Scientology Loses Key Member, Court Case

(CBS/AP)  The Church of Scientology has been dealt a double blow, with one of its most prominent celebrity members abandoning the institution over its alleged stance on gay marriage and a French court convicting church leaders of fraud.

"Crash" director Paul Haggis has severed his ties with the church, in part because of what he alleged as the organization's stance against gay marriage.

Haggis wrote a letter addressed to Tommy Davis, the head of Scientology's Celebrity Centre. In it, Haggis said he was disappointed by the church's tacit denial of gay rights in the debate over California's gay marriage ban.

The 56-year-old Haggis, who won an Oscar in 2005 for co-writing "Crash," said he was quitting the church after 35 years.

"I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated," Haggis wrote.

The filmmaker said that he was promised that action would be taken but that he was frustrated after time passed.

"Silence is consent, Tommy," Haggis wrote. "I refuse to consent."

Meanwhile, a Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology's French branch of fraud Tuesday and fined it $600,000, but stopped short of a ban on the group that was sought by prosecutors.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports that Scientology is viewed by the French government as a sect, rather than a religion.

The court convicted four of six leaders of the group of organized fraud for pressuring members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain. It handed them suspended sentences of between 10 months and two years. The other two were given fines of euro1,000 and euro2,000.

The defendants in the case paid large sums of money to the church upon joining, then decided to withdraw and asked for their money back. They filed suit, Phillips reports, when the church refused their refund request.

The court did not order the group to shut down, ruling that it would be likely to continue its activities anyway, "outside any legal framework."

Prosecutors had requested that the group be dissolved in France and be fined euro2 million.

The letter from Haggis, dated Aug. 19, was published in a blog about Scientology and has since been widely circulated online.

Ziggy Kozlowski, a publicist for Haggis, confirmed that the director wrote the letter. Kozlowski said the letter was intended to remain private.

Davis said Haggis' complaints were based on misunderstandings and that he has since spoken to the filmmaker. Davis strenuously disagreed with Haggis' claim that the Church of Scientology is in any way anti-gay.

Davis said the San Diego chapter of the Church of Scientology was incorrectly characterized as supportive of Prop 8.

"We're all for civil rights and the rights of minorities," said Davis. "We know what it is to be a minority and have your rights curtailed. We're very vocal and consistent in our stance on discrimination against anybody. We take it very seriously."

For an organization often shrouded in secrecy, the letter offered an unusual window into a dialogue between the church and one of its famous members. Occasionally, Scientology materials are leaked. Last year, a promotional video starring its most famous member, Tom Cruise, was watched by millions.

Haggis also said he was "shocked" that the Church of Scientology was publicly denying that it adheres to a policy of disconnection - of severing ties with a friend or family member who's antagonistic toward Scientology. Haggis said that his wife, Deborah Rennard, was given precisely those orders and didn't speak to her parents for more than a year.

Davis again disagreed with Haggis and said the church doesn't mandate disconnection with anybody and that it was an entirely "self-determined decision."

"The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others," Haggis wrote. "I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified."

The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, claims to have 10 million members in 165 nations.

Haggis, who also wrote the Oscar-winning "Million Dollar Baby," is shooting "The Next Three Days" in Pittsburgh. It stars Russell Crow, Liam Neeson and Elizabeth Banks.

[formrusmcsgt]

All dogma peddlers promising paradise should be jailed for fraud.

[ClarkeGrissom]

Whoopsies, Xenu-nay whyaretheydead! All the possible domains were bought by a scientolgy front group last February, Sterling Management. Just another example of the Co$ silencing those critical of them.

[ClarkeGrissom]

The Cof$ made its hugest gains under G.W.B and Dick Che...er wait...Lol. Scientology is a dangerous cult. Fabricated by a drug addicted deranged hack science fiction writer. Now headed by a violent midget named David Miscavige who sent his own wife the the Scientologist equivalent of the gulag, the Project Rehabilitation Force. Many people mysteriously dead after having their lifes assets drained away. Most litigious 'church' in history. Google XENU, Lisa McPherson, whyaretheydead...

[troutfishyman]

There is a thin line between religion and cult :)

[steeepe]

The best way to deal with cults is to simply repeal tax-exempt status for all "religions". When science fiction writers or polygamists can start religions for their own entertainment, anybody can start a religion. That's fine, but they shouldn't get tax breaks unless they spend the money they take in philanthropically. Neither should those wacky televangelists. Why do people fall for this stuff?

[california64]

Scientology is neither a religion or a church. It is a sect or a cult. LRH has been widely quoted as saying that he made good money writing science fiction but the real money was in starting a church because every dime would be tax free. Voila! He started a church laden with many elements of his science fiction-fantasy tales and the money is rolling in. What group of people is more influential (and gullible) than celebrities?? They targeted the moron actors and the rest of us, foolishly followed. France and Germany are on the right track. The US needs to remove tax exempt status from this sect and they will move their headquarters somewhere else. Good riddance.

[AttentionDeficit]

"What group of people is more influential (and gullible) than celebrities??"

Voters

[california64]

Okay, AttentionDeficit, you got me there! Look at the buffoons we elect and re-elect...

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

by toldyouso21 October 27, 2009 10:18 AM EDT
People are born sexual, usually with no preference, we could go either way--all of us.
===============================================================

You would be wise not to make such absolute statements -- all of you.

[bantamei]

Referring to scientology as a church is really stretching the definition of "church".

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

Yeah well, scientology is an oxymoron. Scien-(t)-ology. The science of science?

[Questionews]

If you want a quick summery of one of Scientology's biggest (former) secrets, go to Wikipedia & type in Xenu.

A small excerpt:
"Xenu was about to be deposed from power, so he devised a plot to eliminate the excess population from his dominions. With the assistance of psychiatrists, he summoned billions of his citizens together under the pretense of income tax inspections, then paralyzed them and froze them in a mixture of alcohol and glycol to capture their souls. The kidnapped populace was loaded into spacecraft for transport to the site of extermination, the planet of Teegeeack (Earth). The appearance of these spacecraft would later be subconsciously expressed in the design of the Douglas DC-8, the only difference being: "the DC8 had fans."

It gets way better. Caution: Wear a diaper!!

[toldyouso21]

"We're all for civil rights and the rights of minorities," said Davis. "We know what it is to be a minority and have your rights curtailed. We're very vocal and consistent in our stance on discrimination against anybody. We take it very seriously."

REALLY, the church of scientology knows what it is like to be a minority? how so? True minorities are not minorities by choice or decision or actions--they are BORN in a minority group--usually by race, color or ethnicity--if a person's "minority" status is something that cannot be discerned just by looking at them, and it is something they have to "show" "prove" or act upon--that is not a minority, it is a person who does things that are not as popular in the mainstream.

to be a minority, one does not "become" a minority--it is a club one does not join--by dint of birth, one not only is automatically 'in the club" but is judged on the basis of that club from birth on and can never unjoin the club.

For instance, many gays or others seek minority status and based on how they are treated, should have the same protections. But a Scientologist? Can a person be a scientologist and others never know it unless they proclaim it? Then that is NOT a minority. Can a person be a gay and others not know it unless it is proclaimed? Yes some can, others, cannot (due to mannerisms, personality) can a person be a Black, Native American, Eskimo, Asian and other's not know it or notice it--not likely....unless the ratio of what is that race is so small in them that it is debatable (like Beyonce whose parents and Grandparents are BOTH Black)....but many whites think or insist Beyonce is biracial.

Minority status is not a hat one wears to advantage--it is a state of being one is born into--when it is a choice--then there is no true minority status. Minorities are those who are often eschewed or rejectied or treated prejudicially just because of their features or skin color or hair texture or genetic makeup. Gays as a minority--yes if you believe they are born that way..no because anyone can hide it or join if they feel like it and if the gay is not a minority, they will be known by their actual race and gender first, their sexual proclivities, next. That makes them a minority due to actions and lifestyle not due to life.

It is insulting to true minorities for any church (except perhaps the Jewish church) to say they know what it is like to be a minority. How? Pray tell? Vicariously through minority members?

[rondivoo]

Whaaa? What you are telling us is as clear as mud... a LOT of words here.. it seems you are struggling to define "minority." I think I know what you are trying to say, and I disagree that one has to be "born" a minority. Being a part of any group that is neither "mainstream" nor "represented by the majority of the population" would make a person a minority or "in the minority"... whether it be by birth or personal choice.