Scientology Loses Follower Paul Haggis Over Issue of Gay Rights

The Church of Scientology which, let’s face it, is kind of weird, is losing a prominent member, as Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning director and writer, has dropped the "church" for its support of the California anti-gay-marriage proposition famously known as "Proposition 8." Said Haggis in a letter to the church’s celebrity contact Tommy Davis (how’s that for a job?), "I told you I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated."

Haggis went on to write, "You promised action. Ten months passed. No action was forthcoming. 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." Haggis is best known for the 2006 film "Crash," which he co-wrote. He is also one of the best-known members of the Church of Scientology, which also counts among its members John Travolta and Tom Cruise. It is primarily a celebrity- and Hollywood-driven "religion."

And, while the faith comes into the spotlight mostly for its strangeness, the organization is taking a beating lately, with Haggis’ denunciation coming quickly on the heels of problems the church faced after Travolta’s son, Jett, died of complications related to autism. Because the church considers any mental illness to be psychosomatic, it would not acknowledge that Jett’s autism was a medical condition that should have been treated by any means other than spiritual healing. Jett had been treated with the church’s "detoxification programs" prior to passing away at the age of 16, and his death has led Travolta to opening question his decision to follow church doctrine.