Good on you Paul Haggis! ", Davis also denied Haggis' allegation that the church ordered Rennard to "disconnect from her parents. "You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. * Board Member, Center For The Advancement of Non-Violence ..H. Praise for Paul Haggis. I'm not condemning those who wish to belong to any specific religion. 0:00. I have never pretended to be the best Scientologist, but I openly and vigorously defended the church whenever it was criticized, as I railed against the kind of intolerance that I believed was directed against it. Paul Haggis. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our organization and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what was being said; I did it for thirty-five years. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. Hurray! An elite coterie obscenely enriched by the efforts of others. For over two decades he has written, directed and produced television shows such as thirtysomething and The Tracey Ullman Show, and also developed credits as a pup writer on many Norman Lear sitcoms. Haggis' publicist, Ziggy Kozlowski, confirmed to ABCNews.com today that the letter posted on scientology-cult.com Friday was indeed written by the director in August. *Bill of Rights Award American Civil Liberties Union People are so attached to their money it would have never lasted this long. miscavige Independence, unfettered knowledge, freedom of thought etc. And though it may seem small by comparison, I was truly disturbed to see you provide private details from confessionals to the press in an attempt to embarrass and discredit the executives who spoke out. I was left feeling outraged, and frankly, more than a little stupid. But I don't think that redefining 'marriage' to mean something else is the answer. are all things that scare religious organizations. I'm not surprised that Harkus would automatically defend the Church. He told me he was on the run from the Church and that he was afraid for his life. He registered his distaste for the church's stances on homosexuality via phone calls and letters. I am quietly just not doing anything anymore and trying to avoid communication from orgs. Paul Haggis Pens Open Letter Praising Leah Remini's 'Brave' Break With Scientology. Where does the redefining end? Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Two Weapon Fighting Attack Of Opportunity Penalty. Lies are lies- and unless you have first-hand knowledge of such extortion- I'd zip it, if I were you. Haggis found this, apparently, to be the first in a series of straws that broke a 35 year-old camel's back. Yet three months before that Aftermath episode, Paul Haggis had already eviscerated his own credibility by confirming he lied, and that his anti-Scientology exit tale is built on a fraud. I attended 2 years of Catholic High School and wrote a paper for religion class about "buying forgiveness" and the dangers it presents - and got kicked out of school for my troubles. How are things in the rubber room? Over time, I think you will find a new sense of strength and solidity for having taken such a strong and public stand on your moral convictions, and for having stayed true to yourself. And theyve never molested children either I suppose; tithing used to be more than just a suggestion "(Christians) use confessionals to extort money." I called and wrote and implored you, as the official spokesman of the church, to condemn their actions. Haggis said he wrote the letter so the world at large would know he had left the religion and so that others wouldn't be recruited to join Scientology based on his involvement. I think of all the children they could have fed or clothed - all on their own, in one afternoon. With his resignation from Scientology, Haggis wrote an open letter to Tommy Davis, the former head of the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Centre International. Vera, Just use the search function on the home page. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology. Paul Haggis' resignation letter, which was leaked to the press, denounced the church's support for Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. Priests have gone to prison to defend the secrecy of the Confessional. I have always considered the current operation a mind control program, with militaristic overtones. spouse Even that, you decided not to publish. You should not assume your own religion is the ONLY and BEST one in the world that leads to spiritual growth. Paul Haggis is pictured on June 9, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Exactly pursuant to Hubbard policy on what you do with enemies. By Christie D'Zurilla Staff Writer. public * Patron with Honors, IAS What a tragedy to see current and/or former members of CoS wasting decades of their lives (ironic to see how much they detest the LDS church, given they both exist because of the teachings of a modern-day man). So, I am now painfully aware that you might see this an attack and just as easily use things I have confessed over the years to smear my name. A jury found filmmaker Paul Haggis liable in a sexual assault case that was brought forward by a former publicist who alleged he raped her after a movie premiere in 2013. Please don't make blanket statements about groups you don't know and good luck in your journey through life. To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else are you lying about? donations We Catholics and non-Catholics have grown up with programming of our own. Correction: November 2, 2022 A previous version of this story inaccurately referred to the reason Paul Haggis left the Church of Scientology. I've been "gone" for 13 years and still get, on average, 2 pieces of literature a day. NEW YORK Disputing allegations in a rape lawsuit, Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis testified Thursday that his accuser sometimes seemed "conflicted" during their initial . From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. I recall being sent to the priest every time I expressed an independent thought. :-). Haggis false story served as the opening anecdote and linchpin for a 2011 article in The New Yorker by anti-Scientology author Lawrence Wright, and Wrights subsequent book. crime Within Canada, Paul Haggis may be best known as the creator of the popular TV series Due South, which earned him six Gemini Awards including two for Best Dramatic Series. scientology Thank you for your courage despite the personal pain it may cause you. supporting art and music in public schools Four other women testified with similar allegations of sexual misconduct against Haggis during the trial. WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE ANYONE? ", "I am now painfully aware that you might see this an attack and just as easily use things I have confessed over the years to smear my name. How gullible can people be? *Humanitas Prize (2) Humanitas Haggis views the church's actions as "cowardly," and thus, after thirty-five years of membership, is resigning. I can think of no other word. Oscar winning director/writer Paul Haggis defended Remini in an open letter published in The Hollywood Reporter. And it did. When actress Leah Remini publicly defected from the Church in 2013, Haggis spoke on her departure in a letter, calling her exit "brave." The Paul Haggis Lie Smoking-gun evidence has long exposed Haggis' lies, from his sham "resignation" from the Church of Scientology to his latest conspiracy theory. I got out form the S.O. Silence is consent, Tommy. * Co-Founder, BrandAid Foundation and BrandAid Project scientologys The film, which starred Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon, was a suspense drama of a fathers search for his missing son, who is reported AWOL after returning from Iraq. I refused to do so. An answer to the corrupt monopoly of Scientology. Really? There will always be divisions over policy, but the human rights violations he mentions are real, and they simply must stop. Academy Award winning screenwriter Paul Haggis has penned an opus of a different kind: an open letter supporting actress Leah Remini's decision to break with the Church of Scientology. Here are some powerful and eye-opening quotes from Haggis' letter to Davis: "I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated. SCARY - very scary! And many dozens of fundraisers and salons at our home on behalf of Human and Civil Rights, the Environment, the Peace Movement, Education, Justice and Equality. Paul Haggis Resigns from Church of Scientology www May 5th, 2018 - Prob with religion are the people to much power given to few . Haggis was on Sunday detained in Italy on sexual assault . Paul Haggis. I am amazed that the reason given by Mr. Haggis for leaving Church of Scientology of San Diego ia due to "their public sponsorship of Proposition 8" which advocates that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California". This was the only way an unemployed high school grad like himself could pay for the multi-thousand dollar "auditing courses," which they convinced him would make everything clear. The contrast between the dignified and eloquent Mr Haggis and the screeching hysterical lying of Tommy could not be more pronounced. Loren, as I said, please re-read the letter. It is still hard for me to believe. Step one, as always, is to throw the bums out and get some honest leadership. Mon 26 Oct 2009 12.29 EDT. Haggis is currently standing trial in a civil lawsuit concerning a rape allegation. Search for "sleep deprivation" and you'll see numerous articles on the subject. It isn't a far stretch of the imagination that something like this can balloon, especially when Catholics are programmed from birth to do what the priest says for forgiveness without question. He became hostile, suspicious, depressed. There has been corruption through all religions. [Rathbun] broke his silence on the matter in 2017 to reveal that he and Haggis had orchestrated Haggis departure story and there is no truth whatsoever to the Haggis account. I find that scientologists are VERY ignorant about other religions and condemn other religions without knowing any facts. How can they legally split up families - separate parents from children - if one or both parents do not agree to it?? Haggis took the stand Wednesday in New York Supreme Court, in connection to a lawsuit filed by publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges Haggis raped her at this apartment in January 2013. Breest's lawsuit asks for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. "It worked with Leah Leah Remini, she was still in," Haggis said. Thank you Paul for standing up for what you believe in. for whatever the reason. In the letter, Haggis spends a lot of time speaking on Proposition 8 and intolerance, as it was at the forefront of discussion in California at the time. suppressive And in it I saw you deny the church's policy of disconnection. Tie them up in litigation and make it expensive for them. When compassion is your only passion, only then are you free. However, I have finally come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. - sponsoring schools, an orphanage and a children's hospital in the slums of Haiti Paul Haggis Resigns from Church of Scientology Friday, 23 October 2009 22:57 Paul Haggis is the Academy award winning filmmaker who, in 2006, became the first screenwriter, since 1950, to write two Best Film Oscar winners back-to-back - "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) directed by Clint Eastwood, and "Crash" (2005) which he himself directed. Shine forth brave souls. 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