Totally Gay

[Pangloss62]

"And as far as just a massage, hey, if that's what he wants to call it, you know, that's up to him."

There are hundreds of gay men and women who, like Mr. Haggard, are so deep in the closet that they'll never come out. And I wonder, as did Mike Jones (he's the gay/escort/massage dude who squealed), if honesty will ever replace their denial:

"When I heard his wife say she was going to stand by her man, it just made me think, would she stand by her gay man?"

Mr. Jones asked a good question there, because you just know that Haggard will just spin his homosexuality as some kind of "sickness" that he has to "get over." Evangelicals HAVE to do that because if they admit that people are born that way, it removes an important underpinning of their entire philosophy.

Anyhow, I like the fact that Jones flat out said "Of course it was politically motivated" when asked why he revealed Haggard's hypocrisy. Colorado has another one of those anti-gay marriage initiatives on Tuesday's ballot. It's unfortunate that the whole Haggard debacle will probably motivate the anti-gay crowd. A caller to a talk show on which Jones was a guest called him "a whore," which to some extent is true, but that is just another way to blame the prostitute for the proclivaties of the John, or in this case, those of the Ted.

Here are the Haggard's "sorry" letters:

November 5, 2006
My Dear New Life Church Family, I am so sorry. I am sorry for the disappointment, the betrayal, and the hurt. I am sorry for the horrible example I have set for you.

I have an overwhelming, all-consuming sadness in my heart for the pain that you and I and my family have experienced over the past few days. I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment to all of you. I asked that this note be read to you this morning so I could clarify my heart's condition to you.

The last four days have been so difficult for me, my family and all of you, and I
have further confused the situation with some of the things I've said during interviews with reporters who would catch me coming or going from my home. But I alone am responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements.

The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I?ve been warring against it all of my adult life. For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach.

Through the years, I?ve sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn?t want to hurt or disappoint them.

The public person I was wasn?t a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped
communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are true that I have been appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry. Our church's overseers have required me to submit to the oversight of Dr. James Dobson, Pastor Jack Hayford, and Pastor Tommy Barnett. Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life. They will guide me through a program with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage, and my family.

I created this entire situation. The things that I did opened the door for additional allegations. But I am responsible; I alone need to be disciplined and corrected. An example must be set.

It is important that you know how much I love and appreciate my wife, Gayle. What I didshould never reflect in a negative way on her relationship with me. She has been and continues to be incredible. The problem was not with her, my children, or any of you. It was created 100% by me.

I have been permanently removed from the office of Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Until a new senior pastor is chosen, our Associate Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, will assume all of the responsibilities of the office. On the day he accepted this new role, he and his wife, Aimee, had a new baby boy. A new life in the midst of this circumstance?I consider that confluence of events to be prophetic. Please commit to join with Pastor Ross and the others in church leadership to make their service to you easy and without burden. They are fine leaders. You are blessed.

I appreciate your loving and forgiving nature, and I humbly ask you to do a few things:

1. Please stay faithful to God through service and giving.

2. Please forgive me. I am so embarrassed and ashamed. I caused this and I have no
excuse. I am a sinner. I have fallen. I desperately need to be forgiven and healed.

3. Please forgive my accuser. He is revealing the deception and sensuality that was in my life. Those sins, and others, need to be dealt with harshly. So, forgive him and, actually, thank God for him. I am trusting that his actions will make me, my wife and family, and ultimately all of you, stronger. He didn?t violate you; I did.

4. Please stay faithful to each other. Perform your functions well. Encourage each other and rejoice in God?s faithfulness. Our church body is a beautiful body, and like every family, our strength is tested and proven in the midst of adversity. Because of the negative publicity I?ve created with my foolishness, we can now demonstrate to the world how our sick and wounded can be healed, and how even disappointed and betrayed church bodies can prosper and rejoice.

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. In our hearts, we will always be members of this body. We love you as our family. I know this situation will put you to the test. I?m sorry I?ve created the test, but please rise to this challenge and demonstrate the incredible grace that is available to all of us.

Ted Haggard


November 5, 2006
Dear Women of New Life Church,
I am so sorry for the circumstances that have led me to write this letter to you today. I know your hearts are broken; mine is as well. Yet my hope rests steadfastly in the Lord who is forever faithful.

What I want you to know is that I love my husband, Ted Haggard, with all my heart. I am committed to him until death ?do us part.? We started this journey together and with the grace of God, we will finish together.

If I were standing before you today, I would not change one iota of what I have been teaching the women of our church. For those of you who have been concerned that my marriage was so perfect I could not possibly relate to the women who are facing great difficulties, know that this will never again be the case. My test has begun; watch me. I will try to prove myself faithful.

I love you all so much, especially you young women?you were my delight.
To all the church family of new Life Church?Ted and I are so proud of you. You are all we hoped you would be. In our minds, there is no greater church.

As you try to make sense of these past few days, know that Ted believes with all his heart and soul everything he has ever taught you, those things you are putting into practice. He is now the visible and public evidence that every man (woman and child) needs a Savior.

We are grateful for your prayers for our family. I hold you forever in my heart,

Gayle Haggard

[Ibby]

NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT...[/seinfeld]

[capnhowdy]

What's so GAY about it?

[xoxoxoBruce]

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Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. 


Do you suppose he's been able to scrap together enough to live on, until he can get a job at walmart of McD's?

[morethanpretty]

I'm glad he's not blaming anyone/thing for the situation but himself and is asking his congregation to do the same. That alone earns my respect. Normally its all excuses and "such and such made me do this," in his statement he is admitting that it is fully his own sin.

[9th Engineer]

It's really his place to say whether he's ashamed of it or not as well, if he lives his life by a set of principles that forbid it then it's his choice. If he's willing to stand by those principles even when faced by something so personal it is a testament to his character. He's not blaming others, he believes this is his personal battle which he must fight and will be rewarded for fighting, I'm not going to disrespect him for that.

Pastor Dismissed for ‘Sexually Immoral Conduct’
By NEELA BANERJEE and LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: November 5, 2006
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 — In the wake of accusations by a former male escort that the Rev. Ted Haggard had a three-year sexual relationship with him, an independent oversight board at Mr. Haggard’s New Life Church on Saturday found that he had “committed sexually immoral conduct” and dismissed him as senior pastor.

Over the last few days, Mr. Haggard’s career as the founder of the 14,000-member New Life megachurch in Colorado Springs and as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals has crumbled under the weight of the accusations and his explanations. He initially denied knowing the former escort, Michael Jones, 49, of Denver. By Friday, Mr. Haggard revised his account and said he had gotten a massage from Mr. Jones and bought methamphetamine from him. Mr. Jones has denied selling drugs. Mr. Haggard said he never used the drugs. He has publicly denied any sexual relationship.

Nonetheless, he resigned on Thursday as president of the evangelical association and stepped down temporarily as the senior pastor of New Life until its Overseer Board, an independent panel made up of four pastors from other churches, completed an investigation.

In a one-page statement issued Saturday afternoon, the board said, “Our investigation and Pastor Haggard’s public statements have proven without a doubt that he has committed sexually immoral conduct.”

The statement, which was made available by the church’s lawyer, L. Martin Nussbaum, did not elaborate on the nature of the immoral conduct, and it did not cite specific statements Mr. Haggard made. The statement also suggested that the board did not speak to Mr. Jones, but Mr. Nussbaum could not be reached for further clarification.

“In consultation with leading evangelicals and experts familiar with the type of behavior Pastor Haggard has demonstrated, we have decided that the most positive and productive direction for our church is his dismissal,” the statement said. “Pastor Haggard and his wife have been informed of this decision. They have agreed as well that he should be dismissed.”

The statement said that “a letter of explanation and apology” from Mr. Haggard would be read at New Life’s 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday services.

Mr. Jones has said that his decision to disclose his relationship with Mr. Haggard was politically motivated. He has said that he found it hypocritical that Mr. Haggard would publicly support a ballot initiative in Colorado that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, while having gay liaisons.

Patton Dodd, a friend of Mr. Haggard’s who has edited seven of his books, said Mr. Haggard called him on Saturday and apologized. Mr. Dodd said that Mr. Haggard did not go into detail, but admitted that it did involve sexual transgressions.

“He’s coming clean with his family and friends,” Mr. Dodd said. Of the decision, he added, “I think it’s a good idea because this is the way for Ted and his family to get healing and restoration. He won’t have to worry about pastoring his church and can focus on being pastored himself.”

[Hippikos]

You're gay or you're not. It's not a disease, you can't cure it, it's in the genes. So Pastor Ted (and his wife) needs to live with it.

Still he's Christian, so that's all right, because All Non-Christians are Doomed!

[tw]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

...with the type of behavior Pastor Haggard has demonstrated, we have decided that the most positive and productive direction for our church is his dismissal,” the statement said.

With a loss of income, we can assume Pastor Haggard will acknowledge a new life style.

[Sheldonrs]

Originally Posted by 9th Engineer

It's really his place to say whether he's ashamed of it or not as well, if he lives his life by a set of principles that forbid it then it's his choice. If he's willing to stand by those principles even when faced by something so personal it is a testament to his character. He's not blaming others, he believes this is his personal battle which he must fight and will be rewarded for fighting, I'm not going to disrespect him for that.

While I agree it is his place as to how he feels about this, I cannot have any respect for someone who has spent his life condemning gays, saying it's a choice, when he, above anyone else, should now know it has nothing to do with choice. Unless you count his "choice" to deny his true self.

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

PHP Code:

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. 


Do you suppose he's been able to scrap together enough to live on, until he can get a job at walmart of McD's?

I think that, when he writes the book confessing and repenting, and inspiring his flock about the glories of divine forgiveness, he'll probably do alright financially.

[Clodfobble]

By Friday, Mr. Haggard revised his account and said he had gotten a massage from Mr. Jones and bought methamphetamine from him. Mr. Jones has denied selling drugs.

Ha! I hadn't realized there wasn't already evidence pointing to the meth... "You out me and ruin my life, I'll make sure you get brought up on drug charges, bitch."

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

PHP Code:

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. 


Do you suppose he's been able to scrap together enough to live on, until he can get a job at walmart of McD's?

Nah. With his charisma, he'll open up across the street from his old church, under the name "The Christian Gay Brotherhood".

[mrnoodle]

lol, oops.

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ha! I hadn't realized there wasn't already evidence pointing to the meth... "You out me and ruin my life, I'll make sure you get brought up on drug charges, bitch."

[9th Engineer]

Disease, no, but don't be fooled into confusing a persons genetics with the persons behavior. Genetics is far more complicated, those who say "it's a genetic factor, so it's just who they are" are really distorting what a genetic factor is. We've already done bahavioral analysis based on genetic markers in my cellular engineering course, and we're definately holding this to a different standard. At best your genetics are a structure upon which behaviors are built according to environmental influences, it is absolutly not a rigid frame that determines what you are from conception onwards. If it wasn't such a political issue I'm sure that we'd be doing research on what genes are involved in homosexuality, the results could be interesting in a number of other areas as well. We're actually very good at manipulating the expression of genes in living organisms, turning off or turning on different factors is simple. Wouldn't it be interesting to really know the answer to all this? Would people accept that answer no matter what it turned out to be?