Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Jenna Elfman can count one less Hollywood A-Lister as a fellow Scientologist. In a shock heard-round-the-Scientology world, Paul Haggis has very publicly quit the organization. Among the acclaimed Haggis' many credits: he wrote Million Dollar Baby and Flags of Our Fathers for Clint Eastwood; and he produced/directed and wrote Crash for which he won an Oscar. He has an all-around stellar reputation in Hollywood as one of the good guys who made good.

Haggis first became disenchanted with Scientology last year when it backed Prop 8, the ban on gay marriage in California.

The director personally spoke to Davis about it. He claimed he was horrified at the news, Haggis wrote, and he'd get to the bottom of it. Nothing changed.

Then Haggis learned that in a CNN interview, Davis had laughed off the idea that Scientology has a policy of "disconnection." Haggis couldn't believe he was watching Davis "lying." His own family had suffered from disconnection when 18 months ago, his wife, actress-turned-producer Deborah Rennard was ordered to "disconnet" from her parents because of something Scientology officials claimed occured when they resigned from the church 25 year ago.

Perhaps coincidental to Haggis releasing his letter, Davis literally walked off the air during an ABC Nightline interview wth Martin Bashir Saturday night.

Here's Haggis' letter to Davis:

Tommy,

As you know, 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. Their public sponsorship of Proposition 8, a hate-filled

legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and

lesbian citizens of California – rights that were granted them by the

Supreme Court of our state – shames us.

I called and wrote and implored you, as the official spokesman of

the church, to condemn their actions. I told you I could not, in good

conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was

tolerated.

In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year,

you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it

and “heads would roll.” You promised action. Ten months passed. No action

was forthcoming. The best you offered was a weak and carefully worded

press release, which praised the church’s human rights record and took

no responsibility. Even that, you decided not to publish.

The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots,

hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word.

Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.

I joined the Church of Scientology thirty-five years ago. During my

twenties and early thirties I studied and received a great deal of

counseling. While I have not been an active member for many years,

I found much of what I learned to be very helpful, and I still apply

it in my daily life. I have never pretended to be the best Scientologist,

but I openly and vigorously defended the church whenever it was criticized,

as I railed against the kind of intolerance that I believed was directed

against it. I had my disagreements, but I dealt with them internally.

I saw the organization – with all its warts, growing pains and

problems – as an underdog. And I have always had a thing for underdogs.

But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to

think. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of