The Lost Shepherd

Mr Haggard has been humbled before man and God. I will not throw stones at him. He has paid dearly for his sexuality. I am not gay, I am not evangelical and have no axe to grind. With all the evils presently existing in the world, live and let live. I for one am tired of hostility and vengence. May we have a better year, coming together with solutions to our problems as a nation and world. We owe one another that.

Mr Haggard has been humbled before man and God. I will not throw stones at him. He has paid dearly for his sexuality. I am not gay, I am not evangelical and have no axe to grind. With all the evils presently existing in the world, live and let live. I for one am tired of hostility and vengence. May we have a better year, coming together with solutions to our problems as a nation and world. We owe one another that.

Regardless of the particular circumstances, the tragedy of all this is that Haggard in his "former" life, if confronted with a person with similar "sins," would have been just as judgmental and, more importantly, just as counter-Christian in excluding that person from the church. It must be a bit ironic for Haggard to be on the receiving end of the very judgmental behavior that he, in a flash, would have demonstrated in a similar situation. If nothing else, perhaps he will begin to question his arrogant, exclusive, and way too certain theological convictions...most of which contradict the essetnial message of the Christ's own ministry. If there is one "body" that should act out grace, compassion, and inclusion it is surely the church. But, alas, it is way too often precisely the opposite in its mission, conviction, and, yes, behaviors. Perhaps Haggard will now entertain the possibility that he's not always right, not always on God's side, and not a particularly appealing model of God's love and grace.

Ted Haggard is the definition of irony. He's a liar who denied his lies wtih more lies until he had no other option. Then he blamed others for his lies.
If someone is going to spend their lives judging others, I don't have a lot of sympathy whan that person is damaged by the judging of others.

Pimps, Preachers, Salesmen. What's the difference?

If I am the "devil" and I want to hurt the church, do I go knock the average believer into the dirt or do I attack someone who is the face of chritianity? Ted Haggard has done far more good in this world than bad. And really, if HIS fall from grace make YOU leave the church then your faith was paper thin to begin with.

No one is "born an evangelical". Homosexuality is no more "learned behavior" than is evangelical Christianity. He'll never be happy with himself or others until he honestly confronts who God made him to be.

HA HA HA HA , I love it when hypocrites get their well-deserved come-uppance! When you think of how awful this man was, preaching hate and division, it almost makes me believe in God to see him get just what he deserves, to be hated and suffer division from his friends. Please, Dear Lord, let this kind of thing happen to others of his ilk, like Fred Phelps and his crew of haters, Rick Warren, and any of the others who make a living preaching God's hatred of those people who are different. Amen

rveryone knows this verse: John 3:16 (New International Version)
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

we seem to forget this part of the same chapter:
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[g]

19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."[h]

-contd-

I was taught to hate the sin. How many times does the Bible mention forgiveness?
Didn't Jesus establish a "New Covenant"? So why are churches still ousting people? My mom use to say church is for the sinner and heaven is for the saint, the point being that non of us, not even the pastor and elders are perfect. Those folks that were so outraged need to check the passages in the Bible that deal with judging, forgiveness and pride. Then, after doing that look in the mirror.

It's interesting that so many people have so much to say about this particular individual and this topic. As a gay man who got married because I wanted to have a family and didn't have many option 30+ years ago, I find it interesting that so many people can pass judgement one way or another on this person, his actions, and his struggle for understanding in not only himself, but in what he is seeking in his life. When this story first broke I honestly laughed at the irony of the situation, but also realized that his actions were his own and therefore his responsibility, irregardless of what might have happened to him in the past, what would happen to him in the present, and what could happen to him in his and his family's future. Many people felt betrayed and hurt by the situation, feeling a requirement for restitution of some sort, others revelled in the humilitation of the situation, seeing it as justification on an individual, and in some cases a movement as a whole, for wrongful persecutions. The point that has been missed in this entire situation is that no matter how important, how "great" or "wonderful" a person is, they are just that, a person. And we all have desires, needs, wishes, wants, no matter who we are. The rest of us place an importance on those things about other people and then feel the need to pass judgement on them from our perspective.

Ted Haggard sure knows how to pick friends. Next to Bill Maher, there is no greater basher and baiter of people of faith than Alexandra Pelosi. Even the most cynical and secular media critics were completely put off by the smugness and smarmy condescension of her anti-Christian "Friends of God" diatribe. Her "fair and even" documentary is only going to be more of the same. But, again, Haggard has only himself to blame for letting Pelosi do to him what Mike Jones did to him two years ago.

Ted Haggard sure chooses his acquaintances poorly. Next to Bill Maher, there is no greater basher and baiter of all things Christian than Alexandra Pelosi. Even the most secular of media critics were completely put off by the smugness and smarmy condescendion of her anti-Christian "Friends of God" diatribe. Her "fair and even" film is going to be nothing but more of the same. But again, Haggard has only himself to blame for letting Pelosi do to him what Mike Jones did to him two years ago.

Every time there's a sex scandal within the heirarchy of the evangelical movement I hope it will bring understanding., From the church outward and from the larger society into the church. Unfortunately, the church based upon loving forgiveness seems unable to express that beautiful gift.

Meryl would be disgusted!!!!!!!!!!!

Jesus died for ALL of our sins (no matter how big or how small, no matter how dirty, no matter how nasty, no matter how ugly, no matter how shameful, no matter how painful, no matter how aweful, no matter how socially wrong, no matter how morally wrong, no matter how economically wrong, no matter how disgraceful, no matter who many times, no matter when, no matter with who, no matter where, no matter how, no matter why, no matter right, no matter wrong, no matter good, no matter bad, etc............Repent and Believe. Remember God owns a private Sea of Forgetfulness, purchased with the Blood of His Son, Our Lord Jesus. Bro Ted was a wonder opportunity for God's children to show the world how to restore a fallen brother/sister in the Spirit of Meekness. I guess we showed them.

I think it's easy for people to say what a liar, what a hypocrite, but even when he was doing these things, God still spoke through this man. The Church cast him aside like garbage, who is the Church to do this? I saw that man preach and I am not a Chrisitan, but I felt that he was a man of God. His sins was brought into the light.....Ok, get over it and put him out there preaching. But to kick him out and banish him? Who are you? Are you God himself? HAve you not sinned? The Church has this holier than though mentality, and if someone needs help, then they are cast to the side. People are helped if it benefits the Church, and others are cast away. I would laugh if this man of God came back and shook the foundation of Chrisitianity and becomes stronger in the Faith than ever before. Shame on the Church to turn your back when someone needs them for help, Didn't Jesud forgive? Why can't you?