In light of the revelations that Ted Haggard is a homosexual who has been paying for sex and drugs, the gay community is offering words of sympathy and support for their erstwhile Evangelical opponent and his family. For his part, Haggard demonstrates he can keep gay-bashing while he’s going down. “I’m guilty of sexual immorality” Haggard wrote to his flock, “of degrading, unspeakable acts,” etc.
The local news toed the line. HAGGARD GUILTY OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY. Well that’s not the objective take, is it? Haggard says he’s guilty of sexual immorality, that’s the story. Haggard is guilty of sexual pandering and using banned controlled substances. Haggard is guilty of lying and being a hypocrite. Haggard is contrite but shouldn’t get to slime homosexuality with the ick factor of his fall.
Ted Haggard had an opportunity to come clean, in the therapeutic sense, embrace what he is, and move his flock out of the stone-throwing age. Why should being gay keep him from being an inspirational preacher and natural leader?
Instead Haggard chose to be a martyr to Satan’s call. Haggard’s congregation heard his apologies and instantly empathized and forgave him. He’s now his own poster boy for the lure of evil.
There’s something inherent irreligious about Evangelical Christians. Forgiving oneself is practical, forgiving one another is neighborly, but expecting forgiveness while advocating the condemnation of others, is too short of divine. And carrying on with transgressions is by definition unkind. Most religions teach do good. Evangelic belief says believe in Jesus, that’s good enough.
It will be interesting to see if Ted Haggard can resurrect his band of pitchfork and torch bearing bigots. He may. In their eyes Haggard has proven he is as flawed as the worst of them. And maybe having to keep tabs on their homosexuality-inclined leader will open their hearts to acceptance of homosexuals who are not in the incarnation of their leader.
My bet is that New Life Church will fold. It’s big, it’s a machine, I know. But it’s a cult of personality with morons for adherents. I don’t care that Haggard has been a terrific delegator of responsibility. The snake has been beheaded, and all the kings horses have never yet performed a successful head transplant.
I am so with you here. My chums at NAMBLA were similarly incensed at the whole Catholic priest mea culpa garbage. When oh when are people going to be rid of pesky moral convictions and be free! free! free! like thee and me!
You appear to be confusing Pastor Ted Haggard, drug tweaker and prostitute john, with Representative Mark Foley, pedophile. Catholic priests are not condemned for being gay, rather for being pedophiles.
From NAMBLA’s website:
Freedom is indivisible. The liberation of children, women, boy-lovers, and homosexuals in general, can occur only as complementary facets of the same dream.
— David Thorstad
So don’t be gettin’ all moral on me now….pedophilia, homosexuality….just facets of the same dream, babe.
Speaking of that same dream, once we have gay marriage, why not polygamy? There is even biblical authority for this. God’s little cupcake, Joseph, had several hundred wives; his son, the ever so wise Solomon, had well over 700. Putting it in these terms, surely we could get the Mormons to support gay marriage. I try to encourage as many men as possible to turn gay, thus leaving more little hotties for us few remaining white hetero males. Think harem, guys!
Whoops, sorry kids! That was God’s other little cupcake, David, who was ol’ Sol’s dad (remember, the one who got the hots for Bathsheba, knocked her up, and sent her husband to the front of the battle lines, so as to get killed the quicker). Course, God did pummel Sodom and Gomorrah, but not until that gang of camel-bikers tried to rape two of His angels, who came to party with Lot. Lots of crazy do-do went down back then; hardly the basis for a system of morality.