This man was once the top evangelical Christian leader in the United States. He then lost his lofty position after he admitted having a relationship with a male prostitute, who bought him crystal meth.He was just on Oprah, talking about his struggles with homosexuality. He insists he's not gay, even as word came out that his church paid a six-figure hush money settlement to keep mum about his inappropriate relationship with that young man too.
The amazing thing is he was a leading advocate against gay rights, and now he's doing publicity about his fall from grace and claims to be "completely heterosexual".
Why doesn't he step down from the spotlight and stay down? Why does he do this to his family, and his own dignity?
20 comments:
I agree. Spend the rest of your life dealing with your struggles and mending, if possible, your family relationships. Serve God in the trenches and quit worrying about public opinion. It's over. God doesn't NEED anyone,loves everyone, and will use those with a willing heart. Even those who may start out on the right road can still succumb to the temptations of power, greed etc.
Just one in a long list of closeted homosexuals masquerading as righteous christians.
Nothing new there.
That dude was as much a leader of evangelical Christians as Walt Weatherbee is to modern secularists.
What? You've never heard of Walt Weatherbee?!?! Guess what? Just about as many normal Christians cared about this douchebag.
Many, many Christians can't stand this guy, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and all the other televangelists out there.
It's easy to oversimplify those you have contempt for. Too easy.
Bobby makes a good point.
I don't like the claim of him being a "top evangelical Christian leader" He did chair an organization for a few years and write some books. Big deal.
To be honest, I had never heard of the guy until his scandal. And I try to be fairly on top of things as a Christian.
Then again, I don't watch TBN, attend mega-healing-rallies, or buy books from dudes who put their picture on the cover real big.
Obviously hes not right in the head. Not everyone is mentally healthy. Just as not everyone is physically healthy.
hes got some judgement problems, so issues, Or he wouldnt be acting the way he is.
We assume everyone is Mentally sane and mentally healthy. Obviously he isnt.
its always a tragedy when someone people respect and look up to fall from grace. But that doesnt mean we shouldnt still believe in the good in people. Its just that we are all human.
The thing that gets me too, is what the hell is an escort? And why do they even have places like that? People couldnt cheat if there werent people to cheat WITH.
Same thing with girls who sleep with married men in Vegas and bars etc. A man couldnt have an affair, if every woman respected herself and the sanctity of marriage, but there is always going to be trashy people who do the wrong thing. Ang the Male Prostitute is the one who blew open the story.
Just a sign of lack of morality that this country has and how we can all fall. I try not to be judgemental, he seems like a nice guy, But hes obviously GAY and thought that God could change that in him. But I dont think anything can change that in people. They are who they are, and he should of never married if he was gay. And none of this would of happened.
To thine ownself be true as they say. I feel bad for his kids and wife.
ok- so from the standpoint of people who think homosexuality is not how we are to come together in marriage it's a little more complicated than just "rights" or being hypocritical. I think one of the reasons he is speaking out is so there is a voice for people who have homosexual desires but are committed to living out marriage as one man and one woman.
Personally, I don't think its adequate to define people as "homosexual" or "heterosexual"... we are all sexual people. Some people choose to make it with blow up dolls, are "addicted to porn" or even animals. The problem is that these things steal the sexual attention that our spouses rightly deserve.
The whole point of the theological branch of "theology of the body" is that none of these things matter. In our sexual relationships as Christians we try to have holy sex, which means a man and woman and no contraception =) I think it's not something even a lot of today's christians do, but Catholicism still chugs along =)
"which means a man and woman and no contraception"
In other words, a recipe for stupidity.
I am so glad I'm not a catholic anymore. So glad. Between the bigotry of homophobia, the anti-science creationism, the idiotic abstinence position, the holocaust denier bishops and the whole thinly veiled cannibalism thing, its got to be one of the worst institutions on the planet... in my ever so humble opinion.
I agree that this man needs to get out of the spotlight, and spend his time mending his relationship with his family.
Frank, I don't think you really know what righteous means. I think you are confusing self righteousness with Godly righteousness. It doesn't mean being perfect either, King David did some awful things, but he loved God and was a righteous man. As a Christian I understand my righteousness comes from God, I could never be good enough to be righteous on my own, and anyone who thinks they can be righteous on their own, is just self righteous, which is despicable to God.
Frank, let me point out that most Christians including myself don't have any problem whatsoever with contraceptives, we just have a problem with using abortion as a form of contraceptive.
I realize that none of us are perfect, and will never be in this life. As a Christian, God is still working on me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope that Ted Haggard is allowing God to work on him.
"we just have a problem with using abortion as a form of contraceptive. "
I appreciate your support for contraception, but I would also ask for your support in the belief that there are very very few people that use abortions as contraception too.
Thanks,
Frank
To clarify, contraception is the prevention of a pregnancy. Medically very different than an abortion. You really CAN'T use an abortion as "contraception", so that argument falls a little flat with me. But it certainly makes a good soundbite.
Haggard cannot make a living now so he is trying to make it by cashing in on his "humility" in broadcasting it? I'd say that is pride and the wrong kind..making a living by saying you are sorry and exposing all your mistakes over and over is not being sorry...it is a thing to me that matches corporate America, GREED...
Yeah and what he was doing BEFORE he got caught, (peddling snake oil to gullible people) wasn't GREED at all.
$5 says the guy that took his place is peddling the same crap.
Although abortion isn't classed as a contraception, in all truth if you abort a baby that you never intended to have, then it is being used with the intent of not continuing a unwanted pregnancy. You can class it however you want, but it is still being used for the same purpose
"Although abortion isn't classed as a contraception, in all truth if you abort a baby that you never intended to have..."
Which is exactly why we call it "Pro-Choice" in this country. Where those choices are safe AND legal.
But I also recognize that this is an issue that people have very strong personal, moral opinions about and I really don't expect that debate to be meaningfully advanced by internet debates.
Peace
Believe it or not, the question of abortion is also a moral one–not necessarily tied to Christianity.
There is a segment of the population who are both atheist and pro-life:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/171240/output/print
I know about them.
And there are also pro-choice catholics.
Go figure.
EXPOSING YOURSELF TO A CHURCH MEMBER IS NOT A GAY ISSUE. It is a MORAILTY Issue.
Hiring a prostitute is not a GAY Issue. It is a Morailty issue.
Taking Drugs and using Meth are also moral issues. This isnt about Gay really, Its about controlling ones urges, Like we ALL HAVE TO DO EVERYDAY.
Some people cant control their urges. They use Sex or Drugs or Whatever to "MEDICATE" themselves.
They are not really happy and are trying to get that Happy feelings.
Maybe he was depressed, Maybe he needs Prozac, Or Zinc, Or to exercise, or more sleep.
What he did was Illegal and wrong. Prostituion and Drugs are Illegal.
Exposing yourself to anyone (other than a Willing Participant, like a spouse!) is Illegal.
It hurts others. He just needs help. The fact that he is a Christian (Churchs are Not MUSEUMS for Saints, They are HOspitals for Sinners!) If you wait until you are perfect to go to CHurch, They would ALL BE EMPTY! The fact that he was a Preacher is what is freaking everyone out.
We all can make mistakes. We can all be hurting inside. We can all get LOST sometimes and Loose or Moral Compass. He has done that.
Back off, Im a Christian and HOnestly, I HAD NEVER HEARD OF HIM SINCE THIS. Micheal Phelps Fell from Grace , smoking POt and he has MILLIONS OF DOLLARS!
No ONE is perfect! No one! Exept Jesus and Look what we did to him. Murdered him and made him hang with thieves. The saying that He who is without sin can cast the first stone is so true.
"The saying that He who is without sin can cast the first stone is so true."
that's a riot coming from someone who calls people "west coast hippies" and judges all gay people with the same brush she picked up in her college dorm.
Hey Frank I went to go check out your profile, and there was nothing there. You seem to have strong opinions, so why be anonymous? You signed one of your posts peace. That seems laughable coming from you. You seem to be seeking anything but peace.
Why are you so angry?
Kat,
If the extent of your searching for information about me is my xanga profile, you are going to be disappointed.
What do you want to know? Its pretty easy to find out a LOT about me using Google. :)
Frank (Blau)
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