Andreas Heldal-Lund

Andreas Heldal-Lund was born in Oslo, Norway on 10 December 1964.{{R|"AboutMe"}} He moved to Stavanger, Norway in 1985.{{R|"AboutMe"}}

In May 2022, Heldal-Lund was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour, known as Glioblastoma.{{R|"OrtegaUpdate"}} He died on 2 January 2024 at the age of 59, in the arms of his living partner and a few close friends.{{R|"OrtegaDeath"}}

Heldal-Lund served on multiple boards for the national secular humanist organization Human-Etisk Forbund.{{R|"Finnmarken"|"Aftenbladet"|"HomeOnlineNo"}} He was also a member of the Norwegian Society of Heathens.{{R|"Hedning"}}

Heldal-Lund first became interested in the Church of Scientology in 1996 when he read about Magne Berge, an ex-member in Norway, who sued the organization in court and won.{{R|"OrtegaUpdate"|"CultControl"}} Heldal-Lund started gathering information about Scientology and eventually began hosting the materials himself as part of a project he called Operation Clambake.{{R|"OrtegaUpdate"}}

Heldal-Lund was also a contributor to the alt.religion.scientology newsgroup. On 14 July 2000, he sent an email to a user calling themselves "Magoo" with advice for making their posts more readable.{{R|"SympathyDevil"|"Hicks"|"FairGame64"}} This started a conversation between the two.{{R|"SympathyDevil"|"FairGame64"}} Of the experience, Magoo would later say to Heldal-Lund, "I honestly thought you were the devil...I was amazed at how kind you were. I thought for sure you would be the meanest and worst of all the critics. So when you were you, it really cracked the shell."{{R|"SympathyDevil"}} Magoo made an announcement on 20 July 2000 on alt.religion.scientology that she was Tory Bezazian and she was no longer a Scientologist.{{R|"SympathyDevil"}}

In 2003, Heldal-Lund received the Leipzig Human Rights Award from the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the US, an organization which states it is composed of "Scientology opponents from all over the world."{{R|"Bowman"|"Leipzig"}}

He received an honorary award in 2022 from Human-Etisk Forbund.{{R|"human.no"}}

{{Main|Operation Clambake}}

File:2008 03 31 Jason Beghe with Tory Mark Andreas.jpg, Tory Christman, Mark Bunker, and Andreas Heldal-Lund (2008)]]

Andreas Heldal-Lund originally created a website that was a list of links to articles and information about Scientology and the Church of Scientology. When he noticed that the links kept disappearing because of legal maneuvering by the church,{{R|"Glosslip"|"OrtegaUpdate"|"FairGame73"|"BBC"}} he decided to host the information himself.{{R|"Xenunet"|"Guardian"|"LeipzigSpeech"|"FairGame73"}}

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.{{R|"Criticism"}}

Even though the Church of Scientology had threatened legal action, Heldal-Lund said he'd never been sued.{{R|"Glosslip"|"FairGame73"}} Norway has more liberal copyright laws which provide more freedom of speech protections.{{R|"Glosslip"|"OrtegaUpdate"|"BBC"}} However, Mike Rinder, a former executive director of the Office of Special Affairs for the Church of Scientology{{R|"Rinderbio"}}, and Leah Remini, a former Scientologist, put forth another theory in a conversation with Heldal-Lund in their Fair Game Podcast.{{R|"FairGame73"}} It as Heldal-Lund's chosen domain name of xenu.net that may be responsible.{{R|"FairGame73"}} Xenu is a central character in Scientology's creation myth{{R|"Xenu"}} which can only be accessed in higher levels of the church.{{R|"MakingLaw"|"GlobalNews"}} Scientologists are required to sign a confidentiality agreement that contains a clause stating they understand they will be fined each time they speak about the materials with anyone else.{{R|"MakingLaw"|"GlobalNews"}} According to Remini, this fine can go as high as $100,000 for each infraction.{{R|"NationalPost"}} Filing a lawsuit and referencing the name xenu.net in court documents could breach this agreement.{{R|"FairGame73"}}

Instead Heldal-Lund said the Church sent harassing letters to his job and investigated his friends and former partners.{{R|"AndreasHollywood"|"FairGame73"}} Every time he'd think about stepping away, the church would do something else to keep him invested.{{R|"AndreasHollywood"|"Glosslip"}} In an interview with Dawn Olsen, Heldal-Lund said, "They created me; if they had left me alone and ignored me, I probably would have been doing this for [only] a couple of months."{{R|"Glosslip"}}

The church also targeted his ISP, network service providers{{R|"Glosslip"}} and filed Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices with both Google and the Wayback Machine to remove links to xenu.net.{{R|"BBC"|"Bowman2"}}. Under the law, if the site owner feels the removed links are fair use, they can file a counter notice under the DMCA to have the links restored.{{R|"DMCANotice"}} Heldal-Lund declined to take this step because he felt that filing the counter notice would subject him to US copyright law.{{R|"Bowman2"}} Public outcry from free speech advocates made Google restore some of the links to xenu.net.{{R|"NewEconomy"}} For a time, this also resulted in Operation Clambake rising to the number two position on Google search results for "Scientology;" just under the church's official website.{{R|"NewEconomy"|"BBC"}}

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".{{R|"OrtegaVoice"}} Heldal-Lund and Bunker went to Beghe's house, where Beghe participated in an interview about his experiences as a Scientologist.{{R|"OrtegaVoice"}} Bunker published a two-hour portion of the three-hour interview to YouTube on 4 June 2008.{{R|"BegheInterview"}}

In the aftermath of online acts taken against Scientology by the group Anonymous as part of the protest movement Project Chanology, Heldal-Lund released a statement criticizing the digital assault against Scientology.{{R|"GeorgeCosh"|"DDOS"}} "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."{{R|"HLPressRelease"}}

• Leipzig Human Rights Award, 17 May 2003{{R|"Bowman"}}
• Honorary Award in 2022 from Human-Etisk Forbund{{R|"human.no"}}

{{Reflist|refs=

{{Cite web|title=What we learned from the seventh episode of Leah Remini's Scientology series|first=Sadaf|

last=Ahsan|url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/television/what-we-learned-from-the-seventh-episode-of-leah-reminis-scientology-series|access-date=January 1, 2024|website=The National Post}}

{{Cite web |title=Hederspris til Andreas Heldal-Lund |language=no |trans-title=Honorary Award to Andreas Heldal-Lund |date=24 October 2022 |url=https://www.human.no/aktuelt/hederspris-til-andreas-heldal-lund |access-date=January 3, 2024 |website=Norwegian Humanist Association}}

{{Cite web |title=Andreas Heldal-Lund, 1964-2024 |url=https://scientologymoneyproject.com/2024/01/02/andreas-heldal-lund-1964-2024/ |first=Jeffrey |last=Augustine |date=January 2, 2024 |work=The Scientology Money Project |access-date=3 January 2024}}

{{cite web|title=About Me|url=http://spirous2.blogspot.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920050207/http://spirous2.blogspot.com/|archive-date=20 September 2022}}

{{cite web|author=Tony Ortega|authorlink=Tony Ortega|title=Andreas Heldal-Lund, who stared down Scientology, now faces his own mortality|date=26 August 2022|url=https://tonyortega.substack.com/p/andreas-heldal-lund-who-stared-down|publisher=The Underground Bunker|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930044945/https://tonyortega.substack.com/p/andreas-heldal-lund-who-stared-down|archive-date=30 September 2022}}

{{cite news|title=Åse Kleveland gjenvalgt |url= http://www.finnmarken.no/Innenriks/article4398399.ece |agency=ANB-NTB|work=Finnmarken |date=14 June 2009 |accessdate=14 June 2009 |language=no}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.aftenbladet.no/kultur/i/6W36r/tom-cruise-er-et-daarlig-valg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930031352/https://www.aftenbladet.no/kultur/i/6W36r/tom-cruise-er-et-daarlig-valg|title=Tom Cruise er et dårlig valg|date=21 October 2004|archivedate=30 September 2022}}

{{cite web|title=About Heldal-Lund|url=http://home.online.no/~heldal/me.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416023531/http://home.online.no/~heldal/me.html |archivedate=16 April 2007|url-status=dead}}

{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928152601/http://www.hedning.no/media/pressemeldinger/19950810prekesto.html|url=http://www.hedning.no/media/pressemeldinger/19950810prekesto.html|url-status=dead|archivedate=28 September 2007|title=Press Release|author=Andreas Heldal-Lund}}

{{cite news|title=Making Law, Making Enemies|publisher=The American Lawyer|date=March 1996|author=Alison Frankel}}

{{cite web|first=Lisa M.|last=Bowman|title = Anti-Scientology site spurs award|url = http://news.cnet.com/2110-1025_3-999351.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002054728/https://www.zdnet.com/article/anti-scientology-site-spurs-award/|archive-date=2 October 2022|date = 1 May 2003}}

{{cite news|title=Frenchman honored with 2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award for his work against cults|publisher=Associated Press|date=5 November 2002|url = http://www.leipzig-award.org/englisch/presseecho_2002.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905051203/http://www.leipzig-award.org/englisch/presseecho_2002.htm|archivedate=5 September 2022}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.xenu.net/|author=Andreas Heldal-Lund|title=Operation Clambake, Undressing the Church of Scientology since 1996}}

{{cite news|title=Cult Control|author=Rosh Usher|publisher=Time Magazine|date=27 January 1997|volume=149|number=4}}

{{cite podcast|url=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/bc/glosslip/2008/04/24/Glosslip-From-Our-Lips-To-Your-Ears |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309024114/http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/bc/glosslip/2008/04/24/Glosslip-From-Our-Lips-To-Your-Ears |archive-date=March 9, 2009 |title=Interview with Andreas Heldal Lund|publisher=Glosslip Radio|host=Dawn Olsen|date= April 24, 2008 |access-date=September 19, 2022}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/22/business/new-economy-copyright-dispute-with-church-scientology-forcing-google-some.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413103953/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/22/business/new-economy-copyright-dispute-with-church-scientology-forcing-google-some.html|work=The New York Times|author=David. F. Gallagher|date=22 April 2002|title=New Economy; A copyright dispute with the Church of Scientology is forcing Google to do some creative linking|archive-date=13 April 2022}}

{{cite web|author=Andreas Heldal-Lund|url=http://www.xenu.net/archive/free_speech/|title=Comments from Scientologists|access-date= 10 October 2022}}

{{cite web|title=The gospel of the web|work=The Guardian|date=23 March 2003|url=http://technology.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,,182788,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011055936/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2000/mar/23/religion.internet|archivedate=11 October 2022|location=London|first=Nick|last=Ryan}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.leipzig-award.org/englisch/rede_preistraeger_2003.htm|title=Award Winner's Speech|author=Andreas Heldal-Lund|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905051206/http://www.leipzig-award.org/englisch/rede_preistraeger_2003.htm|archivedate=5 September 2022}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0815,celebrity%20denounces%20scientology,411801,2.html/full |title=Scientology's First Celebrity Defector Reveals Church Secrets: 'I was Miscavige's favorite boy,' says veteran TV actor Jason Beghe |publisher=www.villagevoice.com |work=Village Voice |date=8 April 2008 |accessdate=16 April 2008 |last=Ortega |first=Tony |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420044729/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0815%2Ccelebrity%20denounces%20scientology%2C411801%2C2.html/full |archive-date=20 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}

{{cite web|last=George-Cosh |first=David |title=Online group declares war on Scientology |work=National Post |publisher=Canwest Publishing Inc. |date=25 January 2008 |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=261308 |accessdate=25 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080128145858/http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=261308 |archive-date=28 January 2008 }}

{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-science-behind-scientology/|author=Michael Shermer|authorlink=Michael Shermer|publisher=Scientific American|title=The Real Science behind Scientology|date=1 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019080212/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-science-behind-scientology/|archivedate=19 October 2022}}

{{cite web|last=Heldal-Lund|first=Andreas|title=OC Press Release 22 January 2008: DDoS attacks on Scientology|work=Press Release|publisher=Operation Clambake|date=22 January 2008|url=http://www.xenu.net/news/20080122-OC_pressrelease.html|accessdate=25 January 2008}}

{{cite news|last=Ortega |first=Tony |title=Sympathy for the Devil: Tory Bezazian was a veteran Scientologist who loved going after church critics. Until she met the darkest detractor of all |work=Los Angeles New Times |date=September 9, 2001}}

{{cite web|last=McMillan |first=Robert |author2=IDG News Service |title=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. |work=PC World |publisher=IDG |date=25 January 2008 |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141839-c,hackers/article.html |accessdate=25 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080129083328/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id%2C141839-c%2Chackers/article.html |archive-date=29 January 2008 |url-status=live }}

{{cite web|last=Bunker|first=Mark|authorlink=Mark Bunker|title=Scientology: Andreas in Hollywood - Part 1|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rg3bm0bOkI |website=youtube.com|publisher=Mark Bunker |language=en|format=video|date=30 December 2006}}

{{cite web|last=Bunker|first=Mark|authorlink=Mark Bunker|title=Scientology: Jason Beghe interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHb0BZyF5Ok |website=youtube.com |publisher=Mark Bunker |language=en|format=video|date=4 June 2008}}

{{cite podcast|url=https://audioboom.com/posts/8130713-episode-73-operation-clambake-founder-andreas-heldal-lund| title=Episode 73: Operation Clambake Founder Andreas Heldal-Lund |website=fairgamepodcast.com |publisher=Scientology: Fair Game Podcast |host1=Leah Remini |host2=Mike Rinder |date=17 June 2022 |access-date=14 October 2022}}

{{cite web|title=How the Church of Scientology fought the Internet -- and why it lost|url=https://medium.com/@jessehixxx/how-the-church-of-scientology-fought-the-internet-and-why-it-lost-1a1058316578|publisher=Medium|author=Jesse Hicks|date=July 21, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016231750/https://medium.com/@jessehixxx/how-the-church-of-scientology-fought-the-internet-and-why-it-lost-1a1058316578|archive-date=16 October 2022}}

{{cite podcast|url=https://audioboom.com/posts/8130722-episode-64-tory-magoo-christman| title=Tory "Magoo" Christman|website=fairgamepodcast.com/|publisher=Scientology: Fair Game Podcast|host1=Leah Remini|host2=Mike Rinder|date=1 November 2022|access-date=19 October 2022}}

{{cite web|title=How Scientology changed the Internet|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-23273109|publisher=BBC|author=Dave Lee|date=17 July 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019062906/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-23273109|archive-date=19 October 2022}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/net-archive-silences-scientology-critic/|title=Net archive silences Scientology critic|date=25 September 2002|author=Lisa M. Bowman|publisher=CNET|

archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019055318/https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/net-archive-silences-scientology-critic/|archive-date=19 October 2022}}

{{cite web|url=https://copyrightalliance.org/education/copyright-law-explained/the-digital-millennium-copyright-act-dmca/dmca-counter-notice-process/|title=DMCA Counter-Notice Process|date=2022|publisher=Copyright Alliance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019082721/https://copyrightalliance.org/education/copyright-law-explained/the-digital-millennium-copyright-act-dmca/dmca-counter-notice-process/ |archivedate=19 October 2022}}

{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3721663/leah-remini-scientology-bridge-total-freedom/|publisher=Global News|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016054030/https://globalnews.ca/news/3721663/leah-remini-scientology-bridge-total-freedom/|archive-date=16 October 2022|author=Chris Jancelewicz|date=6 September 2017|title=Leah Remini reveals what happens when you reach the top of Scientology}}

{{cite web|title=Mike Rinder Biography |url=http://www.scientology.org/news-media/biographies/rinder.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128161937/http://www.scientology.org/news-media/biographies/rinder.html |publisher=Church of Scientology International |archive-date=28 January 2008 |url-status=dead }}

}}

{{Commons category|Andreas Heldal-Lund}}

{{Wikiquote}}

{{Portal|Internet}}

• Heldal-Lund's Scientology site [http://www.xenu.net/ Operation Clambake]
• Heldal-Lund's personal website: [http://spirous.blogspot.com/ A Life in the World of Andreas]
• Video of Heldal-Lund being interviewed by Joel Philips: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060705221234/http://www.xenutv.com/andreas/index.html Andreas Heldal-Lund in Hollywood.] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rg3bm0bOkI Video part 1.] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvYDS4UDRk Video part 2.]

{{Scientology and the Internet}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heldal-Lund, Andreas}}

Category:1964 births

Category:2024 deaths

Category:Norwegian activists

Category:People from Oslo

Category:People from Stavanger

Category:Critics of Scientology

Category:Internet activists

Category:Scientology and the Internet

Category:Norwegian bisexual men

Category:Deaths from brain cancer in Norway