RSS Subscribe
Well, that’s one good reason to quit Scientology. Other fail-safe prompts for the dismissal of the “religion” might be that it’s utterly ridiculous. In fact, maybe that should be included on the paperwork you fill out when you want to leave the plastic bubble shield of Cruise and Travolta – a checkbox designating your departure as being “Because this place is utterly ridiculous.” Kinda like when you file divorce papers and cite “irreconcilable differences” when you really mean that the other person is crazy.
ANYWAY, Academy Award-winning director Paul Haggis (Crash) has left the Church of Scientology after statements made in the San Diego branch of the cult church that supported the California Proposition 8 gay marriage ban.
His resignation letter and other Scient-illogical tidbits:
“As you know, for ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego… I told you I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated,” Haggis wrote in a letter to Church of Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis. “The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly,” Haggis wrote. “I can think of no other word. Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.”
The Oscar-winning director of Crash also declaimed the Scientology practice of “disconnection” – where members are required to cease contact with friends or family who leave the church or advocate against it. “We all know this policy exists,” Haggis said. “You might recall that my wife [Deborah Rennard]was ordered to disconnect from her own parents… although it caused her terrible personal pain, my wife broke off all contact with them.”
“I am only ashamed I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership of the Church of Scientology,” Haggis said in closing. The church has yet to respond publicly to Haggis’ resignation.
You can read the full letter from Haggis here. Of interesting note is other celebrities who stuck their big toe into the alien light beam of L. Ron Hubbard, only to recoil and save whatever modicum of sanity a “celebrity” has in the first place. Jerry Seinfeld, I’m looking at you. Stuff your sorrys in a sack!
2 responses so far ↓
1 Nick Mattos // Oct 26, 2009 at 2:22 pm
With all due respect – how exactly is Scientology more “utterly ridiculous” than, say, Mormonism? Or, for that matter, the Catholic church? Why should gay people have more vitriol towards Scientology than other religious bodies?
Before you bring up Xenu and thetans and other aspects of Scientology theology, please bear in mind that most anything lifted from religious narrative sounds pretty bizarre out of context. Some examples: in the Hindu/Vaishnava scripture of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna expands himself into enough forms to have sex with thousands of cowherd girls at once. In the Hebrew Testament, we have sisters deciding that their father is a great enough man that they need to get him drunk and rape him in order to create more similar men. Don’t even get me started about the appearance of the Treasure Tower in the Lotus Sutra, or the golden plates of the Book of Mormon! Sure, the whole volcanoes-and-aliens stuff is strange, but I believe part of why it’s so strikingly bizarre to us and God speaking through a burning bush isn’t is because our symbolic language as a culture is built upon things like the burning bush and wives becoming pillars of salt and God becoming a man and getting hung on a cross. We have context for relating to Judeo-Christian symbolism, which is why we aren’t freaking out about how equally odd it is!
As for the homophobia angle – how many Middle Eastern countries punish homosexuality with death sentences on the basis of Islamic law? The ex-gay movement makes tons of money off of observant Christians who are looking to “repair” their sexuality, too. An interesting fact: Melissa M. Wilcox, writing in the five-volume Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, notes that while present-day detractors of Scientology accuse it of homophobia, government suspicion in the early days of Scientology included accusations of homosexuality.
“It’s an expensive religion!” some exclaim – but pilgrimages, be they to Mecca or to the Taisekiji Temple in Japan or to Fatima, are all very expensive as well. Mormons, among others, pay a minimum of 10% of their income to the church as a tithe – to say nothing of the time and expense of all the other responsibilities being Mormon entails.
“Disconnection” sucks, yeah – but so does being “placed in the bann” in Amish and Mennonite communities or being “disfellowshipped” from the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is just talking about officially-sanctioned social means of punishment – countless other groups use social pressure and exclusion to promote or punish behaviors, too.
Please don’t arbitrarily pick and choose what religious entities you’ll hate on. Scientology is a very easy target right now – there are very few folks who’ll step up to the bat to defend them, especially in the queer community. Learn more about what Scientology actually is – and, for that matter, what other religious entities actually are – and consider their beliefs and social demographics in context. If you’re really feeling wild, actually meet a Scientologist – get to know them, find out why it is that they chose to belong to the church, and find out about their beliefs from their perspective. It’s this dialogue that fosters community, breaks down institutional bigotry, and might just convice both of a shared humanity.
Nick Mattos (who isn’t a Scientologist but was one for Halloween last year)
2 Gwen Barnard // Nov 25, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Gwen Barnard here. I have worked for the Church of Scientology here in Portland for the last 23 years. I realize that I am responding to the Haggis article rather late but then I had to find out what was going on here. I call some people in LA and found out that Mr. Haggis had a disagreement with the Church that went beyond having anything to do with the Church. He wanted the Church to take an active, offcial political stance when we do not take stances on political issues and are in fact prohibited from doing so.
The Church supports civil rights for everyone, regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation and has always supported that position.
I have been a long time (over 10 years) member of the Coalition Against Hate Crimes and have had the pleasure of working with many people from many backgrounds. It has been one of the great joys of my life.
I, as well as my Church do not agree with anything that prohibits or infringes on civil or human rights for anyone or that might separate out a certain group of people. And being a minority ourselves we support the rights of any minority. We are very vocal and consistent in our stance on discrimination against anyone.
Scientology cannot satisfy everyone’s spiritual needs and we wish Mr. Haggis well in his pursuit for spiritual enlightenment.
Leave a Comment