The guy does seem like a total liar. On the other hand, his ''accuser'' has already failed a lie detector test.

I think the scariest part of this is that Haggard and other Christian right leaders have hotlines to the White House, and are, essentially, acting as direct advisors to Bush.
Talk about the obliterating of the church-state line.

While a very small part of me feels sorry for this Haggard dude, the rest of me thinks that this is, as a friend of mine put it, an early Christmas present - certainly an early Christmas present for the Dems going into the mid-term elections and a blow to the intolerant, hypocritical, US Christian right! :>

I wonder if anyone had confronted Ted Haggard about his sexual orientation, they would have been called homophobic?

I'm not sure we're talking about sexual orientation when we talk about a person going to a prostitute. Sexual orientation implies relationship. This type of arrangement (the gay prostitute) is really just an item of business.

Just goes to show the Bible or the Word of God does not lie. For it is written "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Ted Haggard when preached against homosexuality, can still receive forgiveness, if he repents and returns to the Lord our God. One act of homosexuality does not make a confirmed homosexual, as neither taken a substance of drug abuse once does not make a drug addict.

Haaaaaaaaaaaaa hahahahahahaa, nice try Sylvia! Try THREE YEARS of sex and drugs. What does THAT make old Teddy?

Hmmm?

It often makes me wonder - why people are so forgiving towards hypocrats who repent - but only because they have been caught. Yet are so judgmental towards those who only want an honest, loving relationship like everybody else. Why are people - in this case - willing to forgive prostitution but still condemn love? And, if society had a different attitude towards homosexuality - maybe Ted would have been in an honest relationship from the beginning... maybe. And yet people tend to go on pretending, "falling" and "repenting" and hurting many others in the process. And the cycle goes on and on. And our poor old religion - or should I say - the way it is mostly interpreted - is much to blame.

Why do we worry so much about sex lives of consenting adults and yet are so blind to real issues of our time - environmental pollution, growing gap between rich and poor, cutbacks for education and social services, wars that should not have begun in the first place, corporations that run the world according to their interests - things that will truly impact our lives and lives of generations to come.
Maybe we have not evolved far enough from ape yet...

This is in part a response to Sylvia and also thoughts that came to mind after reading an article about Ted Haggard in (I'm think it was) Time magazine.
So, just a few thoughts off my chest, thanks for listening :)

Sorry about any typing or spelling mistakes, English is not my first language and I'm still learning.

Good points.

You guys kill me , Jesus Christ left the church in the hands of fallible creatures (humans) , just because one is a pastor does not mean he's sinless, I love Christ with all my heart and I speak of his truth but it does not make me sinless, I do not make sin a part of my life or im not in its clutches but I do sin from time to time, just like Ted has, we still have the flesh and its desires to worries about , but I really hate it when the non believers try and disprove the bible by looking at the mistakes pastors or Christians make, like HELLO we're not Jesus Christ ! were just believers in him and try as best we can to follow him because we know he is Truth.

We don't need gay sex-having, drug-using pastors to disprove the bible. The bible does that quite well all by itself.

no we need you up at the pulpit blah, so you can say blah blah blah, and when they ask where your coming from you than can answer even more blah blah

Dear blackbelt, it is very easy to insult others, much harder to make a convincing argument in support of your point of view. Jesus, whom you so admire, didn't take the easy way - why are you? Insults do not belong in discussions.
Peace on Earth...

dear akatiger

me and blah go back a while, im not insultiing him , im joking about his name Blah, but im very glad hes here and i have poste this fact before

All is well with the World :)

another lesson learned - never jump to conclusions too quickly.

Merry Christmas!

I dislike it when anyone is outed (I use this term loosely, since a same-sex relationship, and paid intercourse are very different things) against their will; even those who have a completely different (and in Mr. Haggard's case, seemingly illogical) idealogical outlook on life. While I have nothing but contempt towards the anti-gay message that Haggard has been preaching for years, I do feel for him, being outed the way he was. I am a bisexual 19-year-old, and when I came out it was on my own terms, rather than on someone else's.

I am not a Christian, but I do share some values with the religion, especially those found in the United Church. I believe in doing unto others what I wish for myself; coming out of the closet (or not, in some cases) is a personal choice. It was afforded to me, and it should have been afforded to Mr. Haggard as well, regardless of the sort of person I have the impression that he is. No one wants to be outed against their will, and no one should be. Not even Ted Haggard.

I think Haggard still claims he isn't gay, so I'm not sure if he's being "outed" or not. Unless he's being outed for hiring a male prostitute. I think there's a small distinction here, no? If he had hired a female prosititute and got caught nobody would have a problem with this news being announced to the public, since he was a public persona. Personally, I think the meth is the worst of it. It's the devil's drug.

I fully support same sex relationships. I could care less if people purchase sex from prostitutes, in fact I think that Canada should follow the example of Holland and Germany by legalizing and regulating the industry.

Having said that Haggard and his kind, have a made a business out of homophobia. They rally against gays and lesbians and rant about sin. His fall from grace is sweet! You can't rant and roar about gays being sinners and then expect to be forgiven for it.

The ridiculous thing about it is that he only owes the apology to his followers. I could care less who Ted Haggard has sex with. His followers would do well to get their noses out of everyone elses sex life also.

Holden

Experienced; "I think Haggard still claims he isn't gay, so I'm not sure if he's being "outed" or not. "

Haggard has admitted to being gay. He wasn't outed for being gay, he was outed for being a vicious hypocrite.

Haggard should go about setting up a Gay Church for all those Christians who have been unable to take part in worship at their regular churches for fear of reprisal, anger, hatred, lack of Christian fellowship and all the other more positive things that belonging to a church should afford everyone. Denying anyone the right to worship collectively in a place where brotherhood and peace are supposed to be the order of the day is criminal. Haggard may be a liar and cheat, but maybe some good can come of his continuing status as a 'is-he, isn't he?' gay preacher.