Ousted evangelist confesses to followers

AP Via Yahoo ^

[SmoothTalker]

"Less than 24 hours after he was fired from the pulpit of the evangelical megachurch he founded, the Rev. Ted Haggard confessed to his followers Sunday that he was guilty of sexual immorality."

"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's a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life," he said."

" Haggard, 50, had acknowledged on Friday that he paid Mike Jones of Denver for a massage and for methamphetamine, but said he did not have sex with him and did not take the drug."

[SmoothTalker]

So each time he denies a little less. First he did nothing. Then he bought drugs but didn't use them and only got a "nonsexual massage." Now that he is guilty of "sexual immorality." What a scumbag.

[don-o]

Untangling is hard at best. I hope for the best for this man and his family and friends.

[JRochelle]

Proof that gay marriage shouldn't ever be legal.

Gayness destroys families! :-)

[Perdogg]

http://download.lardlad.com/sounds/season8/phobia16.mp3

[Kuksool]

The "objective" media assumes evangelicals won't vote over this news.

[lugsoul]

What? He admits to the "politically motivated" allegations?

[Lijahsbubbe]

"The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. And I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar.

Translation: I know there's too much evidence to keep lying.

[Alia]

So, did he "sin in his heart" a la Jimmah Carter?

[Suzy Quzy]

Homosexuality and drugs are repulsive.

[backtothestreets]

Dang! Does this mean homosexual activity undertaken by church leaders isn't confined to Catholic priests alone? I'd sure like to know if he was one of the people throwing darts at the Catholics when they suffered from the revelations of sexual impropriety among their church leaders.

[Central Scrutiniser]

His story changes by the hour eh? As much as an idiot this guy is, the ignorant folk that sent him money to live this way are exponentially more stupid.

Jim Bakker
Robert Tilton
Benny Hinn (when you gonna heal Jan Crouch, Benny?)
Paul Crouch
Jimmy Swaggart
Peter Popoff
Ted Haggard

Don't give money to the charlatans above, or anyone with a 1-800 number below their face. Just because a preacher says he is holy and for God, it ain't always true. Use your brain instead of your heart when it comes to your hard earned money.

[XeniaSt]

Ted Haggard is like most of the rest of us.

Too much Pride. Thinking it is all our effort.

He did not seem to be fully committed to Y'shua.

b'shem Y'shua

[Chewie84]

Interestingly enough, just today in church, the sermon was entitled, 'Will the Real Christ Please Stand Up?' It was about knowing how to avoid false Christs, and used examples from real life, and from the book 'The Chronicles of Narnia; The Last Battle.'

[Dante3]

Maybe he is fishing for a book deal such as the ex-governor got who then was all over talk-TV. Even a dangerous pedophile such as Mary Kay L. got a book contract and cozy interviews with Larry King and others.

[BunnySlippers]

He was born attracted to men and couldn't hide it. He certainly tried, but couldn't.

[P-Marlowe]

What a scumbag.

Are you willing to confess all your secret sins here on Free Republic?

[kenth]

No, I think he actually sinned in his pants...

[jokar]

Judge not lest you be judged also. Judgment is mine saith the Lord.As you measure it out so shall it be measured to you.

[SandyInSeattle]

This is a shame. Who knows how much damage he's done to the cause of Christ.

Hopefully he will get the help he needs and recover from this.

[bray]

Note to PravdABDNC-Pastors are NOT God, as opposed to your worship of Gummit!

Pray for W and Our Troops

[NittanyLion]

He was born attracted to men and couldn't hide it. He certainly tried, but couldn't.

So you're not of the mindset that homosexuality is a choice, huh? People are pretty much powerless to overcome it?

[Joe Boucher]

Jimmy Swaggert alert.

[P-Marlowe]

Well stated Chuck.

There is a bit of Ted Haggard in all of us. We all have feet of clay.

[p[adre29]

He now knows regret, I hope later he discovers forgiveness as well.

[NittanyLion]

There is a bit of Ted Haggard in all of us.

But evidently a lot of Ted Haggard in selected male prostitutes.

[shield]

Our Lord has a program for all of us. Our Lord works with us quietly. If we still do not do what He requires us to do...then it will go public.

Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

[Fury]

Judge not lest you be judged also. Judgment is mine saith the Lord.As you measure it out so shall it be measured to you.

I believe that judging according to G_d's word is not only permitted, but mandated...

[JRochelle]

A slight differance here though.

He won't be shuffled to another church. He is done.

[JRochelle]

On that list, the ones I hate the most are the TBN cons.
Crouch and Hinn.

[kenth]

"Judge not" - one of the most oft and wrongly used passages in an attempt to silence others' views.

[SmoothTalker]

"Are you willing to confess all your secret sins here on Free Republic?"

I have nothing on ol Ted and even if I did, people who are serving as public moral leaders deserve to be held to a higher standard than the average citizen. He was a leader in the anti-gay cause. For that reason I think the fact that he is having sex with gay whores and doing drugs with them is worse than if the average was doing that (and it would be quite bad then too). The hypocrisy is cosmic.

[MineralMan]

Yup, tell a little more each time. I'm not sure why people do this nonsense. He screwed up. He's out of a job. Fess up and get it over with, then start to rebuild your life.

I have zero sympathy for Haggard. I have huge amounts of sympathy for his congregation, which placed a lot of trust in this guy. They'll have some stuff they have to deal with.

There have been religious hucksters for a long time, probably since the beginnings of religion. Haggard's just another in a long line.

Shame on him! Not for sinning, but for putting one over on people who trusted him...people who supported him financially.

What good is his edifice now?

Just shame on him!

[Dante3]

Yes, there is a difference between the message and the messenger.

I recall televangelist Leroy Jenkins. A movie was supposedly in progress about him - I don't know if it was ever completed. He was convicted of arson and others things, but not sex or drugs.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Whatever he fishes for, I'm sure he find someone willing to take the bait. What an icky man.

[Positive]

Actually, within context (I'm assuming this was in or through a church), this is an actual confession. He admits full responsibility and accepts blame.

Can you imagine jon carry saying: "I said what I said, you heard me right, I was speaking from my heart instead of my notes, I am a liar and a deceiver, my adult life has been so dark and repulsive that I fully appreciate why people can't stand me..."? Under any circumstances?

[joesbucks]

Just another example of why there's fallacy in trying one to impose the word of God rather than expose the word of God.

[Balding_Eagle]

See how nutty that sounds when taken out of context?

[XeniaSt]

There is a bit of Ted Haggard in all of us. We all have feet of clay.

23 posted on 11/05/2006 11:37:02 AM MST by P-Marlowe

I met him a few years ago at an Easter "Show" at church.

My first discernment was a "used car salesman".

He did not even make an attempt at humility.

[p[adre29]

Indeed, and for Haggard, he may have been given a way out of his own personal version of it.

If this gay whore, hadn't stepped forward Haggard would have just kept on playing the Harlot.

And folks keep in mind this is one more wing in the full court press against anyone who would dare to speak out agianst the gay agenda.

[spectre]

"Homosexuality and drugs are repulsive."

I am not as much concerned with his homosexuality, as I am with the hypocrisy and deception he practiced with regard to this.

His wife and five children are going to pay a heavy price. Will they stand by him? Dunno?

I do suspect (like the other disgraced clergy) he WILL have his followers and will continue preaching somewhere..sigh.

sw

[P-Marlowe]

He did not even make an attempt at humility.

Pride cometh before a fall.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

He is a bad man and it is a bad man that exhibits pity for this wretch.

[napscoordinator]

This does not surprise me a bit. I knew from the gitgo that this guy was scum!!! I would not be surprised that more prostitutes come out and say things about him. He is married with five children...disgusting!

[Lijahsbubbe]

Actually, within context (I'm assuming this was in or through a church), this is an actual confession. He admits full responsibility and accepts blame.

After trying to lie his way thru it. Now appealing for sympathy.

[ElPatriota]

..Dang! Does this mean homosexual activity undertaken by church leaders isn't confined to Catholic priests alone? I'd sure like to know if he was one of the people throwing darts at the Catholics when they suffered from the revelations of sexual impropriety among their church leaders...

I guess I am one of "them." :)

But notice the DIFFERENCE!... The pervert is gone just like that... GONE... Whereas in the Catholic Church they don't act with that clarity and resolve. The abuses took place for the span of 20 years at least... and the rumors were all over the place and the Catholic Church DID NOTHING!... Also, you can hardly compare an isolated case, or two or tree (in the future?)... with a whole culture of pandering to homosexuals: The seminaries were full of them, and perhaps they are the ones in high positions today, hence their silece?

In a few days, this church will raise even higher than before in triumph against sin... Having been tested and having come through. The Catholic Church on the other hand, even today... AFTER ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED! still operates under a shroud of silence. One wonders what else is there hidden that the high ranking officers of the church have not come out and denounced their sins yet, repented, cleaned up... and then go on.

[p[adre29]

I disagree with that totally. "forgive that you may be forgiven" is still as true today as it was 2000 years ago.

Now whether the consequences of his actions and hippocrisy catches up to him in this life or the next is not really for anyone to decide but Haggard and God.

[Lijahsbubbe]

My first discernment was a "used car salesman".

Never trust a male pastor who tans.....

[Dark Skies]

I believe that judging according to G_d's word is not only permitted, but mandated...

Not meaning to be argumentative, but can you provide Scriptural references for that.

[napscoordinator]

Are you willing to confess all your secret sins here on Free Republic?


Although you did not question me directly on this, I wanted to give you my impression or opinion on this question. First of all FREEPERS are not celebrities who are out MAKING MONEY giving our conservative views and then in our personal lives doing the EXACT thing that we are being PAID to say. Big differences asking about our secret sins (which of course all of us have or we would be God) and somebody who is famous. Just the way it is. I think this creep was a hypocrite at the largest possible way.

[Fury]

An article on FR that discusses and is better at descrivinb this that I is at:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1661352/posts