Some Thoughts on the Ted Haggard Incident

Unless you have been completely away from all forms of communication the last 12-16 hours, you have heard about the allegations leveled against Ted Haggard. (If you have not yet heard, here is a link to one of the hundreds of articles on the topic) Below are some of my thoughts in response to this issue:

Please pray for Ted Haggard and his family - Even if you do not agree with all of his politics, he is in the middle of a private hell that most of us cannot relate to. This is true whether the allegations are confirmed or not.

Don't rejoice with either outcome - I find too many people, even some in the Church, hoping for one outcome or the other. Sadly, even my first reaction was to take sides. But love does not delight in evil. Period. If these allegations turn out to be true, how sad. If they are false, how sad. I pray we have the conviction to think this way.

Pray for Haggard's successor at the NAE - While Ted Haggard is stepping aside from his church temporarily, it appears that he has resigned permanently from the National Association of Evangelicals. And, while I was not a fan of all his politics, Haggard was nonetheless a champion for the environment and human rights, and expressed openness on the issue of domestic partnership benefits for homosexuals. I fear a conservative backlash within the NAE to this incident, whatever the outcome.

Comments

[John Lunt]

I often disagree with you on issues, especially political, but you've offered some of the wisest counsel possible in this situation.

Thank you

[relevantgirl]

Yes, it's the best way to proceed. Prayer. Sadness either way.

[Joel Frederick]

I was curious what you would have to say about this. Living in Colorado, this is huge new fodder. Thank you for some great advice!

[james]

Dude, thanks for a very level-headed approach to this situation. I too reacted with more of a one-sided bias thinking these guys are all hypocrites. Thank you pointing out my lack of compassion.

peace.

[Steve K.]

My first reaction to this was: The male prostitute has the wrong guy. How sad for Ted Haggard and his family.

Now I read this morning that Haggard has "confessed to the overseers [of his church] that some of the accusations against him are true." This is really devastating.

Thanks for the biblical advice on how to respond, Will. I'll be praying ...

[Dustin]

Yet again, Will, you have provided a levelheaded, concise and faithful response to such a dichotomizing issue. I have appreciated your thoughts greatly in recent weeks, and you have not disappointed here.

Thank you!

May all our prayers be with Haggard, his family, the church and the NAE (even if I do not agree with them in most cases).

[Ryan Sharp]

Lord have mercy.

[Will]

Yes, Steve, it appears that there is some confirmation of the allegations. Wow. I weep for him, for his family, for the church ...

[anj]

Wise counsel Will.

[shanna]

I just don't wholly buy Jones' meth story. Meth isn't a casual drug; it's addictiveness and destructiveness is well known. Could Haggard have successfully hidden those effects for three years--at a mega-church? (If Haggard actually used it the whole time of the alleged affair.) Perhaps Jones had just enough truth there to make a good lie.

Wow. Yes, it is time for prayer.

[Joey]

I do agree that it's time for prayer. And simply for the sake of the man's honor, I would say that it's terribly convenient that these allegations come at such a critical moment in our nations politics. I'm not siding with anyone, I just think it's terribly convenient...

[bob c]

Prayers ascending for Mr. Haggard, his poor family and the community members affected. Mr. Jones and Mr. Haggard will have to sort out the truth - others are left with the apin, anguish and disilussionment.

Two insights:

1. while I think (as always) your insights are spot on, I wonder why they warranted a referral thru ev. When the Cath scandals took place, when UUC & Episcopal churches went thru problems, when relations between Islam & Christians boiled over - ev seemed to opt to stay above the fray. the evangelical phenomenon looms large over the emergent conversation - turning "news" into conversation fodder just strike me as odd (and potentially indicative of how much of ev, rather than the broader emerging church cloud of witnesses, remains tied to the evangelical movement)

2. Mr. Haggard spent a tremendous amount of tie objectifying people who expressed a same sex attraction. I'll skip the arm-chair Frued game and simply point out that the fringes of an empire in decline is when categories are used for exclusion & violence, for power & for commerce. I have often found in my own life, that which I expouse hatred towards the most is often a shadow that I walk thru in some fashion.

[Marty]

Contrast the behavior of the Evangelical communities general response to this situation - that of condemnation and outrage - to the response of the Amish community to the terrible tragedy in Pennsylvania a few weeks back. Evangelicals have a lot to learn about what it means to be a Christian. When Jesus said to forgive - He meant it!!!

[Will]

Bob,

As far as why EV pointed to this post but did not comment on the other issues, I have no idea. I don't control that blog. I do know that I have posted on all of the issues you mentioned.

As to your second point, I agree, although that was not the goal of my post. Perhaps I will talk more about that later, once the furor has died down a bit.

[Will]

Marty,

I am not sure that I agree with your point. It seems to me that most of the condemnation of Haggard has come from outside the evangelical camp, people that are happy he "got what was coming to him."

I agree with your final statement, but I am not sure that we means we shouldn't talk about the issue, nor that discussion of the ramifications of an issue (as Bob has offered) mean that we are not willing to forgive someone's transgressions.

[Sivin]

Christ have mercy

[BPS]

Mr. Haggard did not demonstrate a contrite heart until AFTER it was obvious that the truth was going to be found. He was and still is a performer - an actor - with the pulpit his silver screen. The good that I deeply hope will come of this is that the world will see that the true Evangelical movement is in the nameless, faceless and annymous Christians spreading the word of God. Those the likes of Haggard, Hybels and Dobson are politicians and performers first. I have seen it in a thousand seminarians - all Haggard "wannabee's" who think that they can only do God's work through a mega-church, huge youth programs or multi-million dollar facilities. If you want to see the real Evangelical movement, visit your rural churches on Missionary Sunday. Unfortunatly, the press will miss this side of Evangelicalism and cast it aside along with the Catholic child molesting Bishops. Thankfully, God is not antimidated by this.

[Will]

BPS,

Who said that Haggard has a contrite heart?

[BPS]

Will,

I stand corrected. He doesn't. He didn't even have the courage to address his own congregation. Instead, he has someone else read his letter.

With that said however, cowards, liars and deceivers also need mercy and forgiveness. I can grant that - resprect I cannot however.

[Sean]

Will, thank you for setting such a constructive tone in this otherwise very messy and tragic discussion.

[rawbbie]

Lord have mercy

[Teri]

My prayers go out to his family, and those who have looked up to him as a spiritual leader, I pray that Ted looks at himself and turn his heart back to the Lord. So many people get hurt when one falls/fails let's pray because when one of us weakens and falls, it makes the body weaker, let's look at the big picture.