On August 19, 2009, Tommy Davis, the chief spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, received a letter from the film director and screenwriter Paul Haggis. “For ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego,” Haggis wrote. Before the 2008 elections, a staff member at Scientology’s San Diego church had signed its name to an online petition supporting Proposition 8, which asserted that ...

The Anonymous collective has announced a new phase in its protests against the Church of Scientology, targeting the alleged mistreatment of youngsters by Scientologists. Operation: School's Closed is due to take place on 13 September and will involve a wave of protests against the "Church of Scientology management, its attempts to infiltrate schools, and its internal exploitation of children". The planned demos follow seven previous protest days outside Scientology centres around the world, each with a particular theme. The Church of ...

Three women—including a top church leader's niece–are helping others leave the controversial faith. In September 2006 Kendra Wiseman, 25, was reading an old issue of Glamour when she came across a story by Astra Woodcraft titled "Why I Fled Scientology." Like Astra, Kendra had grown up in the secretive religion and made the agonizing decision to abandon it. She wrote to Astra, thanking her for the story. A year and a half later, Kendra heard another shocker: Jenna Miscavige Hill, the ...

[ Transcript by Anonymous ] (Based on CNN own videos, but completed using YouTube - CNN: Scientology vs. Anonymous : Tommy Davis Responds) [00:00] John Roberts: It is 27 minutes after the hour. Scientology has prominent followers and very vocal critics. But now some of these critics are anonymous, bringing their campaign on the Internet. Kareen Wynter explains. Attacking scientology (2:21) (Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com) [00:00] Kareen Wynter: The church of scientology has had its share of ...

He's one of the biggest box-office draws in history, but in recent years Tom Cruise has become more than just the face of his films. He has also become the face of his religion – Scientology. A recent video of Cruise – made for a Scientology event and leaked online – showed the star's unbridled passion for his religion and piqued the public's interest in a belief system that has long been surrounded by controversy. "I think it's a privilege to ...

The controversial group has been labeled secretive, inspirational, dangerous and misunderstood. The Church of Scientology? [Picture]Disguised members of an internet-based group called Anonymous protest near buildings associated with the Church of Scientology on Saturday, March 15, 2008, in Los Angeles. (Chris Weeks/AP Photo) No, it's a mysterious group of masked men and computer hackers called Anonymous who say are committed to dismantling the powerful religious organization renowned for its celebrity members such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Over the past ...

"We were born. We grew up. We escaped." So reads the motto of ExScientologyKids.com, a website launched Thursday by three young women raised in the Church of Scientology who are speaking out against the religion. Their website accuses the church of physical abuse, denying some children a proper education and alienating members from family. One of the women behind the site, Jenna Miscavige Hill, is the niece of David Miscavige, the head of the church, and Kendra Wiseman is the daughter ...