Scientology Church Beliefs & Celebrity Members: Leah Remini Reveals Dirty & Shocking Truth About Religion
Leah Remini has spoken in detail about why she left the Church of Scientology where she has been a member for over three decades.
During an interview with Buzzfeed published Wednesday, Leah shared her experiences at the Church of Scientology which she hopes will shed some light on her decision.
"The Exes" actress revealed that her family had moved to the Church's Clearwater, Florida compound just before she turned 10 because her stepfather convinced her mother Vickie to move her three kids there, but he never followed suit.
She experienced being overworked at the compound with no time for schooling. Remini told Buzzfeed: "I started thinking of my own childhood and how I grew up resenting my mother because she was never home," said the actress. "It's funny; somehow my father, the guy who left his kids and never paid child support, was excluded from my resentment and I grew up resenting my mother for not being home to make food, like all my friends' moms were. But my mom thought she was doing something good; she thought she was helping the planet. That's what the Church tells you."
She explained that her choice to leave the church was for the well-being of her 9-year-old daughter, Sofia. "She was getting to the age where the acclimation into the church would have to start," said the actress.
Her daughter would have to be audited and face questions like, "Have you ever pretended to be ill?" "Have you ever decided you didn't like some member of your family?" "Have you ever been a coward?"
Remini felt like a hypocrite because in Scientology, it's "Church First," while in her home, it's family first but she was spending most of her time away handling Scientology business. "So, I was saying 'family first,' but I wasn't showing that. I didn't like the message that sent my daughter."
While she did try to change things from within; "We had a chance to make a change from within, but they didn't want to. That showed me they didn't actually care, which went against everything I thought we stood for." She later realized all she'd been taught by the church was a lie.
During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Remini said: "We lost friends who can no longer talk to us who are still in the organization," but said that friends outside of the Church have stood by her.
Upon her decision to exit the Church, her long-time friends, namely Kirstie Alley, has renounced her after leaving the religion seven months ago. Alley has been very vocal about Remini calling her a "bigot" for her anti-Scientology comments.
Leah says she has found strength in her good friend Jennifer Lopez who has helped her gain back her confidence in herself, reports E! Online. "You have to learn to believe you deserve love. And I'm getting there. I'm starting to believe it."
To read the full interview and in-depth details of Leah's story, read the Buzzfeed story.
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