Posted on 12/19/2008 8:28:18 AM PST by Alex Murphy
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard says in a new documentary that he still struggles with his sexuality yet is committed to his marriage for the sake of his children.
Haggard, 52, resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and was fired as senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs in November 2006 after a former male prostitute went public with allegations that Haggard paid him for sex and used methamphetamine.
A father of five, Haggard had said he bought the drugs but never used them. He confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" and has said, "I really did sin."
The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported Thursday that in the documentary, Haggard talks about a lifelong battle with his sexuality — and that he never claimed to be heterosexual.
"The reason I kept my personal struggle a secret is because I feared that my friends would reject me, abandon me and kick me out, and the church would exile and excommunicate me. And that happened and more," he says.
Haggard's wife, Gayle, says she is committed to Haggard.
"I know to restore the honor to our children is to help restore honor to their father," she says.
"The Trials of Ted Haggard," directed by Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is set to air Jan. 29 on HBO. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Haggard has agreed to promote the documentary.
Haggard moved his family to Arizona after the scandal and also lived in Texas. He re-emerged last month at a rural Illinois church, where he delivered guest sermons and said he was sexually abused as a second-grader.
He now sells insurance and, in the documentary, says he isn't successful.
"At this stage in my life, I am a loser"
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Some people just don’t know when to go away.
Some people cannot stand to be out of the limelight no matter what it takes.
Would that God "help" Ted to step back into the shadows and quit dragging his family into his continued shameful self-promotion.
Oh geesh. This guy is a loser. Why doesn’t he just shut the fk up.
I don’t whats worse...his story or a Pelosi offspring making documentaries.
“”The reason I kept my personal struggle a secret is because I feared that my friends would reject me, abandon me and kick me out, and the church would exile and excommunicate me. And that happened and more,” he says. “
No, they would have kicked you out of any leadership positon, and that is exactly what happened.
If this was a guy who’s sin was bank robbery, there would be no controversy. Someone that robs banks wouldn’t be abandoned, they would be told to give up their sin of bank robbery and repent. They certainly wouldn’t be allowed to hold a leadership positon in the church while they continued to rob banks.
But because this is a sexual sin it is controversial. It shouldn’t be. Substitute bank robbery and everything becomes clear (and his excuses and struggles don’t seem to wash anymore.)
I guess the gay life isn’t so gay after all. I feel sorry for the guy even though I am not condoning his activities with hustlers and possible drug use. If one can kind of put two and two together in regard to their sexuality (on which side do they they like their bread buttered) they should make that choice and stick with it. If you stay confused there’s nothing but trouble for you and trouble for those who are involved in your life (like wives and kids).
Point of order. He is a married man with kids.
Any sex he engaged in outside of marriage is adultery.
The headline should read “He struggles with adultery” if the news organization didn’t have an agenda to push.
We are all sinners. There is one demographic who wants us to parrot their delusion that their sin is a sin no more and should be celebrated.
Imagine if a homosexual made these allegations about a major presidential candidate. You'd think that might be big news based on how the media treats THIS story 2 years out.
Nah, the agy activists won’t be satisfied becuse Ted is not an out & proud gay man—he’s “conflicted”—and that is a no-no.
I think it’s hilarious that Obama basically has given the middle finger to gay activists. Well, I can understand it from the point that open support of the gay agenda would tick off mant in the black community. They would have voted Obama regardless, but would have given him lots of flack. Obama was smart in avoidng the grief he would have gotten if he had openly endorsed gay marriage et. cetera
Kleptomaniacs can’t help themselves. They were born like that...
Does his wife testify to that ?
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach Adonai
Some would say that he was victimized by a homosexual but that would be wrong and judgemental. Clearly it is genetic, with no social factors.
Does his wife testify to that ?
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach Adonai
Ted’s on his was to rehabilitation because Pelsoi’s daughter is making the film.
It’s like going before Al Sharpton to have your name reclaimed when you are branded a racist.
Sounds like one high class bimbo... Is standing with a sociopathic-type liar really a good example for her children?
Sounds like one high class bimbo... Is standing with a sociopathic-type liar really a good example for her children?
Ouch. That's gotta leave a mark on the wife.
A friend took me to his church and I met him.shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach AdonaiHe has always been a self absorbed drama queen.
Good points.
However, sexual temptation is a couple of orders of magnitude more intense than other types, financial and so forth.
Not an excuse for immoral behavior, but we should recognize that resisting sexual temptation is a good deal more difficult, perhaps especially for those who had their wiring sexual messed up by childhood abuse.
Having True Grace means never having to Struggle.
The leftist media only makes a big deal out of it because they consider Haggard a hypocrite. The left has no trouble with someone being a degenerate or a criminal, as long as the person is not on record as condemning something he in which he is involved. So, if Haggard had been an openly gay/drug-using preacher, that'd be cool with them.
I'll believe him when he disappears from public view, lives a quiet, faithful life under the accountability of a good church.
While God graciously forgives anyone who is truly sorry, we can and should judge the fruits on the tree...
I agree.
I predict than within 2 years Haggard will abandon his heterosexual life altogether and announce that God made him homosexual and accepts him just as he is.
"At this stage in my life, I am a loser"
It's a start, that realization.
“Having True Grace means never having to Struggle.”
You’ve got to be kidding.
2 words for you
Jesus
Gethsemane
I have a lot more- but those two should suffice
“I predict than within 2 years Haggard will abandon his heterosexual life altogether and announce that God made him homosexual and accepts him just as he is.”
And promptly start sleeping with everything. He’ll get busted in a rest stop bathroom before that revelation.
Always? You base this assessment on one meeting. How would you say your comment exhibits the "chesed" of your haMashiach?
In the Christian faith there is opportunity for redemption and restoration, when the Spirit of Christ works in a person to bring them to the point when they can honestly acknowledge their sin before Almighty God. Whether Mr. Haggard has come to the point in his life or not is yet to be seen.
Sadly, there are consequences to our actions regardless of sincere expressions of repentance. No doubt Mr. Haggard and his family are experiencing those consequences. We might pray that God continues to work in all the lives caught up in the human tragedy.
If you have unresolved issues in your life that would do damage to the ministry, you have to step aside. Step out of the pulpit. Take a couple of years and deal with it.
There are thousands of ways you can serve God, but you can’t be in the limelight where your problems are going to do damage to your mission. God can heal this kind of thing, but until he does you have no business in the pulpit.
I’ve thought the same thing about some of the other famous preachers who have crashed and burned. If they knew they were out of control they needed to step out of the limelight for a couple of years and deal with it. If you’re having your midlife crisis, go do something else for a while until you’ve come to terms with it. Don’t let something like this destroy what you and God and thousands of churchmembers have built up over years.
In my youth I remember that our preacher, at the first hint something wasn’t right, immediately resigned and took his seat in the pews as just another member. And recently where I attend now, an assistant pastor announced that he had some unresolved issues and was stepping out of the leadership for a couple of years to deal with whatever it is. Very low key. Thats the way it ought to be done.
Check out these prior headlines. Whose interests were being served in each case?:
from 2006: Evangelist admits meth, massage, no sex
from 2007: HBO Filmmaker Liked Ted Haggard; He Wasn’t The Usual 'Holy Roller Jesus Freak'
from 2007: Haggard says he's not gay [emerged from counseling, convinced he is "completely heterosexual"]
from 2007: Haggard Now 'Completely Heterosexual'
from 2007: Pastor ends his gay phase [ Ted Haggard ]
from 2008: Church Says Haggard's Restoration 'Incomplete'
I guess you don’t get it.
Her documentaries are actually pretty good. The one where she went around the country talking to conservative Christians trying to getter a better understanding of them was very fair.
The event took place 10 years ago.shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach AdonaiTed had just put on a 300 person Easter play
at his mega church for 1000s of parishioners.As we were leaving, I shook his hand
and said "Great show pastor".He beamed and was effusive.
They didn’t even want to entertain the allegations made by Larry Sinclair against Barack Obama.
So in other words, the interventions that claim sexuality transformation don’t work?
Is a documentary about this Ted Haggard person really necessary, especially if is produced by Pelosi’s daughter?
It’s a second documentary. She profiled him in another film about “conservative Christians in Red State America”. She also made that film about travelling with President Bush on the campaign trail (and pushed him about the death penalty in Texas).
That's because Obama is not on record as having spoken out against having gay sex and doing coke with a dude.
“It’s a second documentary. She profiled him in another film about “conservative Christians in Red State America”. She also made that film about travelling with President Bush on the campaign trail (and pushed him about the death penalty in Texas).”
Good grief.
Just why does one man’s sin deserve a “documentary”, while another’s is just plain old adultery?
Is forgiving her husband for infidelity a bad example to her children? It sounds to me like the Christian way. If that couple can save their marriage, it will be because of the wife's love.
How many of you have ever prayed for Ted Haggard? Is your sin any more appealing to God than his? Does not God forgive if he will truly repent? Is it possible that he might go to heaven and you not be there when your name is called?
Well said.
The church has long taught that all sins are not equal. Sexual sins are at the bottom of the list. At the very top is the sin of pride. Unfortunately we live in an age that has turned the list upside down. Nobody cares about pride any more. In fact, I think we may be the first age to turn pride into a virtue. That is a great distortion.
Haggard's wife has forgiven him. That is a sign of great love. I do hope they can save their marriage. I believe he has repented. But if he wants to save his marriage, he will also have to change his behavior. He has a loving and forgiving wife. I do hope he comes to his senses.
Haggard says he is still struggling. He may have to struggle the rest of his life. God can forgive an infinite number of times. But I would not count on his wife forgiving him an infinite number of times.
As to who gets into Heaven, I have not been given the list. Therefore, I do not know who gets in and who does not. You and I could both be going to Hell. That is part of the great Christian drama. We will have to wait and see.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.