HBO’s critically-acclaimed documentary Going Clear recently exposed Scientology as a powerful and brain-washing form of faith, but John Travolta is still standing by the religion he’s followed for 40 years. During an interview with Good Morning America this week, the Forger star stated that Scientology saved his life, and advised skeptics to “take time and read a book” before judging it.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief was based on Lawrence Wright’s 2013 book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief. The documentary premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival before being released on HBO, and has thus far been praised by critics for revealing the abuse and exploitation ex-members of the religion described seeing and experiencing.

Travolta intended on discussing his upcoming film The Forger during his latest Good Morning America appearance, but when the 61-year-old actor was asked about the bad reputation Scientology has garnered lately, he immediately stood up for his faith.

“People really need to take time and read a book. That’s my advice. (They) could read A New Slant on Life… Dianetics. And I think if you really read it, you’ll understand it, but unless you do, you’ll speculate. And I think that’s a mistake to do that,” said Travolta, imploring viewers to pick up one of L. Ron Hubbard’s books instead of Wright’s Going Clear.

The Daily Mail claims that Travolta’s defense of the religion is because they have a “black PR package” filled with his darkest secrets in case he defects, but Travolta insisted on GMA that Scientology helped him through the death of his disabled son, Jett.

“Sometimes when something really works well, it becomes a target. Forty years for me, I’ve been a part, and I’ve loved every minute of it. My family has done so well with it,” he claimed. “It’s been a beautiful thing for me. I’ve saved lives with it and saved my own life several times. Through my loss of my son, it helped me every step of the way for two years solid, and here I am.”