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Paul Haggis on leaving Scientology: 'I was in a cult for thirty-four years'

The Washington Post/February 8, 2011

By Liz Kelly

"These people have long memories. My bet is that, within two years, you're going to read something about me in a scandal that looks like it has nothing to do with the church."

So says Academy Award-winning writer/director Paul Haggis ("Crash," "Million Dollar Baby," "Casino Royale," "In the Valley of Elah," "The Next Three Days") who recently walked away from Scientology after more than three decades as a member of the church.

In a wide-ranging profile/investigative piece in this week's (Feb. 14) New Yorker, writer Lawrence Wright interviews Haggis about his disillusionment with the celebrity-courting organization started by "Dianetics" guru L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s and talks to scores of defectors about the ubiquity of abuse -- including human trafficking, unpaid labor and physical violence -- that allegedly start with current Scientology leader David Miscavage and trickle all the way down to the group's most powerless members, some of them children.

Wright also interviews celebrities, including Anne Archer, still very much in support of their spiritual path and who, like Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis (Archer's son) discredit Haggis as someone who remained in the church only to advance his career.

Warning: set aside at least an hour to read the meticulously detailed article and explore the supporting materials -- including audio and legal documents -- online. But, if you don't have time, here are just a few of the revelations that have Scientology adherents (including, we presume, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Kirstie Alley) in an uproar:

The Church of Scientology issued an official statement in response to Wright's article, calling it "irresponsible" and citing Wright for allegedly rehashing already disproved allegations to "garner headlines for an otherwise stale article."

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.

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