Andreas Heldal-Lund

Andreas Heldal-Lund

Andreas Heldal-Lund
Born (1964-12-10) 10 December 1964
Oslo, Norway
Nationality Norwegian
Occupation Webmaster
Known for Internet activism against the Church of Scientology
Website Operation Clambake

Andreas Heldal-Lund (born 10 December 1964 in Oslo) is a Norwegian anti-Scientology activist best known for operating the website Operation Clambake.

Activist

Since 2009, Andreas Heldal-Lund has been a member of the board of the national secular humanist organisation Human-Etisk Forbund.[1][2] Heldal-Lund has also long been a member of the Norwegian Society of Heathens.[3][4] Since 1996 he has been noted for his criticism against the Church of Scientology, namely as the operator of Operation Clambake. In 2003, he received the Leipzig Human Rights Award from the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA, an organization which states it is composed of "Scientology opponents from all over the world."[5][6]

Operation Clambake

Actor Jason Beghe, Tory Christman, Mark Bunker, and Andreas Heldal-Lund (2008)
Main article: Operation Clambake

Operation Clambake[7] is a website about Scientology and the Church of Scientology that over the years appeared in the top ten results on Google for the search term "Scientology".[8] Most of the information presented by Operation Clambake is critical of the Church of Scientology and its leadership, although dissenters are given prominent space to air their differences.[9]

Heldal-Lund said that he began criticizing the Church of Scientology in 1996 after reading about a Norwegian ex-Scientologist who successfully sued the Church of Scientology.[10][11][12]

He has stated many times that he does not object to people practicing the religion of Scientology itself, but he objects to the abuse-ridden management of that religion by what he has called the "criminal and corrupt" Church of Scientology.[13]

When actor Jason Beghe decided to leave Scientology in 2008, he contacted Heldal-Lund, who convinced him to meet with Mark Bunker, a critic of Scientology known to the Anonymous group as "wise beard man".[14] Heldal-Lund and Bunker went to Beghe's house, where Beghe participated in an interview about his experiences as a Scientologist.[14] Bunker published a two-hour portion of the 3-hour interview to YouTube on 4 June 2008.

In the aftermath of acts against Scientology taken online by the group Anonymous as part of the protest movement Project Chanology, Heldal-Lund released a statement criticizing the digital assault against Scientology.[15] Heldal-Lund commented, "People should be able to have easy access to both sides and make up their own opinions. Freedom of speech means we need to allow all to speak - including those we strongly disagree with. I am of the opinion that the Church of Scientology is a criminal organisation and a cult which is designed by its delusional founder to abuse people. I am still committed to fight for their right to speak their opinion."[16] He also stated that "Attacking Scientology like that will just make them play the religious persecution card ... They will use it to defend their own counter actions when they try to shatter criticism and crush critics without mercy."[17]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ "Åse Kleveland gjenvalgt". Finnmarken (in Norwegian). ANB-NTB. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  2. ↑ He has previously been on the board of the organisation's county chapter in Rogaland (Official homepage of the Human-Etisk Forbund - Activities, photo credits Heldal-Lund Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. - Heldal-Lund about Heldal-Lund Archived April 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Official homepage of Hedningsamfunnet
  4. ↑ 10 Aug 1995, Press release by Heldal-Lund as head of the Heathen Association Rogaland, celebrating 1000 years of attacks against the misdeeds of Christian churches
  5. ↑ "Frenchman honored with 2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award for his work against cults". Associated Press. November 5, 2002. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  6. ↑ Bowman, Lisa M. (2003-05-01). "Anti-Scientology site spurs award". CNET. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  7. ↑ Operation Clambake - The Inner Secrets Of Scientology
  8. ↑ Google web search on "scientology"
  9. ↑ Heldal-Lund, Andreas Comments from Scientologists (website accessed 4/27/06)
  10. ↑ Leipzig Award 2003 speech
  11. ↑ Cult Control, TIME, January 27, 1997
  12. ↑ Ryan, Nick (2003-03-23). "The gospel of the web". London: The Guardian.
  13. ↑ Andreas Heldal-Lund in Hollywood Sept. 25, 2004 Archived July 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. 1 2 Ortega, Tony (April 8, 2008). "Scientology's First Celebrity Defector Reveals Church Secrets: 'I was Miscavige's favorite boy,' says veteran TV actor Jason Beghe". Village Voice. www.villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  15. ↑ George-Cosh, David (January 25, 2008). "Online group declares war on Scientology". National Post. Canwest Publishing Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-01-28. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  16. ↑ Heldal-Lund, Andreas (January 22, 2008). "OC Press Release 22.01.2008: DDoS attacks on Scientology". Press Release. Operation Clambake. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  17. ↑ McMillan, Robert; IDG News Service (January 25, 2008). "Hackers Hit Scientology With Online Attack: Hacker group claims to have knocked the Church of Scientology's Web site offline with a distributed denial-of-service attack.". PC World. IDG. Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-25.

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