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Speaking Out

Ted Haggard's Facebook Ted Haggard's Facebook

A former New Life Church staffer watches the documentary.

Patton Dodd | posted 1/29/2009 11:32AM

Ted Haggard enjoyed frequent television appearances during his years as the outspoken president of the National Association of Evangelicals. His star rose high enough for Barbara Walters, Bill O'Reilly, ...

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Archangel

Posted: February 08, 2009 1:20 PM

He is human like all of us. No more, no less. I think that he has had an opportunity to learn from his mistakes, often in a publicly humiliating manner with no cushion of protection. Stripped of all dignity and honor, misplaced and forsaken. He took a wrong turn, and has paid a very high price for his mistakes. Nothing he has done is unforgiveable. I hope he finds gainful employment and can support his family, and that they overcome this. He has been forthcoming about his failures, more than the avg. politician, I might add. For my part, I wish their family complete recovery from this spectacle, and the way the media just "vultures" over failures of this sort. Not everyone is into making him pay and pay and pay, or humiliate him with rejection and gossip.

Anonymous

Posted: February 07, 2009 7:55 AM


seriously....forgive forgive forgive...........why preach it if its not gonna happen when a person confesses their sins

Steve

Posted: February 06, 2009 5:12 PM

I tried to stay away from the television interviews and media flap over this fallen man who is trying all the wrong ways to get back up. I had the misfortune of hearing his interview with Oprah as she grills him over and over that he "denied himself" and "denied who he was" in terms of his sexuality. Each time Oprah accused, I waited and hoped he would simply respond, "Yes, I denied myself. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow after Him." Sadly, that response never came. Haggard doesn't get it now, and one must wonder if he ever got it to begin with. While he has my pity, he does not have my sympathy. New Life treated him with Grace and with discipline. I thought the church acted exceedingly wise. I hope Haggard will grow out of his self-pity and finally turn toward God for his sufficiency.

Carol Wood

Posted: February 04, 2009 10:51 PM


We so often forget that Jesus said to let those without sin cast the first stone. We are all sinners stiving to do better. Forgiving is the greatest virtue.

Diane

Posted: February 04, 2009 7:11 PM

Nothing has changed when it comes to Haggard seeking a spot in front of TV cameras. He cannot stand to be anonymous. If he could, he'd be a nameless missionary in an African village having no electricity that could power the TV CAMERAS he GETS HIGH on. "Aug. 30, 2007: Ted Haggard's recent request for money to keep his family afloat while he attends school was "inappropriate" and "unacceptable," according to a statement Wednesday by the group that oversees the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Haggard had e-mailed a Colorado Springs television station a letter requesting financial help while he studies for his master's degree. . . . . After he left New Life, the church gave Haggard a severance package that included a year's salary of $138,000. He also owns a home for sale in Colorado Springs valued at $715,051, according to records from the county assessor." SHAMELESS! http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/augustweb-only/135-44.0.html

Diane

Posted: February 04, 2009 7:11 PM

eloquent2

Posted: February 04, 2009 6:09 PM


Yes love covers a multitude of sin, and we must forgive to be forgiven. In all this, let me ask this. Does Haggard really care? His action is no demonstration of brokeness. I pray that he will realize the true meaning of repentance and live it, before its too late.

Diane

Posted: February 04, 2009 5:41 PM

TRUE CHRISTIAN

Posted: February 04, 2009 10:18 AM

You people are not forgiving at all LOVE COVERS A MULITITUDE of SINS. We are the church and God cannot come for us for we are in a sick state we are not who he answers to He answers to God why are we holding him for a sin that God does not remember. It is far as the east is from the west. And the Lord can raise him back up in this time to minister to the unrighteous because most christians are self righteous

gene	Posted: February 04, 2009 10:14 AM


I think the devil temped ted haggard; and now it seems like the church is just turning there back on him; our god is a forgiving god isnt he? like no one ever made a mistake? gene20033@yahoo.com emal me

Chandidevi

Posted: February 03, 2009 10:09 PM


You say that Pastor Haggard paid a huge price for his sin...losing his job. What has YOUR SIN cost you? What does the future hold for evangelical "Christians", the most unforgiving group of people in the world. That is not Jesus' way. Not His way. It's time you self-righteous, pompous individuals started PRACTICING the religion of unconditional love.

Nita	Posted: February 03, 2009 4:36 PM

You people are so wonderful up there on your high horses. It's people like you that ensure that people like me will never set foot in one of your holier than thou churches. I think that what you have should be listed in the DSM III. I live in Colorado Springs and watched all of this take up the air waves and it was/is pitful. Yes Haggard did not feel he could trust anyone with the truth of what was going on in his life. As soon as he dared spoke and confessed the loving church that he helped build abandoned him. Oh! let me sign up for the witch hunt.

Beleiver

Posted: February 03, 2009 2:16 PM


Now that's the kettle calling the pot black. God and the bible teaches to have an open hart and forgive. I don't understand how people who call themselves christians can so easily turn away from the word. I'll pray for you all

daniel1212

Posted: February 02, 2009 8:26 AM


Frankly, I think you said it succinctly

Oyinlade

Posted: February 02, 2009 7:49 AM

I agree with Dr Paul that the Church got what it deserved by making a god out of Haggard. It is appaling how Christians place Pastors and Ministers in a 'perfect and cannot sin' pedestal. The best of men are men at their best. We all possess a fallen nature that challenges us from time to time and Pastors are not exempted from this. If we all start seeing our leaders as fellow humans with the same tendencey to fall like the rest of us, that might make them a little more truthful. We should not encourage them to live in secrecy by crucifying them for their weaknesses. Afterall which of us including the pope and the best of church overseers does not fall into sin from time to time. I wish Haggard well. I pray that He does not get ahead of God in anything he does.

moni	Posted: February 02, 2009 2:25 AM

you could not have said it better. Haggards interview on oprah made me cringe as did the one on Larry King. It seemed that he was angry that there were consequences for his sin and not shameful and hurt that he spit and shamed Jesus Christ the one that he was serving. There were some clips shown on oprah about the documentary and the saddest one was when Ted said - I just dont want my family to be poor. I thought my God that would be a start to living humbly and honestly as a christian. Teds whole comming out is sad because he presents his case for being- to the world that is so confused by his denial of being a homosexual.

Frankly

Posted: February 01, 2009 10:18 AM

Okay, I'm really confused about all of this. We have a big-time, "good" evangelical preacher that's preaching hell-fire and damnation to all gay people that gets himself exposed practicing what he's condeming, an ultimate hypocrite! Then his big-time loving church pays him $20K monthly plus benefits to get out of Colorado and keep his mouth shut, which he doesn't, and now we learn that he probably queered around with boys from his own congregation, which his "deacons" knew about and paid off to keep them quiet?!?! Now he's crying because he's spent all of his big settlement and he doesn't have fellowship with the congregation he accepted money from to leave?!?! Also, he was paid big bucks by HBO for the documentary and there's talk of a book deal?!?! Well, well, well.....it looks to me like the only one that gave Brother Ted a good screwing was he man-whore!!!!!!

Mike	Posted: February 01, 2009 12:05 AM


I love where he writes "there is "no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self."" I have a friend who says almost the same thing: "God uses us most profoundly when we are most profoundly ourselves." If we aren't true to ourselves, and all the baggage we have--along with all the good we can do--then I don't believe we can be fully living out the calling God has for each one of us.

Chris

Posted: January 31, 2009 4:09 PM

I have watched all of Ted Haggard's recent interviews, and the one sad thing about all of them is that he is still in his evangelical denial. Notice how whatever problems he mentions are always in the past. Whenever he talks about the present, everything is just great. The man is in denial, and as long as he continues to deny his bisexuality and sex addiction, he will continue to be a dishonest evangelical hypocrite. Another sign of Haggard's dishonesty is that he is only willing to discuss the cases that have been disclosed by others (e.g., Jones and Haas). Whenever he is asked about other cases (and there are many, many others), he avoids an honest response. Why not say, even without naming people, that there have been many others, and that he is deeply sorry? Because he is an evangelical hypocrite, that's why. Just like the rest of his right-wing friends who abandoned and exiled him.

Chris

Posted: January 31, 2009 3:52 PM

The real tragedy of the Ted Haggard story is not his gay behavior, although there is no excuse for the way he abused at least one young church member (and probably several others). The real tragedy is the response of the church. Instead of uncovering the truth and offering a compassionate response to everyone involved, they threw money at Haggard and Haas to keep them quiet and protect New Life's self-righteous image. When Mike Jones contacted pastor Brady about other instances of abuse at the church involving at least one church elder, Brady refused to talk. Just as in the case of the Catholic child abuse scandal, the church is once again more concerned with protecting itself from bad publicity than with the truth or the feelings of victims. Just another example of how hipocritical churches are when truth really matters.

Valkyrie

Posted: January 31, 2009 12:51 PM

Haggard has brought unbelievable shame on the name of Christ. He is a human train wreck on the installment plan, a sociopath who cannot be denied attention, no matter how lurid the cause for the attention. He is unrepentant and sowing further confusion among Christians about sexuality. What an effective enemy of the cross he was and is. Those who despise Christ in the media are only too happy to give him all the airtime he wants.

Seeing Similarities

Posted: January 31, 2009 7:35 AM

Ted Haggard reminds me of Joseph "Skip" Ryan, former senior minister of a mega-church in Dallas who got caught in a drug addiction a few years ago. But where New Life asked Haggard to leave so its members could heal, Ryan's church minimized his drug use and kept his thefts from congregants as hush-hush as possible. In fact, Ryan still attends that church and was recently appointed chancellor of Redeemer Seminary in Dallas. This raises the question of what the Bible says about appointed Christian leadership. Would it be appropriate for Haggard to assume a leadership position in a Christian organization once again? Is Ryan's situation any different?

looloo

Posted: January 30, 2009 5:20 PM


Why no comment on the young man who is the latest Haggard victim?

Doug	Posted: January 30, 2009 4:13 PM

Actually, I differ a little with the assessment of the salary being generous. While it is difficult to make an exact comparison between secular companies and the Church, if this was a large secular company where the founder / CEO was discovered in immoral conduct, he would be punished but would not necessarily forfeit his interest in the company. Furthermore, a CEO is able to transition to a new company and start over. However, in the Church when a Pastor falls it appears that we have no parachute for them but to kick them out. Many Pastors, like Ted, have very little secular experiences. They have served in the church for 20 years and now when they fall they have nothing. A CEO with 20 years experience, regardless of moral failures, would still have many assets. I don't have the answer to this, but have greatly pondered this over the past few years and I think we need to have a way to restore leaders without leaving them out to hang.

Jessica

Posted: January 30, 2009 3:21 PM


Well written; thank you for your honesty and insight.

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