Ted Haggard Admits Some Claims
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Drugs, Religion, SexualityListen, I don’t usually get into the politics of personal destruction, but this is one of those rare instances where somebody is revealed as an incredible hypocrite. Plus, this the guy who says he talks to the White House every Monday morning, and that’s non-trivial
A sudden about-face in the scandal facing New Life Church’s pastor.After Pastor Ted Haggard went public Wednesday night denying allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials told KKTV 11News Thursday evening, Pastor Ted Haggard has admitted to some of the claims made by a former male escort. The church’s Acting Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, tells KKTV 11 News that Pastor Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions claimed by Mike Jones, but not all of them.
Thursday morning, Jones went on a Denver radio talk show and said Pastor Haggard paid him for sex over the past 3 years. Jones also claims Haggard used drugs with him.
Now, we don’t know what claims he’s coping to, but my guess is he’s saying that he did the drugs. Why? Because of the voicemails that Jones has of Haggard…
“Hi Mike, this is Art. Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply. And I could pick it up really anytime I could get it tomorrow or we could wait till next week sometime and so I also wanted to get your address. I could send you some money for inventory but that’s probably not working, so if you have it then go ahead and get what you can and I may buzz up there later today, but I doubt your schedule would allow that unless you have some in the house. Okay, I’ll check in with you later. Thanks a lot, bye.”
And then…
“Hi Mike, this is Art, I am here in Denver and sorry that I missed you. But as I said, if you want to go ahead and get the stuff, then that would be great. And I’ll get it sometime next week or the week after or whenever. I will call though you early next week to see what’s most convenient for you. Okay? Thanks a lot, bye.”
Basically, I’m thinking that even if Haggard is a closet case, it’s going to be a lot easier to ask for forgiveness from the flock if you have a drug problem than what they consider to be a gross sexual deviance.
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November 3rd, 2006 at 11:50 am
The Lord wants you to vote for the GOP in the mid-term elections. The end is near, so it behooves us to put Godly men in the drivers seat as we plunge headlong, full-speed ahead towards the cliffs of armageddon and the Good Lord’s finish line.
November 3rd, 2006 at 1:33 pm
This one is a stunner. Haggard is huge in the evengelical community.
November 3rd, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Yeah, sorta like Foley blaming everything on the alcohol…
Frankly I think that if every closet case in America came out we’d have a lot fewer rabidly anti-gay activists and evangelicals.
November 3rd, 2006 at 2:51 pm
He has only been “revealed” as a sinner and I think his flock will forgive him. He’d only be a hypocrit if he turned around and asked for marriage rights between him and Jones.
November 3rd, 2006 at 3:53 pm
>>hypocrit if he turned around and asked for marriage rights between him and Jones
You think so?? I think his actions pretty much define it: “Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have beliefs, virtues and feelings that one does not truly possess.”
If he denounces gay sex and drug use as a minister and does them regardless, then at a minimum, he’s a deeply flawed human.
November 3rd, 2006 at 4:08 pm
No, he’s a hypocrite of the worst order. He paid for sex which is illegal in the state of Colorado. He consumed illegal drugs. Because of his personal opinions and thoughts, he spent considerable power and resources trying to legally limit the individual rights of other human beings based on their sexual preferences.
It would seem that he based his bigotted attitudes and fears upon his own bisexuality; more specifically the homosexual part of him that he could not control.
This is only a stunner if one stereotypes Christians as being good people. Anyone who was at the recieving end of Haggard’s hatred knew what a cruel and hateful person was underneath that smug, self-satisfied smirk of his.
November 3rd, 2006 at 5:28 pm
tik2roo, could you say more about that? Sounds like you know something we don’t.
November 3rd, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I find it interesting some of the right-wing blogs pulling out the “we are all sinners” door mat out for Rev. Haggard. As a Baptist I understand what they are saying to “hate the sin, but forgive the sinner”, but the good book also says to forgive your enemies. Just a few days ago these same fellows repeatedly ran-over John Kerry for his stupid comments, but now the mantra is to forgive?
We all are hypocrites. We all sin. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all like to point fingers at other peoples failings rather than our own. At some point though “do unto others as you want others do to you” will need to be for everyone across the landscape (except for Rush Limbaugh who holds the fires of my heart burning with angst and disgust :) ).
I hope and pray Haggard and his family can get the help they need to get over this trail. I also pray that the ravenous wolves within the church do not catch and tear Haggard for his failings.
November 3rd, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Excuse me, but isn’t the sin in the ACT of homosexuality ? But to stand in such high stature with your ’sceptor’ pointing towards the wrong oriface to Heaven is beyond any hope of redemption. Sorry, I wax biblical.
But as I listen to his flock make excuses, even forgive his possible sins before the facts are even known, I’m reminded once again what is so awful about organized religion; 10 Hail Mary’s and all is OK.
Sorry folks, this is way beyond hypocritical. To turn around and do the very thing you inspire people to act hatefully against is just evil. Even if it’s just for the drugs, it’s disgusting and you should feel betrayed if you’re a follower. Shame on you !
November 3rd, 2006 at 8:46 pm
I’ve been thinking about all the fallen, charged, convicted and serving folks lately…I think what is so great about watching them tumble is that they have been so righteous, so vocal and so condeming of anyone different from them. I am wary of anyone who uses their religion to repress another human. This is the truest form of hypocrisy.
Gives me hope.
November 4th, 2006 at 4:40 am
Haggard is another evangelical living a cock-sure and smug denial of his interior darkness. His a Protestant righteousness crying loud from the wilderness, placing a heavy cross on the spirit of those seeking God without aid of an established tradition to understand a redemptive plan and a forgiving God.
Ted Haggard is merely deconstructing his political naivete, and could well convert to Orthodoxy.
November 4th, 2006 at 5:03 am
It just shows that suppression and denial don’t work! I had never heard of him before, but when I saw his picture it was like, Oh My!, the look is certainly there, Gay men could see this guy coming from a mile away!!! The Hipocracy and deceit will cause much more pain and constitute a greater violation of trust than whatever the consensual sexual behavior.
November 5th, 2006 at 2:35 am
We all make mistakes. From the president down to the homeless person. We all have battled different demons. So forgive the guy, and stop being so nosy.
November 5th, 2006 at 2:36 am
“Jesus is way, the truth, and the life� not Ted Haggard. Jesus was sin free. He died for our sins. Not Ted Haggard. Ted Haggard was appointed by God to deliver a message of hope. Not to save the world. He is human just like you and me. He made a mistake just like you and me. He is not perfect. Jesus is perfect. So forgive him. And ask Jesus to forgive you.
November 6th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Just like all those evangelicals magnanimously forgave Clinton shortly after the Lewinsky affair came to light…
Hypocrites, all.
November 9th, 2006 at 9:02 am
Five days after I had said, “I also pray that the ravenous wolves within the church do not catch and tear Haggard for his failings.” The face of today’s Christian fundamentalism comes out to show compassion -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/07/AR2006110701530.html