Church Of Scientology Fuming Mad At Oscar-Winner Paul Haggis

Church of Scientology members have struck back regarding a recent open letter that screenwriter and Oscar-winner Paul Haggis sent to Leah Remini by way of The Hollywood Reporter.

Remini left the church earlier this month after 30 years as a member.

Haggis himself was a member of the Church of Scientology for a number of years, though, as you’re about to read, the church wasn’t too impressed with his devotion to the faith, and see his current efforts as “self-serving” and a pathetic attempt at notoriety.

(Then again, it could just be that Haggis wanted to show his support. Remini made some enemies with her decision to leave, among them, reportedly, Kirstie Alley.)

Well, the Church of Scientology is ready to go to war, and their weapon of choice: another open letter. Take it away, Thetans!

STATEMENT BY CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL CONCERNING PAUL HAGGIS’ “OPEN LETTER”

Mr. Haggis is a status-obsessed screenwriter who in the words of The Hollywood Reporter has been in “the wilderness” professionally for three years. Mr. Haggis once again is exploiting his tenuous connection with Scientology to grab headlines. His statement that the organization anonymously comments negatively about those who leave the Church is delusional and borders on paranoia.

Desperately craving attention, his self-serving “open letter” is a transparent plug for an upcoming film still lacking U.S. distribution. If Mr. Haggis was as successful and prolific at manufacturing drama for audiences as he is at manufacturing it for gossip sites, then his career might have never gotten lost in the “wilderness.”

Despite his spin, the truth is that Mr. Haggis was an inactive Scientologist for more than 30 years until he orchestrated a disingenuous “departure” in 2009 aimed solely at getting media attention. As a result, Paul Haggis has no first-hand knowledge about the Church of Scientology but instead relies on a small collection of unemployed bloggers living on the fringe of the Internet who are obsessed with spinning myths about the Church.

Mr. Haggis has chosen to align himself with a small posse of lunatics with arrest records, who have acknowledged in depositions to being secretly on the payroll of tabloids and who have admitted on national television to outright lying. As for Paul Haggis’ real story, see http://www.freedommag.org/special-reports/new-yorker/video- profile-the-many-personas-of-paul-haggis.html. [Link doesn’t work]

As to the true story of Scientology, under the 25-year leadership of Mr. Miscavige, following in the footsteps of our Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, the Church is enjoying tremendous expansion as shown in our 37 new Churches opening in six continents and the many new parishioners joining their congregations. Our Churches are open seven days a week and many have public display areas to answer all questions or one can visit our website, www.Scientology.org.

(Hat tip to Business Insider for this latest development.)

Here’s a bit more on Remini’s departure:

Do you think the Church of Scientology is correct to say that Haggis is self-serving, or is this just the rantings and ravings of a lunatic organization?

[Image via Sam Aronov / Shutterstock.com]