Meth? Check. Frequent sex with gay hooker? Check. Lied his worthless Evangelical ass off? CHECK.

[Human Torch]

Disgraced Haggard: I am a "deceiver and a liar"
By Eric Gorski
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:11/05/2006 04:25:45 PM MST

n a letter of apology read to the congregation of New Life Church Sunday morning, Ted Haggard confessed to sexual immorality and described himself as "a deceiver and a liar." But in baring his soul to an outside investigative board, Haggard claimed he is not gay and did not engage in homosexual conduct, the head of the panel said.

Describing a lifelong battle against temptations that were contrary to his teachings, Haggard wrote in his letter he had sought assistance "in a variety of ways," and while he had stretches of "freedom," nothing proved effective.

"There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life," Haggard wrote. Haggard was ired as senior pastor of the church on Saturday by an oversight board of pastors that concluded Haggard committed "sexually immoral conduct." The board had investigated claims by a male prostitute who said publicly this week that Haggard paid him for sex and took methamphetamine over a three-year period.

But in a news conference after the service, the head of the oversight board, Pastor Larry Stockstill of Baton Rouge, La., told reporters that Haggard denied engaging in homosexual acts or being gay. Stockstill said Haggard's admission that he received a massage from a gay man was enough grounds for the board to remove him.



http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4607865

Naomi Robb, right, and other members of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., pray during church services Sunday after hearing a letter read in which the founder and pastor Rev. Ted Haggard confessed to his followers that he was guilty of sexual immorality. (Post / Helen H. Richardson)

[hippiechick]

1. Ok, he denied being gay. How 'bout bi?

:shrug:

[Human Torch]

4. Maybe...but he's a liar, and he talked about this crap in front of his kids...

...so on that level alone, I call him a coward. The reporter who asked him the questions while he was in the car with his wife? The kids were also in the back seat. She asked him if he'd step out and answer the questions. Possible options:

1). NO. I'm not going to answer the questions.

2). YES. I shouldn't be discussing this shit in front of my kids.

3). NO. I'm going to stay in the car and use my kids as a shield, not giving a rat's ass about the long-term effects of them knowing their dad frequented a gay hooker meth dealer.

He chose "3"...

:patriot:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

13. I'm thinking about just an occasional fling

see that's O.K. it's understandable that a good Christian might want to have a wild fling once in a while. Fundies shouldn't have a problem with that. It's when one is being gay that is a problem, now that's a sin. Or some such irrational rationalism or another like that.

[MADem]

2. Links to the "his and hers" letters

What a sad and pathetic pair they are.
HIS:

http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1326184&secid=1

HERS:

http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1326185&secid=1

[Ezlivin]

3. He could itemize everyone else's sins but his own

Pastor Ted had no problem detailing every shortcoming and "sin" of another person, but when it's his ass being judged he knows nothing.

No fucking mercy for him.

[Catch22Dem]

5. Receiving a massage from a gay man is enough to get fired?

What if you go to a spa and you don't know the masseuse is gay?

[Human Torch]

7. A few things here:

1). It does not appear to be "just a massage"

2). Haggard "knew"

3). Massage isn't a "sexual sin." If Haggard "confessed" to a "sexual sin," what did he confess to?

4). It's not my policy, it's the policy of the Evangelicals. They don;t want people steering the ship who have regular sex with gay meth dealer hookers.

SO...if Haggard went to a "spa"...which he did not...and "didn't know" that the masseuse was gay...he DID...and he had a massage PLUS sex...which he SEEMS to have confessed...well, see #4 above. I really don't care what he did. My faith exists outside of Haggard and his little Colorado Springs coven.

I'm just calling him a motherf**king LIAR and a coward. If you think he isn't, I'd be happy to review whatever links you can provide.

:patriot:

[Catch22Dem]

17. You may have misunderstood me

I wasn't talking about anything you said, I was just talking about a line in that article:

But in a news conference after the service, the head of the oversight board, Pastor Larry Stockstill of Baton Rouge, La., told reporters that Haggard denied engaging in homosexual acts or being gay. Stockstill said Haggard's admission that he received a massage from a gay man was enough grounds for the board to remove him.

I agree 100% with you. I was just making the observation that, according to them, a massage alone is enough to get you fired from their nutball organization. That's all.

I hope you didn't think I was criticizing you. Believe me, we're eye-to-eye on this shit.

[DeSwiss]

6. Repulsive?

"There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life," Haggard wrote.

Its repulsive only because you've allowed yourself to succumb to the 6,000 year-old ancient tribal beliefs of a largely ignorant, illiterate people. Without questioning what you were believing, why you believe it and whether it is true.

You ARE what you ARE. And the only thing "repulsive" about it is that you lied to yourself and everyone else about who you really are. And as long as you view life this way, you will continue to "struggle."

[Human Torch]

10. The whole STORY is based on his reluctance to accept who he is...

...and you are 100% correct.

:patriot:

He IS...and we ARE...what we ARE.

Haggard is a man who..apparently...enjoyed sex and meth with a gay escort.

That's his business. Should the Evangelicals grant leadership positions to men who enjoy sex with gay meth dealers?

I...DON'T...KNOW.

In 2006, they DO NOT.

Haggart KNEW this.

So he was a coward. A guy who could not accept "who he is."

Nothing wrong with that. The world is FILLED with cowards. We even have one sitting in the Oval Office.

But it will never alter the fact that he's a coward.

:patriot:

[DeSwiss]

15. Human Torch, Thank you...

Its hard to deny that "cowardice" plays the central role here. Having said that, I've often considered the fact that accepting one's sexual orientation and then acting upon it in a way that will surely earn one society's condemnation is the highest form of personal bravery -- when one considers that one could easily (or not so easily) live in denial and hide.

Being black, I could never "hide" my skin color, but some in my family in fact did "pass" (we're a very light-skinned bunch on some of the branches of the family tree -- although I'm more of a 'almond' hue). But what if blacks could have hidden their blackness? Would they have done so? Considering the enslavement, the rapes, the lynching's, immolation's, shootings, etc, etc, etc. -- yeah, probably most would have.

But what is worse here, is that he used his leadership position to castigate a sexual orientation that he clearly shares with those whom he has in and past, and from his "letter of regrets," still is condemning. He has apparently learned nothing from this, and it may not be possible that he ever will.

[Vorta]

12. Well said! I always like to throw in "Asian" when making such a statement.

Example: ..... anicent asian tribal beliefs, or ..... an ancient Asian mythology. The reason being, that those who would otherwise immediately attack you for making a remark about their religion, get stuck on your use of "asian" because most people don't think of Mesopotamia as being in Asia.

[DeSwiss]

16. Vorta, thanks so much....

...but after all the years I spent in the church (my father was an evangelical minister), I prefer to be more direct. While it is true that most associate being "Asian" with things the philosophy of Buddha and the religion of Hinduism, the fact of the matter is that most religion's today are the culmination of borrowed myths, and stories -- all one from the other.

We Americans like for things to be simple, clear and easy to read and understand. Like the menu at a drive-thru window. And toward that end, we put on religious blinders to "help us see more clearly" what god's message to us is (said with tongue in-cheek). So I don't worry about attacks for remarking about the paucity of understanding nor its contextual history that others may hold about their beliefs. The truth often hurts.

I'm neither an atheist, nor an agnostic. I refuse to wear the labels prepared by others so that they can find a place for me. That's the whole problem. Everyone is so worried what others will think of them vis-a-vis their beliefs. And they somehow overlook the fact that their own religious beliefs state that they and they alone will be accountable for what they believe and what they have done with their lives here on earth. Not the preacher. Not the doctrine. And not some pieced-together and adulterated ancient texts -- THEM. So belonging to a particular religion may give them some comfort now, but they'll be sorely disappointed when they get to heaven and find the "wrong" folks up there with em'.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

8. So what are we to think?

He huffed on it but didn't inhale.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

9. The up side to this is that Haggard is putting on full display

as to why homophobes are homophobes.

[truthisfreedom]

11. EVERYONE knows that he's still lying and deceiving. that's the saddest thing

about this whole deal... he's refusing to come completely clean. he's totally in denial.

the silly thing is, snorting a little meth and getting a blowjob is something that happens all over the country every day, and many people battle with these sorts of demons, but what this fallen "leader" is doing now is much more damaging to his former "flock" than the drugs and sex themselves were to him.

[Human Torch]

14. Behind every lie, there's usually another lie...

...Haggard's "phased confession" is the purpose behind my post. I don;t care if he's gay or bi or straight. He's a liar and a coward. That's why I posted this.

:patriot:

[kineneb]

18. a very pitiful man

...so filled with self-loathing that he lied and lies to himself, commits adultery, abuses his body with drugs, and then castigates those who share his biological orientation... therapy time for him.

the quotes to use about the whole incident are from his own religion:

1. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. (Matt. 6:5)

2.Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam in in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mot out of thy brother's eye. (Matt. 7:1-5)

Methinks he failed to study his own Bible...