I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. Haggis directorial follow-up to Crash was In the Valley of Elah which he wrote, directed, and produced, for Warner Independent Pictures. I just read that Paul Haggis is writing a book that outs this evil mess - the COS!! Internationally, he is renowned for a number of film achievements. When compassion is your only passion, only then are you free. Tommy, if only a fraction of these accusations are true, we are talking about serious, indefensible human and civil rights violations. In 2009, Mr. Haggis left the Church of Scientology over its support of Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage passed by California voters and later overturned. When disgraced director Paul Haggis was arrested in Italy on June 19, 2022, for what police are calling the violent sexual assault of a young woman, Leah Remini was notably silent. October 26, 2009, 8:08 AM Oct. 26, 2009 -- While many of Hollywood's elite have long adhered to Scientology, last week, Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis broke rank, resigning from the church in a scathing letter to Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis. 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. NEW YORK Disputing allegations in a rape lawsuit, Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis testified Thursday that his accuser sometimes seemed "conflicted" during their initial . Haggis, famous for films that include "Crash," "Million Dollar Baby" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," cited ideological and personal reasons for breaking with Scientology. The resignation letter to help you paul haggis letter of resignation letter. Even that, you decided not to publish. The Catholic church is consistent, and failures in society do not change truth. He registered his distaste for the church's stances on homosexuality via phone calls and letters. That was my last brush. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. sexual terror That's just more BS persecution coming from those who wish to tear down the Catholic church. *EDGE Awards (2) Entertainment Industries Council 1:26. I refuse to consent. I will argue that there is a distinct difference between "Christian belief system" and "religion". If you are tired of DM running the show and letting his out ethics destroy us, call or email me today. Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis is fighting a rape lawsuit in New York City. Please reread the letter. Their public sponsorship of Proposition 8, a hate-filled legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state shames us. At the time of Larrys article and book I withheld the fact that Marty had reached out to me by email.I withheld that information from Larry Wright. Not that Larry Wright would have cared: Paul Haggis served his purpose for Wright, who did no fact checking. He also said he hoped it would "open the eyes" of those still with the church and help them "get out.". *Creative Integrity Award Multicultural Motion Picture Association Hurray! I wish I could tell you that they rang true. When actress Leah Remini publicly defected from the Church in 2013, Haggis spoke on her departure in a letter, calling her exit "brave." I do not know the woman, but no matter what she said or did, this is the woman who joined the Sea Org at 16! Sadly, for humanity at large to embrace this simple truth would be like expecting intellectual discourse from a field mouse. Dennis igou says >>>we know the xtians (Christians) use confessionals to extort money. - Now, if he could write a screenplay for it also, perhaps starring Tom Cruise and John Travolta - that's a movie I would pay big money to see! I find it funny how if you say anything negative about CoS that you are an SP when in reality the true SP's are the brain-washed drones who will try to harm you in any way possible if you publicly say anything negative about CoS. Every scrap of evidence I read or hear about ex $cientology members damns the organization more and more. 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. 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. 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. Haggis is equally committed to his private and social concerns. Correction: November 2, 2022 A previous version of this story inaccurately referred to the reason Paul Haggis left the Church of Scientology. events When I read your post, the great social architects of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot come to mind, but I suspect you have something better. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? And you could laugh at the question as if it was a joke? I can fully understand why some would want to leave a retrograde Church (and many of its undesirable or ludicrous elements) and still want to Keep the Faith. suppression [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. The church has maintained it took no stance on the measure. "I felt if I sent it to my friends. The Catholic church has undergone quite a bit of internal reform since the time of Luther, although Sunday school teachers wouldn't want to teach it. The churchs refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. Haggis testified the sex act went on for 10 to 20 minutes before . Paul Edward Haggis, writer, director, producer (born 10 Mar 1953 in London, Ontario). As Rathbun tells it: So he [Haggis] says, By October, Marty Rathbun got a hold of the letter. Well, I actually have an email of 23 August, two months earlier, where Im already talking with Paul Haggis.Not only do I have the letter, but Im getting detailed meticulous instructions about how to present it deceptively to media contacts that Ive established.Paul Haggis consulted with me every step of the way, on how he should position this and how he should do this.. Hard to really know, but perhaps the Christian social message might have been a appealing alternative to the morals of the day (that's still true for some of us). The sleep deprivation and other abuses. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. * Patron with Honors, IAS Listing the date is important because your . I agree. public a few years ago, briefly after my family found out I was gay, my dad, twin brother, 2 sisters, uncle and aunt all in SCN totally disconnected from me, my mom after that started questioning SCN and decided to keep in touch with me. 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. Haggis is currently standing trial in a civil lawsuit concerning a rape allegation. ", "But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to think," he continues. As Haggis stated: Marty is likely telling a truth. Obviously, Harkus was raised Catholic just like I was. I noticed. chairman You should not assume your own religion is the ONLY and BEST one in the world that leads to spiritual growth. UPDATE: The Church of Scientology has reached out to Bustle, stating: "The accusations made in the film are entirely false and alleged without ever asking the Church.". Say what you will about them now, these were staunch defenders of the church, including Mike Rinder, the churchs official spokesman for 20 years! "Mr. Haggis had a disagreement with the church that went beyond having anything to do with the church," Davis told ABCNews.com. This totally illogical crazy cult needs to be exposed and let to die a quick and very public death as soon as possible. Davis told Haggis that "heads would roll" over this about ten months ago. SCARY - very scary! Oct. 26, 2009 — -- While many of Hollywood's elite have long adhered to Scientology, last week, Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis broke rank, resigning from the church in a scathing letter to Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis. 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. lies *Legacy Award, for Artistic and Humanitarian Achievement You are also wrong about the Catechism of the Church. 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. Every mission owner needs to email me to discuss the oncoming separation of missions from Corporate Scientology. After all, when Haggis was accused of rape and sexual assault by four women in January 2018, Leah Remini publicly came to her fellow anti-Scientologists defense and victim-shamed his accusers. In September 2017, Remini and her Aftermath co-host, Mike Rinder, featured Haggis on their show. Two Weapon Fighting Attack Of Opportunity Penalty. Both sides would be agog, so who knows if it will happen, but such dynamics are seldom as simple as some of these posts. Haggis is accused of . *Humanitas Prize (2) Humanitas "I can think of no other word. I remember after the poor sap who was sued (the former CAN owner) had to give up CAN to the scientologist nutbags, CAN then became a new scientology tool. We took the little test they gave (probably still give) and were told we needed auditing. No action was forthcoming. But they didnt. Frankly, I had to look no further than your refusal to denounce the church's anti-gay stance, and the indefensible actions, and inactions, of those who condone this behavior within the organization. ", Davis also denied Haggis' allegation that the church ordered Rennard to "disconnect from her parents. Scientology spokesman Davis denied Haggis' claims that the church or its San Diego chapter had supported Proposition 8. Probe the depths or write your own honest reviews. In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year, you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it and heads would roll. You promised action. Sad. for 34 years. Scientology is now in a state of Civil War. He tore apart international management. Breest's lawsuit asks for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. ", "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. rathbun 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. Not that different from any other religion. Prior to Leah Remini's break from Scientology this summer, Paul Haggis was arguably the most high-profile and outspoken celeb to resign from the organization. L-Ron and the COM have had ownership of some "tech" that also look like a good alternative to the thinking of today. Excuse me? You got to commend Paul for having the guts to stand up and finally say "enough!" How gullible can people be? But they didn't. Tommy was perfectly capable of handling Paul Haggis, had done so in the past, yet this last time he failed spectacularly - so badly that Paul wrote a letter of resignation from Scientology and sent it to all his friends. However, I have finally come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. How dare you use private information in order to label someone an "adulteress?" Religions have been used to allow some to control the masses, and for the most part are male dominated. abuses I'm glad Paul finally broke through his personal haze to see the light!!!!!!!!! * Founding Board Member, Earth Communication Office The director's former publicist, Haleigh Breest, said he raped her in December 2013, which led to a $9 million lawsuit against the "Crash" director. A priest would go to jail before revealing secrets from the confessional, no matter what the cost to himself or his church. People are kept ignorant to education, other cultures and religions and are not taught to respect people's beliefs. The nuns distorted Church history and never taught the Church's abuses. "I will always take their calls, as I always took yours. People are so attached to their money it would have never lasted this long. All roads to the same place, some are rocky, some are straight and flat. Lioness, I do not have the time or energy to go into detail as to why you are wrong here, however, you address a common, simplistic complaint, so I feel the need to comment however brief. Once Haggis admitted that he lied about his story, he had no credibility. Ive attached our email correspondence. NOT ALL ARE MEANT FOR ALL PEOPLE. I heard the same voice that professed outrage at our support of Proposition 8, who promised to correct it, and did nothing. It is still hard for me to believe. And it also doesn't help them that Church defector Marty Rathburn has apparently confirmed the letter's legitimacy as definitely coming from Haggis. 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. violence "IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE AS WE DO, YOU ARE ENEMIES! "The church's refusal to denounce the action of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly," Haggis wrote. Isn't the proof in the pudding? This requires nothing more than simple honesty, an admission of what happened and a willingness to begin anew with an honest, open culture. He said most former Scientologists leave the religion quietly, but because he was a more well-known, he said he felt it was his duty to be public about his decision to cut ties with the church. "The church of scientology in San Diego was put on a Web site supporting Proposition 8 falsely and I had our name taken off of it," Davis said. Tom Cruise could learn a lot from this gentleman On Friday night, Tommy huffed out of the ABC Nightline interview in front of four million viewers. That's not ancient history, Tommy. ", "How dare you use private information in order to label someone an adulteress? You took Amy Scobees most intimate admissions about her sexual life and passed them onto the press and then smeared them all over the pages your newsletter! His letter . Ive never been good at following orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible. I just choose to not 'follow the rules' of any religious group. No one's sins are ever 'outed' to the world. Paul Haggis established himself over twenty years with an extensive career in television, before his big break into features arrived when he became the first screenwriter to garner two Best Film Academy Awards back-to-back for his scripts: "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) directed by Clint Eastwood, and "Crash" (2005) which Paul directed himself. Also still called constantly for "Events". In order to contain a potential 'PR flap' you allowed our sponsorship of Proposition 8 to stand. It's the fundamental human right for someone to decide who they are and are not going to be in communication with.". *Artistic Freedom Award City of West Hollywood Cost them their jobs. 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. I was shocked. The best thing that the "mens club" known as The United Nations could do would be to outlaw ALL religions and make a brand new start for the world. Thanks again, love your movies! Shine forth brave souls. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church. You misunderstand the context of this passage in the Bible. And so, after writing this letter, I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me. Thank you for your courage despite the personal pain it may cause you. Podcast: Mike Rinder Talks to Jeffrey Augustine About His Bestselling New Book A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology. * Board Member, Office of The Americas yager * Member and supporter, Death Penalty Focus Besides the fact that so many of the church's most high-profile members have long been subject to gossipy speculation of being gayto name a few: Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Will Smiththe Church is now going to have to (A) take a stance on homosexuality, (B) come out against Haggis, one of the most revered, successful writer-directors of the last decade, or (C) stay quiet and look even sketchier than they already did after Tommy Davis blew up on national television earlier this weekend. We're prohibited from taking stances on political issues. He said they would catch him and drag him back. I can see this in any religion, especially when the followers are so devout and the religion itself is shrouded in such secrecy as Scientology, Church of Mormon, etc. Loren, as I said, please re-read the letter. P.S. I think of all the children they could have fed or clothed - all on their own, in one afternoon. Paul Haggis, the Canadian-born writer, director, and producer best known for the Oscar-winning Best Picture Crash, was arrested on Sunday in the southern Italian city of Ostuni.The New York Times . We care about them and do not wish to be labeled "enemies"--because we aren't. 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. This letter was published online by Marty Rathbun on his blog after he received a copy from a third party recipient of the letter. While I have not been an active member for many years, I found much of what I learned to be very helpful, and I still apply it in my daily life. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.". June 22, 2022 2:32 PM PT. I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified. And that is when I read the recent articles in the St. Petersburg Times. I had my disagreements, but I dealt with them internally. From rape accusations to his invented narrative of leaving the Church. Catholicism is an invitation to holiness. ponzi But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to think. Tommy, if only a fraction of these accusations are true, we are talking about serious, indefensible human and civil rights violations. 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