president of the 30 million member National Association of Evangelicals is gay

[nlm]

A male prostitute alleges that he had a three-year relationship with prominent right-wing evangelical leader Ted Haggard, who is the president of the 30 million + member National Association of Evangelicals. Haggard consults with President Bush and/or his operatives every Monday.

Haggard immediately stepped down as both pastor and head of the NAE. He says he going to seek spiritual guidance. The male prostitute claims to have voice messages, financial transactions, and letters from Haggard.

This is just breaking - so time will tell how it pans out. I doubt the evangelical crowd is going to be thrilled with this.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

#1 rule: Always have your hoe sign a confidentiality agreement.

[Alcon]

#1 rule: Always have your ho sign a confidentiality agreement.

No glove non-disclosure agreement, no love.

This is sweet, sweet, unsurprising irony.

[nlm]

Haggard's tirades against gays are the stuff of legend.

When I saw this story beak on CNN, my jaw dropped.

Wow.

[nlm]

Oh, I also missed a detail of this. The male prositute claims Haggard used methamphetamine around him.

[J. J.]

Or, the protestute is lying.

[Alcon]

Or, the protestute is lying.

I suppose he could be, but claiming to have voice mails and everything too suggests that he might not be.  We'll see.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He would also have to be mighty dumb to make up such a statement.  Not that people are never dumb, but I don't see how anyone would be able to convince himself that any good would come out of making this up.

[dazzleman]

Haggard's tirades against gays are the stuff of legend.

When I saw this story beak on CNN, my jaw dropped.

Wow.

Really?  It doesn't surprise me a bit.

[John Dibble]

Not surprising - lots of hypocrites are in positions of power and leadership. I doubt this is made up since the male prostitute would get sued for slander if it was false. Would be a very stupid move to lie about it. Also if was false I don't know if Ted Haggard would have resigned.

[Nation]

Haha. Wow.


Perhaps he'll take the route that McGreevey did and start cavorting about town with his male escort?

[J. J.]

He would also have to be mighty dumb to make up such a statement.  Not that people are never dumb, but I don't see how anyone would be able to convince himself that any good would come out of making this up.

Political motive?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He would also have to be mighty dumb to make up such a statement.  Not that people are never dumb, but I don't see how anyone would be able to convince himself that any good would come out of making this up.

Political motive?

Without proof, any political motive he might be trying to promote is gonna be hurt rather than helped by this, especially in the long term, but also in the short term.

[opebo]

Hah, the religious intolerants must feel like they're well and truly infiltrated - first Foley, and now this. 

I wonder if this Haggard is a top or a bottom?

[HardRCafé]

Or, the protestute is lying.

I love how no one else here is considering this possibility.

Wilt Chamberlain was gay.

[nlm]

Or, the protestute is lying.

I love how no one else here is considering this possibility.

Wilt Chamberlain was gay.

Haggard did resign on a dime after the allegations were made, and a group of Evangelical leaders that had called a press conference to defend him did cancel it after they spoke with him. These things don't prove the allegations are true, but they sure do lend a lot of credence to the allegations.

Haggard is Bush's main man in the gay bashing arena. If these allegations prove true, I wonder what effect it will have on the relationship between the Evangelicals and the part of the GOP that they have been close to.

edit - and this just in

Carolyn Haggard, spokeswoman for the New Life Church and the pastor's niece, said a four-member church panel will investigate the allegations. The board has the authority to discipline Haggard, including removing him from ministry work.

The acting senior pastor at New Life, Ross Parsley, told KKTV-TV of Colorado Springs that Haggard admitted that some of the accusations were true.

"I just know that there has been some admission of indiscretion, not admission to all of the material that has been discussed but there is an admission of some guilt," Parsley told the station

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HAGGARD_SEX_ALLEGATIONS?SITE=NCHIC&SECTION=US

[nlm]

Haggard's tirades against gays are the stuff of legend.

When I saw this story beak on CNN, my jaw dropped.

Wow.

Really?  It doesn't surprise me a bit.

You would really need to see the culture in Colorado Springs (his base of operations) and how Haggard has molded it on different levels to get why this is such a shocker.

It's also fairly shocking because Haggard is one the main individuals that Bush consults with about the convergence of politics, policy and values issues. Haggard is as responsible for amping up homophobia and divisive wedge issues as any consultant the President uses.

Also, the irony of the president and leader of by far the largest Evangelical body in the country (over 30 million members) being gay has a shock value all its own.

[Alcon]

Ted Haggard...spokeswoman Carolyn Haggard?  That can't be a coincidence?

[MODU]

If this is true, this is funny.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Ted Haggard

who?

First and foremost, if he did what was claimed, he should admit it and repent and God will restore him.

Second, accusations made by one witness against anyone in the leadership of a church should not be entertained. 

1 Timothy 5:19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

If the witness has evidence (voice messages, etc), then the evidence can act as a second witness.  But, as a church member, I would demand the evidence be presented before I would entertain this accusation.

[nlm]

Ted Haggard

who?

First and foremost, if he did what was claimed, he should admit it and repent and God will restore him.

Second, accusations made by one witness against anyone in the leadership of a church should not be entertained. 

1 Timothy 5:19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

If the witness has evidence (voice messages, etc), then the evidence can act as a second witness.  But, as a church member, I would demand the evidence be presented before I would entertain this accusation.

Carolyn Haggard, spokeswoman for the New Life Church and the pastor's niece, said a four-member church panel will investigate the allegations. The board has the authority to discipline Haggard, including removing him from ministry work.

The acting senior pastor at New Life, Ross Parsley, told KKTV-TV of Colorado Springs that Haggard admitted that some of the accusations were true.

"I just know that there has been some admission of indiscretion, not admission to all of the material that has been discussed but there is an admission of some guilt," Parsley told the station

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HAGGARD_SEX_ALLEGATIONS?SITE=NCHIC&SECTION=US

Ross Parsley is the person that has taken over for Ted Haggard at his church. Hardly one accusation from one person at this point.

As for who Haggard is - he's the most influential evangelical in the country, he has weekly communications with the white house and leads by far the largest evangelical organization in the country.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

First and foremost, if he did what was claimed, he should admit it and repent and God will restore him.

Second, accusations made by one witness against anyone in the leadership of a church should not be entertained. 

1 Timothy 5:19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

If the witness has evidence (voice messages, etc), then the evidence can act as a second witness.  But, as a church member, I would demand the evidence be presented before I would entertain this accusation.

Ross Parsley is the person that has taken over for Ted Haggard at his church. Hardly one accusation from one person at this point.

I guess you can't read: 

First and foremost, if he did what was claimed, he should admit it and repent and God will restore him.

If he is admitting it, then it is a done deal.

---

As for who Haggard is - he's the most influential evangelical in the country, he has weekly communications with the white house and leads by far the largest evangelical organization in the country.

yet, I have never heard of him

[nlm]

As for who Haggard is - he's the most influential evangelical in the country, he has weekly communications with the white house and leads by far the largest evangelical organization in the country.

yet, I have never heard of him

That you know so little about the goings on in the evangelical world, and yet are a part of is, is hardly something I can correct.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

That you know so little about the goings on in the evangelical world, and yet are a part of is, is hardly something I can correct.

correct?  How is it even a problem? 

[nlm]

I guess you can't read: 

Second, accusations made by one witness against anyone in the leadership of a church should not be entertained. 

What does that say? "accusations made by one witness against anyone in the leadership of a church should not be entertained."

Thanks for your concern - I can read just fine.