Posted by
Playful Walrus on Monday, October 26, 2009 8:00:00 PM
I caught this Associated Press story, reporting that a big time Oscar-winning Hollywood director has cut ties with the Church of Scientology after 35 years "in part" because of the organization's stand against marriage neutering. Checking around, I found a blog called "Moving on Up a Little Higher", which upon my cursory examination appears to be run by someone who believes somewhat in the precepts of Scientology, but not the current leadership of the organization.
The blog reprinted the director's letter, and it was clear that the director was angry about someone running a significant part of the organization not publicly condemning the San Diego chapter's support for the California Marriage Amendment. The director equates support of traditional marriage with "gay-bashing", and calls people like us "bigots, hypocrites, and homophobes". I don’t fall into any of those categories myself, though I can't vouch for everyone who understands the basic notions that marriage unites a bride and a groom and that we, the people, should have a say on state licensing.
The director intended the letter to remain private (which is why I am not repeating his name), but it is circulating online now, probably in a bid to support the marriage neutering cause. Privacy? What privacy? All must be sacrificed in the pursuit of homosexuality advocacy and esteem, which reaffirms what I wrote in my previous blog entry.
When I first caught the AP story, I thought it a bit strange that someone who supposedly thought this church as good enough to associate with for 35 years should be abandoned because of their stance on marriage - apparently making his personal feelings more authoritative than church doctrine and authority. But as I said, there is more to the story, and there is more beyond the fact that it was a San Diego chapter involved, not the whole organization.
The majority of the director's concern seems to be about the organization's culture and the actions of leadership, with the marriage issue simply being how his eyes were opened. He specifically refers to the organization's "disconnection”"practice, in which people are encouraged to shun family members who have left the organization. He also cites active human rights abuses by the organization, and publicizing of "private details from confessionals" to try to discredit former executives who criticized actions undertaken within the organization.
Yet it was the marriage issue that garnered attention.
I'm glad the director left the organization, even though he is wrong about people like me. Although I recognize that people should be free to join such an organization if they choose, and while I welcome support of traditional marriage and voter rights, I am no fan of the organization as I notice that some of its teachings are in direct contradiction to my own core beliefs. I'm also aware of the some of the tactics used by the organization that strike me as cultish behavior. That is something I believe goes back to the founding of the organization and is not something unique to current leadership.