to any illegal methods used, but appreciated new activists taking part in criticizing Scientology. Along with Scientology critic Mark Bunker
Mark Bunker
Mark Bunker is a television journalist. He won an Emmy Award in 2006 from the Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences...
, she took part in the international protests against the organization in 2008 as part of Project Chanology. Christman maintains an account on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
with the identification "ToryMagoo44", where she posts topically about Scientology. Her YouTube account was briefly shut down in April 2008 around the time period that the same thing happened to Mark Bunker; soon afterwards an unidentified individual posted to alt.religion.scientology
Alt.religion.scientology
The newsgroup alt.religion.scientology is a Usenet newsgroup started in 1991 to discuss the controversial beliefs of Scientology, as well as the Church of Scientology, which claims exclusive intellectual property rights thereto and is viewed by many as a dangerous cult...
and boasted of "silencing" Christman. Christman resided in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 2009. The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
characterized Christman in a 2009 article as "a fierce critic of the church".
See also
- List of Guardian's Office operations
- List of Scientologists
- Scientology controversies
- Scientology and the legal systemScientology and the legal systemThe Church of Scientology has been involved in court disputes in several countries. In some cases, when the Church has initiated the dispute, question has been raised as to its motives. The Church says that its use of the legal system is necessary to protect its intellectual property and its right...
- Scientology versus the InternetScientology versus the Internet"Scientology versus the Internet" refers to a number of disputes relating to the Church of Scientology's efforts to suppress material critical of Scientology on the Internet through the use of lawsuits and legal threats. In late 1994, the Church of Scientology began using various legal tactics to...
External links
- Tory/Magoo and Scientology, 30 years before I woke up - Christman's website
- ToryMagoo44, account with personal stories on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Media
- Tory Christman - Anti-Science Scientology? Interview with D.J. Grothe on Point of Inquiry (February 8, 2008)