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Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 2013

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Straight from The Hollywood Reporter... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leah-reminis-scientology-break-paul-595708

A bit of background...

Leah and I were always friendly but never close friends. Despite this, she called me as soon as she heard about my letter of resignation. Unlike the rest of my former friends, she expressed real sadness that I was leaving and concern for me and my family. A few months later, we ran into each other at a school fair. I kept my distance for fear of putting her in an awkward position, but Leah had no such fear. She walked up, asked me why I was being weird and told me she would always be my friend and would never “disconnect” from me. Then she dragged me over and introduced me to her family. Soon after that, I moved to New York, and our paths just didn’t cross, but I was deeply touched by her gesture and genuine concern.

Hey, OSA, get ready for your close-up because you've been called out...

In the last few days, I read some things that really disturbed me. First was the way Leah was being attacked by her celebrity “friends,” who were disparaging her character. [Editor’s note: After actress Kirstie Alley tweeted “the sweetest poison is often served with a smile,” it was widely interpreted as referring to Remini. Alley vigorously has denied that and says she does not criticize anyone’s religious beliefs.] Having witnessed Scientology’s smear tactics, I can imagine how this was being orchestrated, but I was still shocked to see how quickly those friends -- some of whom had known Leah for 20 or 30 years -- jumped on the “malign Leah” campaign, and with such apparent glee. I assumed Scientology’s next step would be to try and plant disparaging stories about her with less-informed journalists and bloggers. And if others who have made noisy exits from the church are to be believed, Scientology would also use their Office of Special Affairs employees to attack Leah indirectly, posting negative comments about her shows and career and abilities under myriad false names, pretending to be disappointed fans or whatever. None of that is new.

The MU's below for David Miscavige and Co$ mgmt are "integrity" and "compassion" -- yeah, look 'em up in the dictionary to see a nice pic of Leah Remini and her family.

I finally called Leah during the last week of July. Her answering service didn’t recognize my number, so it took a while to get through. It was good to hear her voice and great to hear her laugh -- though it was easy to tell she had been terribly hurt and shaken by the events of the last weeks. That said, Leah is an incredibly strong woman and will get through this with the help of her family and her true friends. She is kind and generous and loyal; she has always cared more about others than herself. She barely knew me, and yet she fought for me and my family, a battle she had to know in her gut she was never going to win. That takes an enormous amount of integrity and compassion.

So... LRH now stands for Leah Remini Humanitarian, right?

JB
 
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JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

Of course, Tony Ortega is already on the case with a terrific piece about this here: http://tonyortega.org/2013/07/31/sc...slimy-anonymous-attack-sites-again/#more-8886

<snip> "...what also caught our eye was another stunning admission by Scientology’s hapless spokeswoman, Karin Pouw, who has once again admitted that the church is involved with anonymous websites that smear the reputations of people who dare to speak out about Scientology’s abuses.

More than a year ago, at the Village Voice, we explained how these websites work. A slew of them appeared after several former top Scientology officials defected and then went public. Some of them had URLs that shared a formula: “WhoIsMartyRathbun,” “WhoIsMikeRinder,” and yes, “WhoIsPaulHaggis” (see above). They not only had similar names, but they looked alike and shared a lot of information — much of it right out of Scientology’s propaganda magazine, Freedom.

When The Hollywood Reporter published Haggis’s open letter this morning, the magazine checked with Karin Pouw for a statement, and apparently asked about the “WhoIsPaulHaggis” website, which attacks the director with some sneering, comical attacks that are right from the pages of Freedom.


Amazingly, Pouw not only admitted that church is supplying information to these attack sites, but that it had never hidden that fact: “The church has never hidden the fact it supplied information for the websites,” she said to THR.

JB
 

iHateDuplicity

Patron with Honors
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

Karen Pouw, or whoever is issuing statements for the Cof$ now, just cannot help but fire foot bullet after foot bullet. :duh:

I keep wondering if there is anything more I can do to help push this corrupt management out of there but they keep doing it to themselves quite nicely. Karen Pouw, you go girl! :clap:
 

anonomog

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

Wow. What a great letter of support to Leah.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

When Paul Haggis writes this...

What I knew about Leah is that she was one of two Scientologists who had refused to “disconnect” from me and certainly the only high-profile one when I decided to quit the organization in August 2009.

...does it confirm that ALL scientologists disconnected from him, except Leah Remini and one other non-celebrity?

That would mean:

Tom Cruise disconnected from Paul Haggis.
John Travolta disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Kirstie Alley disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Every Co$ staff member disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Every Co$ sea org member disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Every Co$ public member disconnected from Paul Haggis.

What, then, are we to deduce about Ms. Remini's current situation?

Initially, it seems her family's steadfast refusal to disconnect from her is all the more laudable/commendable. It also suggests that the tweets from Kirstie Alley should not be given the 'benefit of the doubt' using a reasonable person's standard, nor should the silence from Tom Cruise and John Travolta be afforded similar standing.

Much to consider here.

JB
 

Sidney18511

Patron with Honors
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

Initially, it seems her family's steadfast refusal to disconnect from her is all the more laudable/commendable. It also suggests that the tweets from Kirstie Alley should not be given the 'benefit of the doubt' using a reasonable person's standard, nor should the silence from Tom Cruise and John Travolta be afforded similar standing.


JB

By having her entire family leaving at the same time she took away the cults "leverage".
They don't know what to do now.....hence we see all the sheeple running around like chickens with no heads! Kook-a-doodle-do. WAY TO GO LEAH!
 

HelluvaHoax!

Platinum Meritorious Sponsor with bells on
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

When Paul Haggis writes this...



...does it confirm that ALL scientologists disconnected from him, except Leah Remini and one other non-celebrity?

That would mean:

Tom Cruise disconnected from Paul Haggis.
John Travolta disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Kirstie Alley disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Every Co$ staff member disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Every Co$ sea org member disconnected from Paul Haggis.
Every Co$ public member disconnected from Paul Haggis.

What, then, are we to deduce about Ms. Remini's current situation?

Initially, it seems her family's steadfast refusal to disconnect from her is all the more laudable/commendable. It also suggests that the tweets from Kirstie Alley should not be given the 'benefit of the doubt' using a reasonable person's standard, nor should the silence from Tom Cruise and John Travolta be afforded similar standing.

Much to consider here.

JB



HellYeah! Any sane organization would instantly switch into Damage Control Mode and simply tell the world AND THEIR PARISHIONERS that "Disconnection in all forms is canceled" and that anyone can talk to anyone they choose.

Cult members would give standing ovations and write success stories. It would be a win win for Scientology worldwide.

Then, within a few days, weeks or months, most of the Scientologists in the world would blow after they visited forbidden websites, talked to Indie Scientologists, SPs and Ex-Scientologists and came up to "knowingness" on the cult they were a member of.

OT KNOWINGNESS: The masters of Knowing-How-To-Know are always the last to know.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

HellYeah! Any sane organization would instantly switch into Damage Control Mode and simply tell the world AND THEIR PARISHIONERS that "Disconnection in all forms is canceled" and that anyone can talk to anyone they choose.

Cult members would give standing ovations and write success stories. It would be a win win for Scientology worldwide.

Then, within a few days, weeks or months, most of the Scientologists in the world would blow after they visited forbidden websites, talked to Indie Scientologists, SPs and Ex-Scientologists and came up to "knowingness" on the cult they were a member of.

OT KNOWINGNESS: The masters of Knowing-How-To-Know are always the last to know.

Ah, HelluvaHoax...your posts are always brilliant - thank you, sir.

Re: what will happen if the disconnection policy were rescinded...

Yes, members of Co$/scientology will read the information on the web, which will certainly cause more than a few people to reconsider Co$/scientology, but imagine how many moms/dads/sons/daughters & dear friends/etc. will re-establish communication between themselves when given such an opportunity. That's what Co$/scientology cannot ever truly defeat -- familial/familiar love and the established bonds created therefrom.

Miscavige & Co. cannot afford to 'abolish' disconnection because one Mom's voice or one Dad's hug is simply that powerful an enemy to battle. Plus, he's a coward and has never and will never stand up for anything or anyone if negative consequences might result.

My guess is Co$/scientology will announce a new policy -- equally insidious, by the way -- where a member will be permitted to speak with SPs/disconnected individuals about anything BUT Co$/scientology...with immediate, MANDATORY sec-checks for that member to assure compliance with the policy. I hope I am wrong.

JB.
 

Sidney18511

Patron with Honors
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

Disconnection is the last thin string that is holding this scam together.

And as far as foot bullets go, their past that now. They are now using WMDs and blowing off their entire legs.
 

clamicide

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

re: Disconnection

As much as I wish it were true, I think it's a Fantasyland that so much would change if the cult got rid of the policy on disconnection. It's because it's a cult--and thought reform is a real thing. I'd love to think just the strength of my love would 'snap my son out of it' and that he'd call me as soon as the issue came out cancelling it. Disconnection is just the most outward and obvious sign of how fucked up Scio is that the rest of the world can recognize that it's a cult.

Remember KSW, just for one example. Those of us who have left are going to spend an eternity in horrific pain or whatever. We are low-toned or the psychs got to us, and entheta enerbulates theta. When I was on staff, I had no contact with the outside world. Sea Org, omg... I don't even know how shut off they are. I just can't do the greatest good math when going back to Scio-think that would make it preferable to be in contact with those who had huge enough overts that they had to blow from the only salvation for mankind.

I'm not saying there wouldn't be exceptions, and some folks would reunite and the fact it's such a hell might drive them, but I don't buy that everything would just suddenly become hugs and sunshine. Call me cynical.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Responds

Co$/scientology response to Paul Haggis' letter in support of Leah Remini here: http://www.businessinsider.com/scientology-response-to-paul-haggis-2013-7

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 [JB disabled the link to Co$'s response to the original New Yorker profile of Paul Haggis, even though it didn't work anyway.][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, [JB disabled the link to Co$ site.]

Thoughts?

JB
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Co$ Response

I'll just add that The Hollywood Reporter posted Mr. Haggis' letter just over 7 hours ago and the Co$/scientology response was posted to BusinessInsider almost an hour ago.

From the time Mr. Haggis' letter hit the net to the time Co$/scientology's response appeared 6 hours passed.

That's a long time for an angry little dude to turn various shades of purple, eh?

JB
 

Purple Rain

Crusader
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Responds

By having her entire family leaving at the same time she took away the cults "leverage".
They don't know what to do now.....hence we see all the sheeple running around like chickens with no heads! Kook-a-doodle-do. WAY TO GO LEAH!

Yeah, it's kind of like trying to get your stuff out during a house fire and you get your kids out but you lose all your photos and souvenirs from your school days and the beautiful dinner set your dead husband gave you for your wedding anniversary and your little dog Toto. So there is cause for much celebration and much grief all at the same time.

I think many people don't realise that disconnection is kind of like a living death where you never have any closure and you have the same taint of stigma, as with a suicide, that it's somehow your fault for being a bad person. But the person is just as dead to you as if they were dead except there are still reminders of their living presence wherever they leave a footprint in the world.

Co$/scientology response to Paul Haggis' letter in support of Leah Remini here: http://www.businessinsider.com/scientology-response-to-paul-haggis-2013-7



Thoughts?

JB

I just think it's hilarious that their response does everything Haggis accuses them of. The response PROVES the accusation!! Just LOL!!!

Haggis: If you leave this church they will tell everyone you're a bad person and your career is rotten.

Church: He's a bad person and his career sucks too!!

:hysterical:

Boy, they sure dead agented that one! Nobody's going to believe anything Haggis says about them now... for sure!

:p
 

Lulu Belle

Moonbat
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

http://www.laineygossip.com/Paul-Haggis-defends-Leah-Remini-against-Scientology/27621

(excerpt)

At this point, Scientology is about as unpopular as having someone take a dump on your face, as Sasha would say. Maybe even more. And the worst part of it is that its greatest supporter, Tom Cruise, can no longer afford to step up and save it because they have to protect his career. Seeing as its second greatest support, John Travolta, can barely keep his dick away from a masseur long enough to do a song and dance on a beach in Brazil, right now the Church is in slink and cower position, vulnerable for a coup. It’s as simple as changing leadership. But, like all dictators, Miscavige refuses to go without a bloody fight. What if Tom Cruise decides that that could be his greatest role? The Conqueror!

:laugh:
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

http://www.laineygossip.com/Paul-Haggis-defends-Leah-Remini-against-Scientology/27621

(excerpt)

At this point, Scientology is about as unpopular as having someone take a dump on your face, as Sasha would say. Maybe even more. And the worst part of it is that its greatest supporter, Tom Cruise, can no longer afford to step up and save it because they have to protect his career. Seeing as its second greatest support, John Travolta, can barely keep his dick away from a masseur long enough to do a song and dance on a beach in Brazil, right now the Church is in slink and cower position, vulnerable for a coup. It’s as simple as changing leadership. But, like all dictators, Miscavige refuses to go without a bloody fight. What if Tom Cruise decides that that could be his greatest role? The Conqueror!

:laugh:

That may be the grossest and funniest piece yet published. Is "ewlol" appropriate?

Tks, LuluBelle!

JB
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

http://www.laineygossip.com/Paul-Haggis-defends-Leah-Remini-against-Scientology/27621

(excerpt)

At this point, Scientology is about as unpopular as having someone take a dump on your face, as Sasha would say. Maybe even more. And the worst part of it is that its greatest supporter, Tom Cruise, can no longer afford to step up and save it because they have to protect his career. Seeing as its second greatest support, John Travolta, can barely keep his dick away from a masseur long enough to do a song and dance on a beach in Brazil, right now the Church is in slink and cower position, vulnerable for a coup. It’s as simple as changing leadership. But, like all dictators, Miscavige refuses to go without a bloody fight. What if Tom Cruise decides that that could be his greatest role? The Conqueror!

:laugh:

TC could not find his ass with both hands, a flashlight, a military GPS AND and a tour guide. There is no way he's got the brains to take over that hot mess.
 

AnonKat

Crusader
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Fails Again - July 201

TC could not find his ass with both hands, a flashlight, a military GPS AND and a tour guide. There is no way he's got the brains to take over that hot mess.

I'll bet David finds TC's ass easily in the dark

TomCruiseDavidMiscavige.jpg
 

Sidney18511

Patron with Honors
Re: Leah Remini - Paul Haggis' Letter of Support - Scientology Responds

Co$/scientology response to Paul Haggis' letter in support of Leah Remini here: http://www.businessinsider.com/scientology-response-to-paul-haggis-2013-7



Thoughts?

JB

My thoughts. HOW F-IN GREAT would it be if several more vocal exes such as Jason Beghe and others came out with similar letters of support for Leah, because the COS would respond with THE SAME EXACT BULLSHIT.

then, if there was ANYBODY left who was unsure that the COS was a crazy ass cult, well, I believe...that would clear up ANY doubt.
 
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