Haggard stepping down amid gay affair inquiry

[El Supremo]

By The Denver Post
Article Last Updated:11/02/2006 03:25:29 PM MST

Ted Haggard (Post file)

The leader of one of Colorado's most popular mega-churches, Ted Haggard, is temporarily stepping down from his leadership role, after allegations from a male prostitute that Haggard solicited gay sex.

Haggard, the founder and senior leader of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs and president of the multimillion- member National Association of Evangelicals, denied the accusations raised by the prostitute on Wednesday.

Today, a press conference by church leaders to support Haggard was cancelled shortly before it was scheduled to take place.

The rest at: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4588998

[MidwestTransplant]

1. Sure step because you didn't do it? Yeah right.

[AussieDave]

2. They just can't help themselves, can they ??

The sins of the flesh ALWAYS catch up to the self-righteous.

How long will this fly, I wonder ??

[xchrom]

38. sex isn't as good if it isn't covered by blankets of guilt, shame, self loathing,

and self righteousness.

it's why there are gay republicans.

it's why child abusers hide in teh ranks of social conservatives.

and on and on.

[AussieDave]

55. I know - it just seems to be the thrill of the forbidden

kinda like Adam and Eve and the apple, huh ??

Why oh why don't they all just Come Out Of The Closet ?????

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[MrModerate]

3. Why do these people hate themselves?

Could it be because they surround themselves with homophobes and never hear an untwisted word?

[TechBear_Seattle]

23. Very likely

I've know a few people who had been warped by the kind of hatred heaped on them by homophobic family. The saddest was a guy I went to college with. Great guy, involved for a while with a good friend. He ended up going back home and marrying the girl his Mormon family and church had ordered him to marry because that was "better" than being excommunicated and losing all contact with them.

I can easily imagine folks like this guy in the same situation, with the added "incentive" to either turn or burn forever.

[CountAllVotes]

4. awwwwwwww

:nopity:

:nopity:

:dem: :kick:

[Botany]

5. Why is the ones who protest the most about gays are gay?

If you listen to their talks about evil gays winning over straight
kids because "that lifestyle" is soooo much fun makes this straight
guy go Hmmmmmmmmm?

[Deja Q]

9. Or because they are uncomfortable being that way...

or not wanting to fit into the 'lifestyle' and 'culture' (especially as how George Michael has spoken of what the 'culture' is...)

[Thor_MN]

54. Perceived invisibility cloak?

To counter the thought "You know, if he weren't so vocally anti-gay, I'd think he was absolutely flaming"?

[Blue_Tires]

57. i've thought the same thing about Fred Phelps

[Fridays Child]

6. Haggard is tight with the White House.

http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/court39.htm

[Fridays Child]

17. Hey, Ted, wanna lei?

[leftchick]

7. Holy Shit! This is the guy who calls bush every fucking week!!!!

I read about him in this Harpers article. OMG! :rofl:

http://www.harpers.org/SoldiersOfChrist.html

Pastor Ted, who talks to President George W. Bush or his advisers every Monday, is a handsome forty-eight-year-old Indianan, most comfortable in denim. He likes to say that his only disagreement with the President is automotive; Bush drives a Ford pickup, whereas Pastor Ted loves his Chevy. In addition to New Life, Pastor Ted presides over the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), whose 45,000 churches and 30 million believers make up the nation's most powerful religious lobbying group, and also over a smaller network of his own creation, the Association of Life-Giving Churches, 300 or so congregations modeled on New Life's “free market” approach to the divine.

[Pattib]

35. Harper's article says he staked out gay bars...to get young men to come to his church..Sure buddy.

[Megahurtz]

48. BLAAEEH!!!

:puke:

[Mabus]

51. You should have included these paragraphs

He was always on the lookout for spies. At the time, Colorado Springs was a small city split between the Air Force and the New Age, and the latter, Pastor Ted believed, worked for the devil. Pastor Ted soon began upsetting the devil's plans. He staked out gay bars, inviting men to come to his church; his whole congregation pitched itself into invisible battles with demonic forces, sometimes in front of public buildings. One day, while he was working in his garage, a woman who said she'd been sent by a witches' coven tried to stab Pastor Ted with a five-inch knife she pulled from a leg sheath; Pastor Ted wrestled the blade out of her hand. He let that story get around. He called the evil forces that dominated Colorado Springs—and every other metropolitan area in the country—“Control.”

Sometimes, he says, Control would call him late on Saturday night, threatening to kill him. “Any more impertinence out of you, Ted Haggard,” he claims Control once told him, “and there will be unrelenting pandemonium in this city.” No kidding! Pastor Ted hadn't come to Colorado Springs for his health; he had come to wage “spiritual war.”

:rofl:

[Tansy_Gold]

56. "Control"?????

Wait a minute, but don't I remember that as being one of the agencies in "Get Smart"? Or "Man from U.N.C.L.E." or some other stupid tv show?

Is this guy nutzazoid or what?

[Blue_Tires]

59. wow....just wow

any members of his 'church' that can look at me with a straight face and say they believe that story word-for-word---well, i don't know what to say other than they need their asses WHIPPED

[Anakin Skywalker]

58. Phone Sex with the President!

I wonder if Pickle knows?

[Cha]

61. ted sounds like right up bush's alley

alright..two big faux christians milkin' it for all its worth.

"I feel good that I have a president who gets down on his knees every day"


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2552353

[tridim]

8. I don't see anything about alcohol rehab

It's not official until he blames someone or something for all his problems.

[El Supremo]

13. He was fondled by James Dobson in his childhood. n/m

[AussieDave]

22. Naughty !!! That is just SOOOO wrong.......

:spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

[Canuckistanian]

29. But Dobson egged him on!

It's the Clenis, I tells ya.

[Tight_rope]

53. LMBAO....Don't they "ALWAYS"

:rofl:

[Kool Kitty]

71. That was my first thought-

when does he get himself into rehab? Rehab-the new last refuge of a scoundrel.

[cspanlovr]

10. I'll bet he is guilty as charged. He "doesn't know if its election year

politics, or what it is" HA. Is he running for congress?

[zonkers]

11. Another one bites the dust. Another hypocrite exposed.

[DURHAM D]

12. That is too funny. That is one big church.

Anyone know the congressional district?

[El Supremo]

15. Colo. HD 5

Open on the retirement of Joel Hefley. The most registered percentage of Repugs in the state.

[DURHAM D]

21. Do you know what the polls are showing ? n/t

[El Supremo]

32. The Repuke is slightly ahead

http://www.gazette.com/display.php?secid=31

Very interesting race.

[chat_noir]

14. Daily Kos thread

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/2/104434/166?detail=f

[indepat]

16. Say it isn't so, say it isn't so, say there's no truth to a vile insinuation about this man of God

and leader in the Christian evangelical movement who thousands look up to as an honest man of integrity: restore my faith by telling me that he is no hypocrite, that he is a man of his word. :scared:

[napi21]

18. Remember Swaggert and Baker! n/t

[AliceWonderland]

19. Oh my... NAE President steps down?

Interesting... interesting....

[NOLADEM]

20. HA HEH

[qanda]

24. It was just about a year ago that Brokaw and NBC

Did a special called, "In God They Trust" which featured Haggard and his mega-church. I wonder if they'll do a follow-up show. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9830808/

[Cuauhtla]

37. Time for true reflection

Assuming it's true....After years of hypocrisy and fronting, this is an ideal opportunity for him to reflect on it all. He may go even phonier, like Swaggart, but imagine if- realizing he no longer has to play a role- he acted with honesty and integrity, found the tolerance in the original message of Christ, and spoke out, became a positive influence.

It's not just the "faceless masses" who conform to the group- it's often the leaders as well, as Havel noted. Living in truth is what the right desperately needs to discover.

[David__77]

25. I love it, love it, love it!

Just what the doctor ordered!

[Pattib]

26. Need to call my son and find out if his gaydar wen off with this guy.

I don't know if it is because my son is gay, but he has the best gaydar. He told me about a few guys in high school whom he suspected...totally in the closet. Don't blame them in this hick town for wanting to stay there.
Several years later and 3 out of the four have come out.
If anyone remembers that Nightline feature about the Evangelical preaching competition for young men, my son and I watched that together and he swore several of them were gay. Maybe he was right.

[Atheos_Prime]

27. Thou Protesteth Too Much

Just like Swaggart and other blowhard preachers. They rail against what they see in themselves and for whatever reason cannot accept. While I could feel sorry for him if he is gay and forced into a lifestyle, I cannot because he has tried to demonize th GLB people and supported policies of discrimination.

[carolinayellowdog]

36. My gaydar is awful but this guy sets it off

As often as not I'm shocked to find out someone is gay (40 years of life as a gay man notwithstanding) but Haggard is, well, unmistakable.

[arewenotdemo]

52. after viewing the Dawkins vs. Haggard video

I'd have to agree. And then some.

[Fridays Child]

28. His replacement, Ross Parsley

[Hepburn]

44. Oh, puke....

...another MAJOR fundie asshole! :puke:

[mac56]

30. Holy fuck!

:evilgrin:

[doubleplusgood]

31. video: Richard Dawkins vs. Ted Haggard

From his "Root of All Evil" series:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkUi6dhwWx0

[arewenotdemo]

46. interesting view, though for some odd reason

Dawkins becomes obviously agitated and makes (in my opinion) the mistake of openly attacking Haggard's ignorance of evolution. That allowed Haggard to remark on intellectual arrogance.

It's a helluva Catch-22. These people are so uneducated, intellectually insecure and incurious that one needs to be part therapist and part educator to ever have a chance of deprogramming them.

Check out the part where Haggard gets his face about 3 inches from a surprised young male fan.

[karlrschneider]

33. Interesting bit from the Post article:

"He has placed himself on administrative leave pending investigation, spiritual counsel..."

If he did't do it, why does he need spiritual counsel(ing)?
:eyes:

[Gregorian]

34. True or false, it's entertaining as hell!

I just got a flash. A blue dress.

I'm seeing red. But it's not a dress. I think it's an alter boy's robe. :)

[Ms. Clio]

39. this dude has been one of the most dangerous of them all

while I intensely dislike the fact that it takes something like this to bring him down, it is also a great relief and grim satisfaction to see this vicious Taliborn-again hypocrite hoist by his own petard.

[xchrom]

40. anne coulter was wrong -- it's not that republick men

are better in the sack -- it's that sex is nastier, more guilty, more filthy, and more guilt ridden for the men.

the women and men{or little boys and girls} they fuck are just along for the ride.

[Tom Joad]

41. Since the charge is partly about the use of drugs, it would be simple

to test for that. If people in the church really want to know, that part of the allegation can be taken care of fairly quickly. He just needs to submit to a drug test.

As for sexual activities with the man who is sharing this "news" that may be a little more tricky to prove a negative.

[Tom Joad]

42. He claims the allegation is false but resigns from head of the NEA

(National Assoc. of Evangelicals) and from the leadership of his church. mmmmm

Does this mean that a prostitute can claim anything and get a church leader to step down, no matter how bogus the charge?

If there is a prostitute (of any gender) in virginia that cares to share about Pat Robertson, please do so now.

[MagickMuffin]

43. Do as I say, Not as I do? ;-P

They like to preach about a man lying down with another man, however, they never mention that they don't always have to lay down to have sex with someone of the same sex.

You can doing standing up
You can do it in a chair
You can do it on a couch
You can do it on the stairs
You can do it outdoors
You can do it anywhere.....

[Malva Zebrina]

45. He has had five children with his "wife"

Must have been real exciting for her. I mean, the "love" must have been overwhelming.

[savemefromdumbya]

47. Another one bites the dust!

[Megahurtz]

49. The Hypocrisy Reeks.

I suppose he's been against Gay marriage just like the other Fundies. :eyes:

[Megahurtz]

50. Ew!

And I just heard (and saw :puke:) Rev. Fatwell on CNN say that this and the
Foley scandal are "no comparison" to what Clinton did.
ROFL!!!:rofl:

[JudyM]

65. Maybe because the Oval Office is a sacred place...

Or does cheating on your wife and lying about it rise to the level of an impeachable offense? That whole investigation was a rethug exercise in fondling their prurient interests, anyway.

[Cha]

60. ted haggard sounds like a

fucking cultist out to make mega bucks on all those unsuspecting followers(of what) in Colorado Springs.

Thank Jeebus for this man who is coming forward if it indeed turns out to be verified. No chickens before hatched.

[boddhi]

62. I'm beginning to doubt your committment...

... to Sparkle Motion

[yellowcanine]

63. Excellent timing, Teddy. Let's drive down that RW turnout some more.

Oh the hypocrisy!

[HuffleClaw]

64. kinda wonder how long this guy thought he was gonna get away with this

really, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.

[Zorra]

66. Ted, Ted, why dost thou persecute thyself? n/t

[True_Blue]

67. Another Family Values Republican bites the dust....

Next move will be to check himself into rehab and blame the meth...

[RamboLiberal]

68. Damn I hope this one proves out - be sweet to watch it unfold

Though I bet he will "redeem" himself and all with be forgiven after he becomes born again born again.

That Harper article about him and his church and his contacts with Bush and the WH is a helluva read and eye-opener. And isn't this guy somewhat responsible for all the evangelizing at AF Academy. Just what we need, a bunch of Rapturists flying around with a nuclear bomb in the hold!

[anotherdrew]

69. if the lord wants Ted to snort then that is between teds god and ted

really since the lord tells him everything, the cops might want to consider arresting teds lord.
hmmm, perhaps a meth habit might explain all that smiting and those destructive jealous rages...

Q: What do you call Ted Haggard hung out to dry?

A: Art.

[WindRavenX]

70. HAHAHAHAHAHAH

::points and laughs:::

[Raine]

72. Hypocrisy

a standard CONservative trait. x(