Violating Privacy, Hosting Death Threats

Heldal-Lund maintains a website dedicated to promoting hatred against the Church of Scientology and its parishioners. In his message board he has hosted death threats, recommending specific means by which Scientologists should be assassinated. While claiming that the information on his website is “publicly available from other sources,” he omits to mention that he also publishes the names of Scientology parishioners, violating their privacy and ridiculing their religious beliefs. Heldal-Lund is well aware that his extremist associates then use these names to seek out parishioner’s addresses and harass them at their homes and businesses.

To inflame his cohorts, Heldal-Lund offers such “prizes” as a child’s stuffed toy wearing a hate slogan to be awarded to those who conduct the “best” hate march in front of Scientology churches. He encourages extremists to carry out “imaginative stunts” against their targets and demands the use of “pictures/video/sound” as proof that these acts of intimidation and harassment have been carried out.

Religious Freedom Watch interviewed Andreas Heldal-Lund when he traveled to the U.S. in 2004 to participate in hate marches at several Scientology churches. When asked if he feels any sense of responsibility for the consequences of his anti-religious rhetoric, Heldal-Lund stated that “free speech carries no responsibility.” With this as his philosophy, it is no wonder that the targets of his hatred fear for their safety.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply