October 27th, 2009 / 11:39 pm
Author Spotlight

Paul Haggis Deservedly Mean to Scientology Because Scientology Undeservedly Mean to Gays, Everybody Else

From Paul Haggis’s public resignation letter from the Church of Scientology. Via Gawker, who have the whole letter.

The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word. Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.

I joined the Church of Scientology thirty-five years ago. During my twenties and early thirties I studied and received a great deal of counseling. 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 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. I had my disagreements, but I dealt with them internally. I saw the organization – with all its warts, growing pains and problems – as an underdog. And I have always had a thing for underdogs.

But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to think. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. In order to contain a potential “PR flap” you allowed our sponsorship of Proposition 8 to stand. Despite all the church’s words about promoting freedom and human rights, its name is now in the public record alongside those who promote bigotry and intolerance, homophobia and fear.

The fact that the Mormon Church drew all the fire, that no one noticed, doesn’t matter. I noticed. And I felt sick. I wondered how the church could, in good conscience, through the action of a few and then the inaction of its leadership, support a bill that strips a group of its civil rights.

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10 Comments

  1. Sean

      So i guess you can post whatever during Mean Week. I don’t get the rules.

      But I fucking HATE Tom Cruise.

      HATE science-not-whatever-ontology. Blar.

      So, good post.

      That’s all.

      S

  2. Sean

      So i guess you can post whatever during Mean Week. I don’t get the rules.

      But I fucking HATE Tom Cruise.

      HATE science-not-whatever-ontology. Blar.

      So, good post.

      That’s all.

      S

  3. mimi

      No wait, now I’m confused again. Is it Haggis’s or Haggis’ ??

  4. mimi

      No wait, now I’m confused again. Is it Haggis’s or Haggis’ ??

  5. Ryan Call

      haggis’

  6. Ryan Call

      haggis’

  7. Christopher Higgs

      Goddammit, Call, now you’re just being belligerent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. Christopher Higgs

      Goddammit, Call, now you’re just being belligerent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. CATHARTICA

      Paul Haggis or however the fuck you say his name is a goddamn racist. I hope the Church of Scientology sends one of their assassins after him and he winds up in a ditch on the side of the road or burnt to a fucking crisp somewhere.

      Fuck Paul Haggis and the white power horse he rode in on!

      Your time is coming, Paul! You just wait, motherfucker!

  10. CATHARTICA

      Paul Haggis or however the fuck you say his name is a goddamn racist. I hope the Church of Scientology sends one of their assassins after him and he winds up in a ditch on the side of the road or burnt to a fucking crisp somewhere.

      Fuck Paul Haggis and the white power horse he rode in on!

      Your time is coming, Paul! You just wait, motherfucker!