Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis, arguably the world's most famous Londoner, has quit Scientology, the controversial religion he'd practised for three decades.
The Hollywood heavyweight's high-profile "resignation" -- detailed in an e-mail to a church official that appeared on scores of websites yesterday -- was sparked by the church's stance on gay marriage and the toll its other policies were taking on his own family.
"It was meant to be a private correspondence," said Haggis publicist Ziggy Kozlowski, who confirmed the missive to Scientology official Tommy Davis was from the Oscar winner, who attended Fanshawe College during the 1970s and was honoured by his hometown in 2006.
"I don't think there's regret, but I don't think he's glad it's out (publicly)."
Kozlowski said his client was more focused yesterday on the movie he's making in Pittsburgh, The Next Three Days, starring Russell Crowe.
"He said 'I've got my hands fully here.' In his mind, he feels like he has other issues to address that are more immediate."
Haggis's film Crash won best picture and top original screenplay Oscars in 2006. In addition, he co-produced and Haggis calls Proposition 8 "a hate-filled legislation," the support of which "shames us." He writes that Davis promised to respond to the issue but didn't take action.
"Silence is consent, Tommy," the e-mail read. "I refuse to consent."
He also blasted Davis for publicly denying a "policy of disconnection" that the screenwriter says affected his own family. Haggis says his wife was "ordered to disconnect from her parents" because of something "trivial" they did upon leaving the church 25 years ago.
His wife did so, Haggis said, though he refused.
"I've never been good at following orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible," he wrote.
Davis, who yesterday described himself as a church spokesperson, said the San Diego branch was erroneously listed online as a supporter of Proposition 8 -- and that Haggis's calls for a public denouncement of the anti-gay marriage bill flew in the face of church policies.
"The church doesn't take an official stance on anything," he said. "We're prohibited from doing so by (our) own policies and status as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization."
Davis denied the policy of "disconnection" is part of the church's teachings. He also said Haggis's concerns that private details from his "confessionals" might be made public "to smear" his name are unfounded.
"He had a gross misconception in that regard," said Davis.
patrick.maloney@sunmedia.ca
Paul Haggis
'''Paul Haggis, reżyser filmowy i zdobywca Oskara oświadczył rzecznikowi prasowemu Scjentologów, Thomasowi Davisowi, że zdecydował się opuścić Kościół Scjentologów, którego członkiem był 35 lat.'''

List Haggisa skierowany do Davisa został umieszczony na blogu Marty'ego Rathburna, byłego wysokiego rangą członka kościoła. Haggis otrzymał Oskara za film Miasto gniewu (2004), którego był scenarzystą, producentem i reżyserem.

Rathbun nie był jedynym, który stwierdził autentyczność listu wysłanego przez Haggisa. Również gazeta The Hollywood Reporter potwierdziła to w rozmowie z przyjacielem reżysera. Rathbun wyraża się krytycznie o obecnym przywódcy Scjentologów na swoim blogu. W swoim liście to Davisa, Haggis napisał, że w ''St. Petersburg Times'' przeczytał o zarzutach kierowanych pod adresem Davida Miscavige, jakoby znęcał się on fizycznie nad członkami kościoła. Haggis skrytykował również sposób, w jaki Kościół Scjentologiczny próbuje oczerniać byłych członków, którzy odważyli się przeciwstawić organizacji. 

Haggis wyraził w liście do Davisa niezadowolenie z faktu, że oddział Scjentologów w San Diego w stanie Kalifornia poparł tak zwaną Propozycję 8. Propozycja 8 to akt prawny odbierający parom homoseksualnym w Kalifornii prawo do zawierania związków małżeńskich.

Poglądy Scjentologów na temat homoseksualności są również kontrowersyjne. We wstępie do swojej książki Dianetics, L. Ron Hubbard opisuje zjawisko homoseksualności  jako seksualną perwersję. Haggis napisał do Davisa, że nie chce być członkiem „organizacji, gdzie obrażanie homoseksualistów jest  w pełni tolerowane”  i stwierdził, że takie zachowanie jest „niewybaczalne”.