Ted Haggard Confesses

[This is an email just received from the New Life Church email list. Ted Haggard has confessed.]

From: Pastor Ross Parsley Mailed-By: newlifechurch.org
To: [email protected]
Date: Nov 2, 2006 10:59 PM
Subject: Update from Pastor Ross
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Dear New Lifers and friends of New Life Church,

Many of you have expressed concern about today's news regarding our pastor. Thank you all for your prayers and support, and for your concern for our church family.

As you've likely heard by now, Pastor Ted has voluntarily placed himself on administrative leave as New Life's senior pastor to allow our external board of overseers to work effectively. Below is the statement that we released to the media on Thursday afternoon.

Since that time, the board of overseers has met with Pastor Ted. It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true. He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation.

I am serving as the acting senior pastor of New Life Church. I met with the pastoral staff and elders Thursday night, and I assure you that the leadership team is strong and united. We remain resolute in our commitment to serving New Life Church and the people of our community.

Please continue to keep Ted and Gayle and their family in your prayers.

I love serving God with you all,

Ross Parsley

November 2, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From New Life Church
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Rev. Ted Haggard, Senior Pastor of New Life Church, stated today that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning." He, therefore, placed himself on administrative leave, pending investigation, spiritual counsel, and a decision by the church's board of overseers. Pastor Haggard said, "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."

Under the governing structure of New Life Church, there is a board of overseers consisting of four senior pastors of other congregations. Those overseers have authority to conduct an inquiry, to discipline the senior pastor, to remove him from his position, or to restore him to ministry. The overseers of New Life Church are: Rev. Larry Stockstill, Senior Pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center, in Baker, Louisiana; Rev. Mark Cowart, Senior Pastor of Church For All Nations in Colorado Springs; Rev. Tim Ralph, Senior Pastor of New Covenant Fellowship in Larkspur, Colorado; and Rev. Michael Ware, Senior Pastor of Victory Church in Westminster, Colorado.

In the interim, New Life Church Associate Senior Pastor, Rev. Ross Parsley, will serve as Acting Senior Pastor of the church. Rev. Parsley has served in senior ministry positions at New Life Church for fifteen years. Rev. Parsley requested the community's compassion and prayers for the person who came forward with accusations, for the Haggard family, and for the New Life Church community. He also said, "New Life Church long ago adopted an overseer model of governance for situations just like this. People need to be patient and allow this process to unfold as it was designed to do."

Pastor Haggard also resigned today as President of the National Association of Evangelicals.

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Comments

[Pete]

Damned! I was right that he was gay!

Now it's true.

For three years, that bastard has deceived church goers and making money..

And preaching religion on stage when he is a fairy.

What an asshole

[A Curious Stranger]

Incoming!

[A Curious Stranger]

Based on the transcripts which 9 News just released, I'm betting on the meth.

[Zen]

You teach people to always point the finger of judgement and blame, sooner or later you're gonna get yourself poked in the eye. Or the ass. What comes around truly does go around.

The only reason Dobson hasn't been fingered is because sheep and goats can't talk. :0)

[gracie]

Hey - those commenting here seem to have forgotten that he is just another human getting caught for doing what all humans do - sin. All have fallen short - there is no such thing as falling 'shorter' than anyone else. Compassion, sadness, love, and grace... none of us deserve it but it's what God gives. Which prayer will you be praying? "Thank God I'm not like Ted Haggard, I would never do that"... or "GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME..."

[Baconeatingatheistjew]

Ted has been dumbing down America by pretending the earth is young and that evolution is crap. He was ruining peoples lives by denying reality.

This is why I shed no tears, in fact, I am happy that he is suffering right now.

[Giulianna Maria Lamanna]

It's kind of hard to not feel some schadenfreude. In case no one else saw this guy in "Jesus Camp," there was this one scene towards the end where this little boy named Levi, who was an aspiring preacher, was really excited to meet him. Levi told Haggard that when he preached, people seemed to really respond. Haggard, without hearing Levi preach once, asked him, "But do people respond because you've got good content, or because you're a kid?" Then, because he hadn't broken the kid's heart enough yet, he added something like: "Maybe someday you'll write good content and until then, you can ride the kid angle."

Hopefully he'll drop the whole "Pastor Dimmsdale" vibe and go the same route as Rev. Mel White. Or maybe he'll get sucked into the whole "ex-gay" thing and end up divorced, alone, crying into an old bloody shirt, etc. etc. etc.

[Kevin Jones]

"I was right that he was gay!"

Technically, he'd be a bisexual. Wife and kids, remember? The cynical hairsplitter in me says that only ranting against bisexual marriages would have made him truly hypocritical.

[El Brucé]

This is what happens when you "choose to be straight." Freud was wrong about a lot, but he was right about this - your sexuality will come out, one way or another. The harder you try to suppress it, the more messed up you'll be when it does.

[Cory]

"...in fact, I am happy that he is suffering right now."

I just wanted to repeat that, as it was so eloquently stated with the compassion and love of a reasonable and intelligent human being.

[Kevin Jones]

"Freud was wrong about a lot, but he was right about this - your sexuality will come out, one way or another. The harder you try to suppress it, the more messed up you'll be when it does."

Freud said no such thing! He held that sexual drives must be sublimated for society to cohere and progress. Explosive libidos "letting it all hang out" were for him a sign of arrested development, indeed even infantilization.

This is a nutty Zombie Error that won't die.

[wob]

Been a while since I've posted here, but I could not resist on this.

This guy, after passing judgement on others, while at the exact same time living a hypocritical life about the issues he was passing judgement on.

Yes, I'm giddy. At least I'm honest in how I feel. Hopefully this wakes some of these sheep out of their sleep and changing things.

[leah]

kevin said: "technically he'd be a bisexual. wife and kids remember?"

Personally I have doubts as to whether he is actually bisexual. I think it's much more likely that he's gay, but because his religious beliefs are so firmly against homosexuality, he's forced himself to marry a woman, and he's had a sexual relationship with her as a way of trying to fulfil his marital duties, and so he can have kids.

The reason I think this, is because if he was truly bisexual, he wouldn't necessarily need to have sexual relations with a man- he'd be happy with monogomy because his current sexual relationship would be fulfilling. Whereas, if he's gay, then the unsatisfactory nature of his relationship with his wife would be a spur for him to find some sort of relationship that could satisfy his sexual desires, even if it was as unfulfilling as seeing a prostitute.

The sad thing about that is that instead of having a loving, monogamous relationship with a man that could make him sexually and emotionally happy, he's opted to deceive his wife, in a way which has probably caused problems in their relationship, and denied her the chance to be in a relationship with someone who truly loves her, and he's also denied himself the chance at the same, instead settling for shameful meetings with a prostitute in order to satisfy some of his physical (but not his emotional) needs.

Of course, I could be wrong, he could be genuinly bisexual and just like straight men who cheat on their wives with other women, or it's possible (but pretty unlikely according ot this email) that he's just used drugs, but not had gay sex (which would seem wierd, becuase who buys drugs from a gay male hooker? and why would the hooker then claim he'd had sex with him? If he's only admitted some of the allegations, then maybe he's denying the meth use, although those phone calls seem pretty damning on that front).

Regardless, I'd agree with both gracie and guilanna- my intial response is one of schadenfreude- because I despise hypocrites who preach one thing and do another, and as a gay agnostic, I hate the fact that christians want to impose their own set of morality onto my life, based on the bible, when in a secular society with freedom of religion, in my opinion laws should be based not on a religious text, but on what allows individuals freedom and equality and the best chance to be themselves, without harming others.

So I hate the religious rights opposition to allowing people like me the chance to marry, as opposed to allowing the legal right for those of us who want it, but preaching to their followers not to avail themselves of that right. And in that sense, seeing the downfall of a hypocrit like this guy makes me very happy.

BUT- I also think gracie is right- even though I don't believe in god, I think the phrase 'But for the grace of god, there go I' is very useful- we all sin, and do the wrong thing sometimes, and we need to temper our satisfaction in seeing others fail and the moral superiority it allows us to feel, with a recognition that we're all pretty bloody fallible, and sympathy, compassion and forgiveness are virtues we ought to strive for.

So too bad Pastor Ted, I think you deserved to be uncovered, but I sincerely wish you the best in making amends with your life.

Although, one unfortunate aspect of this is that although the drug use and adultery were definately mistakes (with the assumption that they did in fact occur), I don't see homosexuality in and of itself as something to be ashamed of, and if he is gay, then pastor Ted is going to have a very lonely and self-loathing future to look forward too, and I grieve for the fact that because he can't allow himself to see a gay relationship as acceptable, that he's going to deny himself to ever have the kind of loving relationship that we all want.

this post has turned out a bit longer than I planned, if anyone is still reading at this point, thanks, and I'd be interested in hearing your responses.

[pete]

How could you ever have doubted this, NP?

[Jim]

American Christians, in particular evangelical and fundementalist Christians are the worst bunch of moralizers and hypocrites on the planet. Of course they have a great tradition of being hypocrits and jerks - look at the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were such jerks that they got kicked out of England and had to leave Holland because the Dutch were so loving and tolerant.

The evangelicals need to work on themselves and stay out of politics - they are destroying the U.S.A and turing it into a Christo-fascist republik. Quit telling your neighbors about the splinter in their eye, and worry about the log in your own!

[where are the gatekeepers???????]

You mean to tell me in the years this man has led this large church no one NO ONE had any idea of this? I believe it is time to have the accountability that Billy Graham had he never went anywhere alone he had a witness to all his comings and goings and it is about time the top leaders of the church have some restrictions on them. I am so ashamed and I do have such compassion for his family God have mercy on this man he knew better.... Carolyn

[John-Paul Pagano]

Pete Yellin' and Screamin' is working himself into an almost sexual lather of schadenfreude.

[Non-Prophet]

"How could you ever have doubted this, NP?" -Pete

I don't know why, but I have always been predisposed to not believing the worst about people. Perhaps it is my own naiveté, but I really thought that this was a smear. I feel terrible for Ted's wife and family but at the same time I think that there is a valuable lesson to be learned here. Spirituality should be a personal voyage of exploration and discovery. As soon as it is built into an empire, as soon as the service is focused on feeding sense pleasures (New Life had ~1.2mil in lighting equipment alone, complete w/ smoke machines) then the quest for truth has been totally lost. We must simplify our lives and awaken, not bounce up and down to "Pop Jesus" while a spikey haired faux-punker snarls at the teens. I've spent time in the senior pastors wing of the church and let me tell you, it is a really freaky world in there.

Spiritual questing and exploration should be personal, humble, gnostic and without a man taking on the role of a guru. NLC was a long way from an honest, simple and humble spiritual path. (imho)

I think more of this kind of thing needs to happen.

[pete]

Like the schadenfreude you experience every time one of our troops dies in Iraq? 11 so far this month, and it's only the 3rd, I imagine you must be worn out. Nah, this story's not all THAT.

[Lorna]

let's pray for all involved. I hate cover ups and a pastor whether cheating on his wife (with anyone!) or taking drugs is not good for any of us ... but we can honestly say - hand on heart - that it could be anyone of us, but for the grace of God.

Pray for healing. Pray for honesty. Pray for the truth to set us free. Pray for the church to love this man anyway ... even though they are severely disappointed.

ok?

[Mike]

Lol, it's *impossible* for me to have one shred of sympathy for this lying, cheating piece of crap. He helped perpetuate the very hatred that he's now a victim of. How's it feel, Ted?

Thos who stupidly believe in this age-old mystical nonsense call "religion" deserve what they get.

Mike
http://pages4fun.com

[ha-ha-ha-ha-ha]

This whole situation makes me want to laugh hysterically. I'm sorry. This is not about me judging Ted. I don't even know the guy. It's just sweet that after watching this man judge those of us who are in committed, monogamous, drug-free relationships to see him get NAILED literally and figuratively, but not in a Christian martyr sorta way. What comes around goes around, as they say. What swings around...goes...what?
As the great comedian, Andy Kaufmann said, "And the dog goes... WOOF. And the cow goes... MOOO. And THAT's the way it goes."

[Not at all surprised.]

We shouldnt be shocked. I mean, after all, one of the tenets these people all shove down throats is "practice what you preach".

He preached hypocracy, and thus, practiced it. If anything, it was inevitable. Although, I am more than sure the bible will be consulted in order to properly "spin" this story.

One has to wonder, though, how the Bushies over on Pennsylvania Ave are handling this. This guy was making weekly conference calls to the oval office. They have got to be crapping the great wall of china about now.

[Joel]

I want to know, confessed to WHAT? We don't even know exactly what the allegations against him are, let alone what he's confirmed or denied to his church board. For all we know, the only allegation that's true is that he failed to renew his license tabs.

I'm not saying he's innocent; for all I know, he COULD be patronizing an almost 50-year-old male prostitute. But until I know what he confessed to, or even exactly what he's accused of, I'm not going to assume it was that.

[Eric]

I'm wondering if what he's confessed to is the meth part but not the sex part. That would be in accord with not only the phone messages but also the lie-detector test.

[Zen]

Lorna -- I absolutely understand your call for compassion. But you must understand that many people have a lot of anger to work through here as well, and we cannot ask people to deny those feelings. But we can at least ask for a modicum of civility and restraint.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" - Matt 7:1-2.

Ted will reap what he has sowed. He's made his living backing people into a corner. And like water sloshing in a bowl it will take some time for things to come back to center. I deeply feel for Ted and his family. I feel for the thousands of parishoners in his church who today are reeling from this, questioning their beliefs, wondering what other lies they've bought into, wondering who it is they can ever really trust.

You may be ready to extend your olive branch, and I applaud you for your sense of grace. But most of us aren't there yet. Should the time come when Ted asks those whom he has ostracized and alientated all these years for their forgiveness, may we grant it.

But until then all we can ask of people is "Don't be Ted Haggard to Ted Haggard". Be better than that. Or at least try.

[Dennis]

You just cannot make this stuff up. I am laughing my ass off at the poor dumb bastard, Ted Haggard. He has made a career out of telling others how to lead their lives and judging the moral values of the rest of us. This couldn't have happened to a more thoroughly deserving fellow.

[Joel]

This couldn't have happened to a more thoroughly deserving fellow.

Even if he didn't do it? He deserves to be slandered and his career trashed because he considered homosexuual behavior sinful?

If so, then I guess it's a lesson to others to be careful never to disagree publicly with the majority.

[John-Paul Pagano]

I supported the war in Iraq so I could experience schadenfreude when our troops die? Er, no. I think the fumes of schadenfreude are eating your brain like nitrous.

[Chad W]

God have mercy? NO! Bad Christian! You ALWAYS quote the damned bible when someone else does something wrong, and so, I in kind shall throw back the same meaningless nonsense you hang your hat so highly on.

Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"

I will require no pardon for my lack of compassion. This came from your book, your laws, and it would be expected that if you want the "laws" followed by everyone else, you set an example by aiming your stones squarely on those in your own camp first. For all the injustices against those who do not have imaginary friends in the sky, I hope for nothing less than blood.

Yes, I am a monster, but it was religion that made me so.

Have a nice day,
Chad

[pete]

Zen, quit Ted Haggarding these folks in their glee. More of this please :) :
"The only reason Dobson hasn't been fingered is because sheep and goats can't talk. :0)"

and Pagano, deny all you want, but it beats any bullshit explanation you ever spewed.

[Emjay]

Wob: My thanks, that is an excellent response to the gay vs. bisexual debate. Bisexual denotes the idea that you actually WANT to have sex with both genders, rather than necessarily making a choice. Generally when something like this comes out, it IS a case of being significantly more attracted to members of your own sex than otherwise, and not that you're being "greedy".

Bisexuals are perfectly capable of monogamy.

[Joel]

Just came through the AP that Haggard admitted buying meth and having a massage from Jones. But now that he's been accused of hmosexuality, he can never prove himself straight. The rumors will persist.

[Deb]

"I did not have sex with that woman"

[John-Paul Pagano]

What bullshit explanation? What are you talking about? Would you like to include me in this conversation? Because I'm not following it.

Are you on meth?

[Nate]

... at least Clinton cheated on his wife with a woman. Since no-one seems willing to forgive Clinton his lapse of judgement, can we assume no mercy for Ted?

[wob]

emjay,
I think you mean leah, not me. :)

[Chad W]

Joel has a point, Ted did not lay with that women. Clinton did, and he was run through the mud like no other. But how about this, the bible actually says sleeping with other women (so long as she is not Property of another man) is OK.

"But king Solomon loved many strange women together with the daughter of Pharoah, woman of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians and Hittites....and he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines...." (Kings 11:1,3)

So draw the line where you may. Neither one was "correct" but it would appear your book takes care of the question of "Shades of bad". Clinton was not so naughty, but Teddy was a very naughty boy, and deserves the punishment he was so willing to commit others too.

If you live in Colorado Springs, right now is a great time to drive past N. Carefee and Powers and laugh at the guy holding the sign with bible quotes about Sodom and Gamora. I spoke with him a week ago, he is a member of New Life Church........ It just keeps getting better!

[Zen]

BRING OUT THE BLUE DRESS!

[nav]

This bastard gets none of my compassion. My compassion goes to those who are honest and morally forthright enough to admit to themselves and those around them that they have weaknesses and failures and that they may be 'different' in some ways. What kind of sick fuck behaves in this way. 'You'll all burn in hell for your sins.' And then it turns out he's humpin' and snortin' with the best of them. How can anybody in the 21st century still be stupid enough to not have got the message that people peddling this moral absolutism are either negligently unthinking or brilliantly evil.

And then it turns out he's humpin' and snortin' with the best of them.

Actually, it's turning out that he neither snorted nor humped. And to say that somebody is going to go to hell for their sins is not necessarily to be pleased with the prospect.

[Non-Prophet]

Oh hey... if anyone is near a TV later today this very blog is going to be shown and mentioned on CNN. Should be at 4:00pm or sometime after that.

[Reboot]

We must wonder if Bush is going to learn something from it. After all, he's going to be president for another 2 years. Bush's close association with this Haggard guy has been known for a while but drawn little attention.
I also wonder how this new member will be received by the gay community;-)

[wob]

CNN.com just said they're doing a full interview with Mike Jones in a few mins

[John-Paul Pagano]

Let's hope this offsets the damage done by Kerry's Komedy routine.

[Zen]

Well then... here's my shout out to the CNN tribe -- FOX News blows! Just like Ted Haggard.

Ha!

[Zen]

Apparently rumors of Ted partaking in a little bit 'o' man love have been circulating around Denver's gay community for years. And people wonder why pastors kids are always so fucked up.

[Non-Prophet]

Hey, if anyone catches the thing on CNN let me know what they say about me/NP. I'm at work and even if I wasn't I'd miss it because I killed off my television service a long time ago.

[Zen]

You know I wonder what Richard Dawkins would say about all this.

[John]

What I find interesting is the glee many "gay" folks are experiencing at this man's struggle. It speaks of a meanness in the community which will only make people hide themselves deeper in the closet.

[Judy M.]

I'm confused. It seems to me that a lot of people here think that hypocrisy is at least as big a sin (or bigger) than homosexuality. But aren't all the people railing on Pastor Ted being a little "hypocritical." I mean, aren't they the ones that are always saying no one has the right to judge another person? Yes, I think they are. Funny how this has turned into one, big, hypocritical, "circle jerk," isn't it?

[wob]

I got CNN on now. So far only the Mike Jones interview, no mention of this site yet. I'll post something if it's mentioned.

as for those of you railing agianst us who are jumping up and down in glee and calling us hypocrites, let me ask this:
how many lives has Haggard ruined indirectly because of his homophobia? Hundreds? thousands?

"Bow down before the one you serve, you're going to get what you deserve" -- NIN
Pretty much sums that up.

[wob]

that should read "...because of his preaching of homophobia?"

[pete]

Ted preaching about gay sex -youtube-: "
We've decided the Bible is the word of God. We don't have to have a general assembly about what we believe -- it's written in the Bible, all right? So we don't have to debate about what we should think about homosexual activity. It's written in the Bible."

The bible says:
"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death."

[Zen]

Hell yeah I'm a hypocrite. And a sinner. And a fiend.

The difference between me and the Ted Haggards of the world though is I'll admit it.

What about you?

[wob]

I admit all the above the same, and I'm probably a heathen too since I'm agnostic.

I have no problems with any of this. I have no issues with my own humanity and the fallacies that come with it.

And I think pretty much all of us here admit that since we're human, we're hypocrites.
It's the people who think they're above that, like Haggard, that really drive it home.
Practice what you preach. That's why you don't hear me preaching at anyone on what they do with their life.

[wob]

oh and it's almost 5, no word on CNN of the blog.

[Non-Prophet]

I think they meant 4pm eastern. The people I spoke with were from The Situation Room (Blitzers show), which starts again at 5pm our time (10 minutes). They said NP would be on for sure, just after 4pm. Maybe in a couple minutes. ;)

I'll have to check the transcripts tomorrow.

[wob]

on headline news or the standard CNN channel?

I've been watching CNN headline...I gotta say it's damn hilarious. :)

[Proselytize Against What Makes You Human]

The Karmic beauty inherent in Ted Haggard’s homo-meth-shenanigans is that it reiterates the inherent hypocrisy of soap box preachers and their lot. The reason why Ted Haggard (like many people in positions of political and authoritative power) is so adamant about anti-gay agenda is because he is simply projecting his own "demons" onto others. What is the best way to make yourself feel better for being a sociopathic, amoral, hypocrite? Let other sociopathic, amoral, hypocrites know exactly how sociopathic, amoral, and hypocritical they really are. Thank you Ted, for acting as a medium of God, and for your brilliant use of prophetic voice. You truly are a prophet. Keep on, keepin’ on New Life Church. 20 million Christians can’t be wrong? God hates fags! Right?

We are all capable of “sin”. I wish no ill-fate to befall Ted, however I am ecstatic that he has lost his political power. Please keep this in mind the next time you decide to condemn another human being because you disagree with their ideas. One more thought for evangelicals, “Do not think for yourself. All the thinking has already been done for you.”

[A Curious Stranger]

What on earth was Haggard doing granting this impromptu interview as he was driving out of church?

[Zen]

You gotta wonder what his kids were thinking as they sat in the back of the car. Maybe something along the lines of, "Gee Dad, way to embarrass us. You're such a fucking tard."

[Timbo Twiddly]

New admission by Haggard!

Now Art, I mean Ted, says "Ok, I had sex but I didn't swallow".

[Jesus Christ]

Typical Christian hypocrite! What an asshole…

[- Jesus Loves Us NO MATTER what & FORGIVES!!!!!! -]

To all of you have talked down upon this man of God shame on you! Do you sin?! I believe you do! We all do friends! But you know what thats what is so wonderful about Jesus Christ! He has already died, shed his own blood for me and you for all the crummy sins we commit throughout our lives! NOW YOU ALL BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY AGAINST THIS MAN OF GOD, CAUSE SOMETHING MIGHT TURN AROUND UPON YOU FOR SPEAKING NEGATIVITY! LIFT HIM UP IN PRAYER AND IN FASTING AND BE BEHIND THIS MAN LIKE GOD IS BEHIND HIM AND SUPPORTS HIM! Just because Ted or anyone else is a pastor doesnt mean they dont fall short! God told us we would all fall short before him! So do me a favor and point your finger at yourself and evaluate everything in your life since you all are so perfect!! I pray encouragement, endurance, blessing, and love upon this man!!

[wob]

Let me guess, you're one of the sheep that belongs to NLC?

[Sonia Rosa Lokey]

I was part of the charismatic movement in the 70's. I am now 51 and have had a long relationship with the divine and have learned through the years that GOD IS LOVE. All of the hatred spoken of in the Bible against whomever or whatever is man's hatred not God's. Does loves all people. Period. We forget that we are all guilty of not loving one another, including myself. When I first heard of this I had to laugh. For the obvious reasons. But as I explored Ted Haggard I saw a scared little boy, that grew up in the 50's, just like I did, amid extreme hatred for anything that was not a white male heterosexual. Oddly the reason I left the church for ten years back in 1978, however, was because I was living by the teachings of Jesus but I did not see the leaders of the church living by the word. I knew those guys from Bethany (as it was called then) down in Baton Rouge since I went to Matheny's church called THE STOREHOUSE in Hattiesburg, Ms. I knew Danny Ost and all of them and they were arrogant then. Praying in public to impress people. We were all in our 20's and now we are the leaders. It is time for us, the church, to embrace of all God's CREATION. I do not know if the church I knew then has grown spiritually since those times but I do know this. It is time for our hearts to grow.
Sonia Rosa Lokey

[saved by grace]

I have never commented on a blog so please be kind! I couldn't help but be burdened by the hate and anger especially towards christians. Let me clarify that ALL Christians are sinners. There is only one who has never sinned and that is Jesus Christ. Most christians should and will admit very quickly that they are sinners. A pastor is no different. He/she is a sinner just the same but has been called to the ministry. A pastor teaches the word of God (the Bible). As you probably know the Bible is basically a handbook for living. The Bible spells out what sin is and calls it sin. Therefore, a pastor must teach accordingly. So, you will here pastors preach. That is their job.

My husband is a minister and my bother-in-law is a pastor they don't hate people. They are regular guys, husbands and dads. My husband was the jokester in college and has taught my two kids how to burp and to "pull his finger" just like most dads I know!!LOL The difference? he has a burden for those who don't know Jesus to come to know Him. Am I suprised that Haggard, a man so high in the Christian community has fallen so deeply into sin? No!!! As many Christians can attest, the more you do for God's Kingdom the more Satan will attack. Don't get me wrong Haggard made his own choices. But just the same, I regullarly pray for God's protection around my husband, family, and church staff because Christians and certainly minsters are not immune.
I do not apoligize for my Faith. I have no anger towards homosexuals. I am dissapointed (not angered)in haggard. I am praying for him and his family as well as his congregation. I realized here that there is a huge misconseption about Christians. Unfortunately that means we are not doing our job. I would love to tell you about Jesus and how He has changed my life. Just email me.

[tracie]

The laws only apply to those who need them. Spiritual maturity requires no laws, no rules and no judgement whatsoever. The judge who accuses, is no longer needed, and therefore the lies are seen for what they are and just not believed anymore. We have always been free, yet most of us are so afraid of freedom that we continue to put limits on ourselves and others. There have never been conditions for unconditional love. The word sin should be removed from the vocabulary, because it always implies, guilt and punishment. God's word is a living word, it is life, existence. I think the reason that Jesus said not to judge is because the same judgement you give out, you would also give it to yourself. Forgiveness is always for us and never for another. The tree of life is so much better than the tree of knowledge........there is no longer, sin, nor a judge, nor forgivness, for it is no longer needed......Satan is a word given to the (judge in your head) and when the accuser is taker off the throne, there is never anything wrong with anyone. Free, Free, at last.......

[I think your missing the point.]

I absolutely agree with this recent thread about all of us being "sinners." However, I think all of you are missing the fundamental argument, and why Ted Haggard is such a problem. You all speak of forgiveness when it comes to one of your own falling short of “the Grace of God." But where are you people going to be on November 7, when we have the opportunity to afford gay couples the same rights as straight couples (my guess is that you will all vote yes on amendment 43). Where are you when a young girl becomes pregnant on decides that she can't offer a better life for her child (probably picketing out front of an abortion clinic). Where are you when science leads us to new paths of research that may lead to cures for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimers, etc. (probably stoking Rush Limbaugh's preverbal johnson).

[Non-Prophet]

My biggest problem with Pastor Ted at this point is that he still hasn't told the truth. Sure, we're all sinners, but Ted continues lying to us. Even after he's been caught he is continuing to try to save his own ass. He's putting his own interests in front of those of his congregation. Until he comes clean I think he deserves no sympathy whatsoever.

[Ken from Scotland]

What a fabulous story.This hypocrite has anointed himself and his beliefs as the true and only way to live a good life.An accuser in every way.......I am laughing my cock off right now, no meths needed!

[Gary]

I was reading this post, but I don't quite understand your anger. OK Ted Haggart made some major mistakes and he is being punished for that right now. Why are you so angry?

OK so you say there is no God and that bible-believing Christians are destroying this country. Fine, what is your solution then? I think that those of you that are so angry have no idea what Christianity means. In essence, true Christian believes that: 1)all people were made in the image of there Creator and whatever good there is in them is from the Creator 2) He/she is not better than anybody else 3) She/he did nothing to deserve salvation because it is a gift of God 4)when one is born-again, he/she comes with bagage and doesn't become perfect overnight, but instead is being changed for better by God. You keep repeating that Haggart "judged" others. So, then if you say to somebody that murder is wrong or adultery is wrong, then you're judging them? I don't think so. You simply stating what you believe. You're not saying that you're better than the murderer, but you're saying simply that the action or thought of murder is wrong. That's all. You don't need to take it further than that. One for example may believe preach that anger and murder is wrong, but still struggle with anger and thoughts of murder. Do you mean to tell me that you’re so perfect and that whatever you teach, preach and believe you follow 100%? I don’t think so. Everyone of us struggles with weaknesses that we know are weaknesses. There is nothing wrong with saying that adultery is wrong, for example, and still be tempted by women other that your wife. It’s a struggle, that’s all. So, it probably is with Haggart: he could believe that homosexuality is wrong and still struggle with it. You, however, should not be angry, but simply should examine yourself and find similar things in your life. Do you believe in honesty? If yes, are you 100% honest? So, it probably is with Haggart. Just don’t be angry, think about your faults instead of Haggart’s. You can wind up in similar situation as he did. It may not involve homosexuality, but can be similar.

You talk about freedom all the time, but you want to take other's freedom away, like the freedom to say what you believe. I believe that homosexuality is a disease. It's my right to say so. Those of you who preach tolerance, but can't tolerate this statement are hypocrites. If you’re homosexual or whatever else, you have the right to practice that privately. I am heterosexual, but I keep my sexuality private. I don’t wear it on my sleeve and tell others what kind of sex I like. Moreover, I don’t demand that others respect me because I like certain kind of sex. I have no right to shove my sexuality on somebody else. However, a lot of homosexuals’ activists are doing just that. They’re not content with their right to practice homosexuality. They’re shoving their “gay pride” on everybody else. There are no “straight pride” parades that I know of and there shouldn’t be any, because sexuality should be private and not public.

I think that Christianity is the best hope for America. Having moral boundaries is not bad. It can actually keep things in order and prevent anarchy. You know it in your heart. If you’re so free, why can’t you control yourself in so many areas? Think about it. We’re not free. We’re slaves to evil.

[Gary]

One more thing... Why do you keep saying that Haggart stated that he is better than homosexuals? He just preached that homosexuality is wrong. Why are so quick to judge him?

[The Incendiary Ichthyosaur]

Gary. First and foremost, with a name like “Gary” it’s obvious that your repressed latent homosexuality is leading you to make comments like, “homosexuality is a disease.” Second, to believe that human beings can only live ethically and existentially is by embracing Christianity reveals that your level cognizance is on par with a smudge of excrement. Perhaps you have no soul, and you must outsource your moral responsibility to a code of ethics set by “God” because you would helpless without them. However, most rational human beings have a conscience even without these rules, and they don’t need a pastor at a pulpit to dictate them.

[Dave2]

The only thing I care about is equal rights for gays. Haggard’s public statements and actions regarding homosexuality denies gays their equal rights. Nevertheless, right-wing fundamentalist evangelicals, I love YOU; I just hate your religion.

[Gary]

And that's why you had wars, hatred, etc.. throughout the centuries? Please don't blame it on religion. Look within yourselves. With all your rationality, you still struggle to do the right things. Why do you think that in order to believe in God, you have to have no brains? It's quite the opposite. How can you have brains and be a rational person and believe that something was created by chance? Is that rational?

What's wrong with the name "Gary"? And why are you so sure that I have "latent homosexuality"? Remember, not everyone is homosexual and it it is not necessarily "cool" as today's society tells you.

[Philippa]

I want to say God Loves all of you and everyone.Jesus is Lord! God wants us to know Him and His Love for us. His Word says, (Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord:Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.) God wants each individual person to know Him through his Son Jesus! He wants us to follow HIM. In His Word. His Word is Truth. In John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, (If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed;And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.) Receive Jesus into your hearts. Romans 10;9-10 Follow Jesus for yourself, continue in His Word and you will not be deceived by the Grace of God. By God's Grace I must do the Word myself.I want to know Him. And the only way to truly know Him day by day is by knowing what His Word says.I continue to be perfected by Him. God Bless all of you!

[Jack Handey]

"If Jesus lives inside us, like some people say, I sure hope he likes enchiladas, 'cause that’s what has getting."

[KayKay]

My only thoughts on this are..."we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." This is a time for all New Lifers and christians around the world to come together and focus on reconstructing what has happened. I pray for Ross Parsley and all the New Life staff...that they will allow God to use them to help the people who have been hurt by the latest news and also to help further the kingdom of God through their ministry.

[Meir]

Im from Israel, and hearing about all this is really weird.
No man is perfect. Yes he is a leader of a big church. But It doesn't make him better than anyone. There for he is allowed to make mistakes. For some reason when someone important gets accused or is even guilty of something. The whole world jumps Down there throat And makes them the enemy. Ive read so much about this whole situation, And it seems like this is why Christian Americans should Start takeing there faith and believes (not religion) More sireicly... Start doing things with your life!
Im Not Perfect neither is Ted Haggerd. Forgive him And leave him alone.
Meir from Israel

[Lisa]

I will be praying for Teds Family and I believe all christians should do the same.

[Beary]

As a Luciferian, I find this situation delicious. I'm not bound by your X-tian ethics horseshit, and as such, I feel no empathy for Haggard nor his whorrish wife, nor his fag worshiper children. I feel a small sense of triumph, but will not feel entirely triumphant until every last X-tian is raptured up in a confusion-fueled mass suicide. As the self-poured blood of X-tians stains the streets of Colorado Springs, I and a legion of Luciferians will gleefully dance and merry make in the sinny fluid of hypocrites and scoundrels. Your time has come, X-tians. The followers of Jesus will gnash their teeth at the sight of the wreckage wrought by their savagery. There is no time or energy to be spent on forgiveness, on empathy, or on prayers. You will be destroyed, and you will do it to yourselves. And I will feast on your delicious sorrow.

[Okal]

I have no hate for homosexuals but I hate the act itself. There is indeed a difference between homosexuals and the act of homosexuality. The act is wrong and stinks. It is bad and urgly. They that practice it ahould and must stop.

The devil has done this to us, bringing down our President of NAE. He (The devil) will have to pay and he will have to pay good. It is now time for the oppressed to be set free, the blind shall now see and the devil has to loose. his victory was only temporary but he is in for a great cry. Homosexuals wil now repent, be saved and leave their imoral act. And Jones will be born again this very soon and will testify against the act.

[Beary]

Hey Okal,

I'd like to practice my immoral act all over your slutty face.

[Okal]

Hey Beary,
Stop your insults, My face is not slutty, If that is your life you need help. God loves you though and is ready to help you.

[Beary]

I know God loves me, at least he said he did as I was fucking him in the ass earlier this evening. For as old as he is, he sure does have a tightly puckered anus. God's anus delivered magnificent pleasure unto my sinning torpedo of lust.

[nav]

The situation is perfectly straightforward. Despite eveyone's calls for prayers or condemnations we have a perfectly simple course of action dictated to us by The Bible. If it turns out that he's had gay sex then Lev 20:13 offers the solution: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them." So, let's everyone calm down until the truth is known. Then we can decide whether or not he needs to die. I love The Bible. It makes life so simple.

[Jim]

Let this be a a lesson to all you American evangelicals and fundementalists- a.k.a the modern hypocrital Saducees and Pharisees, Christ wouldn't know you if he came back.

Follow his example, care for the ill and poor and quit foisting your morals and judgement on others. Oh and by the way, keep your religion out of politics. It's contrary to separation of church and state and scripture both.

[Self Inflicted Nonsense]

The only difference between what Pastor Ted did and what many others are doing is PASTOR TED GOT CAUGHT! Although we may not share the SAME SINS, We all SIN! Everybody falls short of the Glory of God! Pastor Ted I'm in PRAYER WITH YOU!! GOD BLESS YOU!

[Jim]

Yet more on the Ted Haggard subject. It is amazing to me that people do not see the flaws in thier philosphies. Apparently the god that Ted and his followers served, does not have the ability to remove the "sin" from the lives of his followers. One would think that situations such as this would lead them to different conclusions other than the well used and tired refrain: " This should serve as a wake up call that no man is exempt from sin or temptation, so beware church,lest you too fall!" Of course they would never say, "These are the actions of arrogant and conflicted men who are steeped in denial about who they are and who stubbornly refuse to admit they lack the ability to rise above their own humanity." "The lie that we have preached so long is just that a lie to make us feel good, a lie to cast us leaders in a better light than you the followers; the truth is we have made the rules we have made because we thought we could live up to standards that you all could not, consequently casting us in a more favorable light and leaving you craving for more of what we had so that you could feel better in your miserable and pathetic little lives and so that we can feed the large egos that make is feel, oh so good."
We humans are like monkies, putting on clothes and pretending to be like thier brothers the humans. We parade about and jump around like fools, jumping through hoops and going through incredible contortions of the mind, so that we can continue not to see who we really are: just another "goddamn" monkey trying to live on this harsh unyielding planet. We create rules that make no sense, rules that we cannot even live by nor should we endeavor to do so in the first place. What is wrong with a man or woman being attracted to the same sex? What is wrong with the desire of a man or woman to engage in sex in the first place or to be titillated by sexuality? Was it us who created sex in the first place? Was it us who created the concept of attraction, was it humans? Of course not, was it not how nature or a god ordered it? What makes it so wrong that we have go to the extents that we go to avoid what resides deep in our hearts? Men like Ted turn to drugs and engage in risky behavior like prostitution because, god forbid that he admit that he is bisexual or gay. Meanwhile he lives like a big fat hypocrite and becomes a monster and in the process he lies to all those around him and exposes his innocent wife to life threatening diseases, not to mention his children to deep scorn and riddicule. My god, what fiends our philosphies often turn us into!
I look to the day when our religions are more in tune with our realities. Then and only then will it lose it poisoness effects and truly enable us to maximize our experience here on this planet. There is hope beyond our defunct gods who lack the power to truly help us becase, either it not the way of the gods or simply they are creations of our own minds to help us feel better and as such lack any real power.
I will be the first to admit how good the drug of relgion and gods tastes, but like all drugs it has its side effects that are often more damaging then the drug itself. I do miss the Jesus of my fantasies and perhaps one day I will learn to live with this god of my creation, however we will both have to live in harmony and both accept who and what we are and I will simply learn to rise above the screaming in my mind that this god is at odds with logic and reality and embrace peace that comes with having a god. Or perhaps one day I will be free of the clutches of the drug called relgion and gods, a drug that demanded all of me and a drug that I faithfully consumed all my life until the day I realized that its poisonous side effects were smothering me and turning me into the very monster that I was avoiding becoming by using the drug in the first place.
This is where my heart goes out to Ted, however I am thrilled that yet one more arrogant lying bastard has been de-throned.

Jim

[Jesus' Son]

Well said Jim.

Oh, and Beary. May the genitals of your enemies be infested with bot-fly.

[jackejett]

the sad part is that he was using the money of little old ladies on pensions to pay for his crystal and hookers.
the members of the church claim forgivness but in reality, they are just trying to cover their ass as they are too freaked out to admit, they have all been supporting drug dealers and hookers.
the entire family are crooks. the wife knew the score. she was in it for the money. no telling what he did with those kids.

pondscum..

jackejett.com

[THEHIGHERCALL]

Please explain why you (especially the homosexuals) do not have the same hatred toward Islam as you do for Christianity. Homosexuality is non-negotiable with Islam. You would definitely be put to death for practicing sodomy.

[ellenincolorado]

I laughed my ass off when I first heard of this story and I know it means that I am wrong too, for being so cyincal and happy for someone else's misfortune. BUT...I really am glad to see someone get their own, when they spend their very LIVES preaching AGAINST homosexuals, who have done nothing more than be who they are, and are not by nature predators as these nutjobs would have the public believe.

I'm glad to see justice served. I'm sad for his family and friends but I think they should take a clue from this hypocrisy and chill the f*uck out on the whole "Christian Crusade" sh*t.

[ellenincolorado]

"I love The Bible. It makes life so simple."

These people really freak me out.

[Dave2]

Jackejet, islam and christianity and all organized religions are a fraud. Feel better now?

[ellenincolorado]

"One more thing... Why do you keep saying that Haggart stated that he is better than homosexuals? He just preached that homosexuality is wrong. Why are so quick to judge him?:

I would have thought the answer to this is obvious. Because he judged everyone who didn't believe as he did. DUH.

[Jim]

To Higher Call,

Please tell me you know the answer to this very obvious question? I will type very slowly so that you just might understand that we in fact live in America with a large population of very vocal hate filled Christians. I use the term Christian only in the colloquial sense of the word, because the truth is that, most who in fact claim the title, actually would be best described with the term facist.
If American society was dominated by a large and very vocal Muslim population, I am sure that we would be refuting Muslim hatred instead Christian hatred.
You accuse those who oppose the archaic notions of the Bible as haters, I find this most ironic, as it is you Christians, with the so called "higer call," spewing all the hatred and attacking a minority group. I do not ever recall hearing the homosexual community screaming vitrol and telling hetrosexuals that they are sinners and are on the way to hell. I have never once heard them call hetrosexual behavior a disease that must be treated, or hetrosexuals perverts that must be dealt with. I have never heard them quote supposed holy books to back up thier message of hatred for hetrosexuals.
It is the right wing Christian facist community that constantly reminds the American public that they have the truth and the right prescription for life; what a farce. The Christian facist community is rife with all the same problems that affect any other community if not worse. You Christian facists would do well to take stock in the words of your professed founder who said, "Judge not that you be not judged." Who said, Blessed are the meek." Who said, Love your enemies." And who said, "whatever you do unto others, even the least of these we have done it unto unto him. Christian facists, if this was your message the world would love you and open their arms to you. Instead you Christian facists have started wars, oppressed countless of millions, raped, pillaged, plundered all in the name of God. I do not know whether the god that you all pretend to serve actually exists, but if he does I know he would be disgusted by all hatred that you all preach from your pulpits every Sunday.
You cannot offer me one truly moral argument against those who love each other, regardless of sex. You yell nonsesnse like marriage should be between a man and a woman because that is what you say it has always been, not because you truly know, but because you read a discredited supposed holy book and it tells you to hate. You read the words of so called righteous men who were in fact bllod thristy murders who hid behind a so called god while they committed atrocities. These men had the gall to write thier histories as heroes, when in fact they were the furthest thing from righteous. You want to see what true righteousness looks like? You fools look to the founder of your own religion and follow his words. Look to past wise men like the Buddha. Look to truly great men like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., the Dali Lama, Mother Theresa and a host of other men and women who have already paved the way. You would do well to ignore the words of conflicted closeted gay men who hate themsleves to the point that they would attempt to live a lie and begrudge those who choose not to betray their true selves, even to the point of oppression. The chief being the man you call the Apostle Paul. If there ever was a conflicted gay man in the same vein as Ted Haggard, it is the man called St. Paul. It is no wonder why you Christian facists hate, he showed you the way by his obsessive rants against homosexuality. How I wish your founder Jesus the Christ were truly a god, he would tell the lot of you what he told those Pharisees in his day, "You dress the outside, but inside you are ravenous wolves, white washed tombs, empty seplecures filled with all manner of unclean things." He would be disgusted with you.
I hope I answered you higher call, perhaps you should reconsider your name.

Jim

[Mind Your Own Business]

“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.