Film-maker Paul Haggis quits Scientology over gay rights stance

The Church of Scientology lost one of its most high-profile members when the Hollywood film-maker Paul Haggis quit the organization in protest at its stance on same-sex marriages. In an explosive letter of resignation, Haggis claimed he could no longer "be a member of an organization where gay-bashing is tolerated". Haggis, the writer of the Oscar-winning dramas Crash and Million Dollar Baby, had earlier called on spokesman Tommy Davis to denounce statements made by the church's San Diego branch in support of Proposition 8, the controversial legislation that bans gay marriage in California. "The church's refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly," Haggis wrote in a letter addressed to Davis. "Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent." The resignation was later published on a blog by the former Scientology official, Marty Rathbun. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1952 by the pulp novelist L Ron Hubbard. It is a system of beliefs that promises members a form of "spiritual rehabilitation" through a set of counseling sessions known as "auditing". Scientology is recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the US where it has attracted a list of celebrity devotees that includes Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Lisa-Marie Presley.