Ted Haggard scandal

[christianley]

Rev. Ted Haggard pastor of New Life church in CO and head of the National Association of Evangelicals has been accused of being involved in a homosexual relationship with a male prostitute. His congregation is investigating the accusation. As of yet there is no conclusion. This should prove interesting.

Haggard has admitted that some of the accusations are true, but not which ones:

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227159,00.html

It’s a sad story. I do agree that it is different than the scandals we Catholics have had with our priests because underage people don’t seem to have been involved.

We should pray for everyone involved. It doesn’t change the fact that marriage needs to be defined as the union of one man and one woman.

 

[estesbob]

Do you have a source for that? I didn’t see anything about the accuser admitting making the accusations for political reasons.

cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_306172921.html

The accusations were made by Mike Jones, 49, of Denver, who said he decided to go public because of the political fight over the amendments.

“I just want people to step back and take a look and say, 'Look, we’re all sinners, we all have faults, but if two people want to get married, just let them, and let them have a happy life,”’ said Jones, who added that he isn’t working for any political group.

Jones, who said he is gay, said he was also upset when he discovered Haggard and the New Life Church had publicly opposed same-sex marriage.

“It made me angry that here’s someone preaching about gay marriage and going behind the scenes having gay sex,” he said.

 

[estesbob]

Haggard has admitted that some of the accusations are true, but not which ones:

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227159,00.html

It’s a sad story. I do agree that it is different than the scandals we Catholics have had with our priests because underage people don’t seem to have been involved.

We should pray for everyone involved. It doesn’t change the fact that marriage needs to be defined as the union of one man and one woman.

There appears to be solid evidence that he was buying drugs from this Man.

 

[cestusdei]

edwin, he was the hierarchy and he covered up for himself. The Episcopal church has had some rather nasty cases as well. I will be happy to post them if you wish. There was a boys from brazil case that certainly ranks up there with an of our scandals.

He was never going to confess to all of this on his own. Protestants often have NO accountability. Jim Jones died as a minister in good standing of the Disciples of Christ church. My point in starting the thread was the next time an evangelical refers to Catholic scandals or is critical of celibacy this is going to come up. I have said all along to them not to crow over our problems, but that it would catch up to them soon enough. Often they ignored me and crowed anyway.

 

[DanB]

I guess this is interesting in the fact of who is comparing who’s has the larger eye splinter…other than that it will be over as soon as the media gets tired of reporting it.

For us Catholics, we get battle torn over our priest’s failure to live their lives of chasity and faithfulness to Christ, yet we ALL fall short…Protestants as well.

Satan’s ambition is to create a house that is divided. His strategy seems to work well in several areas of interest. Remember though the Gates of Hell will not prevail over HIS CHURCH!

 

[aurora77]

Enemies of Christian’s don’t care about Catholic, evengelical, charismatic etc… That’s an inner Christian squabble. It’s all hypocritical Christians to them, so no, I get absolutely no pleasure out of this at all. If true, this guys abhorrent actions humiliates and scandalizes all Christians, not just evengelicals. A man in his position to do so much damage CAN NOT behave this way, it’s too damaging to so many millions of Christians worldwide.

Exactly. This is going to be used by some to show how bad we Christians are. I feel sorry for his congregation and those involved in the Nat’l Association of Evangelicals who looked to this man for leadership. We need to pray for everyone involved, not laugh at his bad judgement.

 

[Kendy]

Why is it possibly interesting? Well having born the brunt of evangelicals telling me that Catholicism is false because of scandal or that it’s all the fault of celibacy I am interested in how they will respond now. Of course he may be innocent. But they are awfully quick to jump on the anti-Catholic bandwagon. Ted himself has a bit of a history of anti-Catholicism. If he ends up being guilty the evangelicals may find it harder to beat us with this stick.

I don’t think we should be trying to score from this. And besides, the only thing it is really going to do is prove to the media that it is bad to repressed homosexual tendencies, and that anyone who preaches against gay marriage is actually a closet case.

Kendy

 

[cestusdei]

I think you misunderstand. THEY have tried to score from our scandals. I pointed out to them that it would come back to bite them and they were dismissive. Now it has.

 

[Kendy]

I think you misunderstand. THEY have tried to score from our scandals. I pointed out to them that it would come back to bite them and they were dismissive. Now it has.

It doesn’t matter what they have done in the past. We need to be above that. This is going to be painful for our evangelicals brethens and we need to reach out in love and compassion.

Kendy

 

[Island_Oak]

It seems that gloating is the last thing called for in this situation. We ALL lose when this kind of scandal breaks…the men at its center,* if the allegations are true*, are clearly off-track; a congregation has been seriously jolted by the conduct and misled about the character of its leader; a community on the verge of voting on an important political initiative has been distracted by the scandal and controversy and we are all subjected to multiple interviews, reports, conjecture and specualtion concerning actions of a most perverse and lurid nature. Public leaders on high have far to fall when they lose track of their moral compass. They are no worse or more sinful than most of us, it’s just that their failings are so public and the hypocrisy so amplified in the media. Whomever finds pleasure in this digusting carnival has a few screws loose.

 

[carol_marie]

My first thought was I am so glad it wasn’t a Priest.

My second thought is how sad for this man & his family… they all have my prayers. I pray that the truth comes out… and if he is guilty of what that guy said, may he repent & find forgivness in our Lord.

 

[cestusdei]

Is it gloating that the next time I am on a plane and a fundamentalist tells me Catholicism is false because of scandals and priests are perverts to say, “well how do you explain Ted Haggard then and what does his situation say about fundamentalism?” I think that is a fair response and would be interested to hear their answer. At the very least it will make them think.

A few weeks ago while walking down the street a group of street preachers saw my collar and began shrieking “pedophile!” You can imagine the scene. Today they might not do that.

I am going to play prophet again, this scandal will cause evangelicals to begin to reconsider the Maria Monk style of attacks on us.

 

[seeker_b]

Ted admitted he bought meth on tv. but had never used drugs. I find that hard to believe. I grew up in the late 60 early 70’s when there was lots of drug use. i don’t know anyone who’s first drug was something like meth. They usually start with something lighter. As to the rest we’ll have to see, but he wouldn’t be the first. It is sad though. It turns people who have no faith away from God. They see us as all the same.

 

[Eden]

Ted admitted he bought meth on tv. but had never used drugs. I find that hard to believe. I grew up in the late 60 early 70’s when there was lots of drug use. i don’t know anyone who’s first drug was something like meth. They usually start with something lighter. As to the rest we’ll have to see, but he wouldn’t be the first. It is sad though. It turns people who have no faith away from God. They see us as all the same.

What is really odd, is that in an interview with Barbara Walters last year, Ted Haggard recounted his “born again” experience as a teenager and said that at that moment he became chaste with his girlfriend and stopped drinking alcohol. Then he followed that thought by saying, that even today the smell of alcohol makes him want to throw up. It just is unbelievable that someone can make that kind of statement and then we find out he was doing meth instead.

 

[Ella]

Ted admitted he bought meth on tv. but had never used drugs. I find that hard to believe. I grew up in the late 60 early 70’s when there was lots of drug use. i don’t know anyone who’s first drug was something like meth. They usually start with something lighter. As to the rest we’ll have to see, but he wouldn’t be the first. It is sad though. It turns people who have no faith away from God. They see us as all the same.

Considering the criminal penalty for meth, plus the fact that it would wreck his career, why choose meth? It just makes no sense. :whacky:

 

[aurora77]

Is it gloating that the next time I am on a plane and a fundamentalist tells me Catholicism is false because of scandals and priests are perverts to say, “well how do you explain Ted Haggard then and what does his situation say about fundamentalism?” I think that is a fair response and would be interested to hear their answer. At the very least it will make them think.

Please don’t do that. As my mom said, when you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas, which is all you’d be doing. You’re better off having a real response, other than “well, look at what your guys are doing wrong.” Just because someone else does it, doesn’t make it right.

 

[sandmountainsli]

If this is a fact it brings shame on both Catholics and Protestants.
Just one more thing for the Anti-Christian media and the atheists to mock us all for
WP

 

[sandmountainsli]

If this is a fact it brings shame on both Catholics and Protestants.
Just one more thing for the Anti-Christian media and the atheists to mock us all for
WP

And speaking as a Protestant, I had never so much as heard of this fellow before.
When I read the headline Haggard In Gay Sex Scandal I thought to myself “Oh no, not Merle!”
WP

 

[carol_marie]

“Oh no, not Merle!”
WP

 

[cestusdei]

Sometimes I get stuck with the “dogs.” On an airplane there is no place to go. I simply turn their own logic against them.