A History of Scientology Criticism: Dennis Erlich & “Scientology vs. The Internet”

dennis erlich
Dennis Erlich Talks to a LAPD Officer Who Raided His Home By Request of Mike Rinder & the Church of Scientology

The wikipedia page on Scientology and The Internet has a reference on Dennis Erlich:

“The online battle is generally regarded as having begun with the arrival of Dennis Erlich to alt.religion.scientology in late July 1994. A former high-ranking official in the Scientology organization who had been personally affiliated with L. Ron Hubbard, he caused a number of regular participants in the newsgroup to sit up and take notice.”

I first encountered Dennis Erlich in the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology in the late 1990’s.

Dennis Erlich had been on staff at the Flag Service Org. In his position in Scientology, it was his job to see to it that all auditors and staff, at the “Mecca of Technical Perfection”, applied the writings and taped lectures of L Ron Hubbard exactly. He corrected all departures from 100% Standard Technology and “crammed” everyone to within an inch of their lives.

On ARS in the late 1990’s, he described his work history as “the Quality Control Director of a Brainwashing Factory.”

And thus, my admiration for this man began.

I’ve had a rough back and forth relationship with Dennis on the Internet which I’m sure would have never happened in real life. Those ups and downs – having been all my responsibility – were also influenced by OSA.

But whatever: Dennis Erlich survives, and so do I.

There are a lot of things about Scientology scriptures and OT levels that we would not have access to today on the Internet without the help of Dennis Erlich. At least OSA thinks so.

If you don’t believe that, watch this video made by Mark Bunker from 1995.

Mike Rinder was the full-on pinheaded fanatic head of the Office of Special Affairs in 1995. I have never once – in the last 8 years since his being on the Internet – seen him breathe or write a word about Dennis Erlich.

Why is that?

Don’t you think, with his new “beingness” as a leading critic of the abuses in the Church of Scientology, he at least owes Dennis Erlich an apology?

Why or why not?

These Old Guard critics of Scientology had to exert much higher courage in their environment than the environment we see today. With Marty, Mike, and Dave working shoulder to shoulder, Fair game was very real back then. Marty, Mike and Dave were applying LRH’s policy of “destroy them utterly” – as they were ordered by LRH –for blood.

And Dennis Erlich still beat them.

As Ex-Scientologists, we benefit from his courage today.

5 thoughts on “A History of Scientology Criticism: Dennis Erlich & “Scientology vs. The Internet””

  1. Alanzo, this is horrible what happened to this man. And Mike was loading his files into the trunk. But Alanzo, this was 22 years ago. Mike has admitted he did some pretty bad things while under DM control. But he was doing his job no matter how awful it was.

    Don’t you think now that he has come to his senses and belongs to himself ~ and now that he is exposing all the abuses that went on and continue to go on in cos, he has paid his debt?

    We really don’t know all he has made amends with privately, but you seem to have it out for Mike and Tony. On a consistent basis. This is worrisome.

    I think this and I think it often: Mike, Marty, and Tony although he was never in, they all knew that a lot of things were going to come out when they decided years ago to expose the cult.

    I see your side to things, probably not as well as I should, but it seems that you are always after them. This can’t be healthy for you either.

    Surely, you can see Mike, the way he portrays himself on the first season of The Aftermath. His face, demeanor. He is appears to really feel awful and he knows what all he has done. My heart goes out to him.

    Just my 2 cents:)

    Reply
    • Marie –

      You should understand that I traveled to Clearwater, Florida in 2015 specifically to shake Mike Rinder’s hand and to tell him that he was my hero. It was a strange encounter that I will write about some day.

      It’s not Mike Rinder as a person. It’s all these people such as Gerry Armstrong and Dennis Ehrlich and others I will be detailing this week who got attacked and nearly destroyed by Marty Mike and Dave. There was literally no upside for themselves. They did what they did purely because it was the right thing to do – knowing the onslaught that Marty, Mike, and Dave would unleash on them.

      They are the giants upon whose shoulders Mike stands today. And who’s getting the big pay day? The guy who attacked and tried to destroy them.

      It’s been ten years since Mike left. Marty is gone and says he “doesn’t give a damn any more.”

      Mike is the only one left to acknowledge these guys, and he has a great chance to right now with Season 2 of Scientology and the Aftermath. It’s not likely that Mike Rinder ever will.

      So I am.

      Reply
      • I understand much more now. I really do. You are very passionate about this I can see that.

        I am impressed you flew to Florida to meet Mike. I’m thinking it didn’t go as planned, and for that I am sorry.

        When you are ready to talk about that I will be ready to listen as always.

        And learn.

        Thank you, Alanzo for allowing me to have my say:)

        M ~

        Reply

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