The Lost Shepherd

I'm a fairly committed atheist. I would have given Ted and his family food and shelter in a heartbeat. I feel bad for the guy, even though he should have known better about the drugs, the lying and the Christianity. Maybe more forgiveness for the latter than the formers. Now that he's finding himself and doing better, perhaps he should properly research his religion, learn that there are far better secular answers out there, and try being good for goodness's sake. We'll see.

Cafetaria Christianity. The more I read and learn of the Bible the more convinced I become that it was written by men as a way to socialize society--as a law. Now we have laws that are separate from Biblical truths. It is both sad that Haggard felt that he had to deny an integral part of himself in the first place. However, because he went after those who couldn't (not all gays can hide) or wouldn't hide, he deserves the internal hell he is now suffering. God doesn't judge anyone on the sins of their brother, but instead on how they treated their brother.

Maybe he could open up with a congregation of people who are confused.

Ted,

Stop. Come completely clean... publicly. You're gay, you still have gay desires and urges and you've always been gay. Tell people the truth, that you choose to live a heterosexual lifestyle and that it's o.k.. God loves you Ted Haggard. He doesn't want you to stop preaching, he wants you to stop preaching hypocrisy and start preaching the truth. God loves everyone where they are. Hooked on drugs? God loves you. Gay? God loves you. Sick sin filled and in despair? God loves you. When you stop running from the truth of who you are and the depth of God's grace, you'll stop selling insurance and gain a greater congregation than you could have ever imagined.

I wish my fellows readers/commenters would not lump all Christians together. Many practicing Christians I know (myself included) believe homosexuality is a natural, in-born trait and that we should love our queer brothers and sisters just as God made them. I happen to agree with Haggard that his church tossed him out just when he needed a church most. Unfortunately, it seems he got a taste of his own medicine.

In some peoples' biblical obliviousness, they wouldn't know that the sheep metaphor in the Bible was an anthropomorphism, only used to help the people of a predominately sheepherding culture comprehend the personal relationship of following Christ, since people then understood that sheep are known for recognizing, responding to, and following the sound of their master's voice. This has nothing to do with believers' intelligence, which doesn't make a difference anyway or determine anything regarding a relationship with Christ. Unfortunately ironically, ignorance and closed-mindedness knows no education level or belief system and is equal opportunity, which I've experienced myself before becoming Christian and with atheists in general.

A similar anthropomorphism would be the fire and burning metaphorical descriptions of hell, as a small corporeal way of relating the infinitely more intense "burning" spiritual separation and judgment of Hell.

Of course, some are comforted by and can only hide behind cute, trite, and distorted concepts, words, phrases, and clips of phrases. Been there, done that myself, and "nothing new under the sun" for 2,000 years.

Gay rights have burst open a festering sore that not only shows the true ugliness of organized religion, but threatens the separation of church and state. For what gay people are doing is trying to remove the last obstacle in patriarchal control of people's private lives. In my own family, if one were apply biblical proscriptions, every single person would have been stoned to death by now. Yet some of the condemned would still deny gay people the civil rights based on laws even they have broken. Who decided the Bible is the law of this country and not the Constitution and our Bill of Rights? Hypocrites one and all.

You have got to be kidding focusing your sympathy on this scumbag. He and his kind are a bigger thtreat to society than Madoff

You hv got to be kidding. This scumbage is a bigger thret to society than Madoff

This is the problem with the church today. They are very willing to forgive their own, but completely intolerant of anyone who dares believe something other than what they preach. Religion is the root of all evil in this world and the war in Iraq is just one example of that. The christians "do as I say, not as I do" attitude should scare everyone. Unfortunately, the churches have used gay people to instill fear in their followers and guess what? It's worked. It's the christians themselve that give religion a bad name...not anyone else.

If you lay down with the dogs (dyslexic for god) you get the fleece?

So if you don 't get god's blessing that mean that you've failed and don't deserve them, or that others are more blessed?

People really believe this stuff in the 21st century!