Mixed feelings over Ted Haggard's return to media spotlight
by Eric Young, Christian Post
Posted: Monday, February 2, 2009, 8:09 (GMT)
There are many who feel disgraced megachurch pastor Ted Haggard should not have reopened old wounds by returning to the public eye just two years after a drugs and sex scandal brought him down and forced him out of the church he founded.
“I wish I could feel more benevolent and compassionate toward Haggard and his struggles with his ‘complex sexuality',” commented Dave Welch, the founder and executive director of the US Pastor Council and Houston Area Pastor Council, in a commentary that appeared last week on WorldNetDaily.
However, “Haggard seems to be determined to revel in and profit from his immorality, in spite of the extensive and gracious restoration efforts by the church leadership at the fellowship he once pastured,” Welch added.
Since January 9, Haggard has given dozens of media interviews in part to promote "The Trials of Ted Haggard", a 41-minute documentary that paints a sympathetic portrait of the ousted charismatic leader after the scandal in 2006. Directed by Alexandra Pelosi, the daughter of liberal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “The Trials of Ted Haggard” debuted on HBO this past Thursday and will be airing throughout the month.
“Rather than continuing in the process of personal restoration, rebuilding his marriage and quietly seeking how God could take the broken pieces of his ministry and use them, he (Haggard) has decided to ‘make a living’ by going the write-a-book, tell-your-story and appear-on-talking-heads route,” Welch wrote last Tuesday.
“The fact is that his fall is far too recent … and ongoing for him to be doing the circuit if his motives were pure,” the conservative leader added.
Though Pastor Brady Boyd, Haggard's successor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, warned Haggard of the potential consequences of the HBO documentary during a meeting in December, Haggard decided to move forward with his return to the public eye, explaining to Larry King last Thursday that contrary to what Boyd said last week, the wound was not reopened in recent weeks.
“I think the wound has not healed,” he told King on “Larry King Live”.
“And I don't think we're reopening it. I think what's happening is it's been festering,” he added. “And we needed communication. And we needed to process it. And it can't process.”
According to Haggard, “loads of New Lifers” have been writing to him on his website, TedHaggard.com, since his return to the public stage, some going as far as telling him they are being healed through his appearances.
Copyright © 2009 Christian Today. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 11:16 (GMT)
Admittedly, I have not seen/heard the interviews at Larry King Live nor at Oprah's, however, if the intent by Haggard is sincere and truly repentent before the Lord, no reason why it should not come out in the open, publically and widely viewed, no matter how recent his "turn around" and what "wounds" may be opened, and even more so, if festering. No matter what the "wrong/s", our Lord has already forgiven at the cross. All who have suffered wrong should ultimately realise this and seek healing themselves directly at the cross and learn to forgive and in so doing, find their own healing [including and especially Haas] in the Lord.
This then is our Gospel, complete healing and salvation, no matter what the sins at the cross, both to the forgiven and the wronged [who must ultimately learn to forgive fully, no matter what, learning from our great and wonderful Lord who forgave so incomparably, lovingly and completely]. One must assume Haggards' sincerity if he so declares until proved otherwise, if ever.
Carry on Ted, and in humility testify to the WORLD, His forgiveness!
For He has said: " I have not come to call the righteous but sinners [Haggard included] to repentance."
" So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive [Haas included] your brother from your heart."
Shalom.
kopiong, Jakarta, Indonesia
Added: Monday, February 2, 2009, 18:15 (GMT)
I think it was inevitable this would happen. Here is a high powered, talented indiviual who was able to build up a church following of just under 10,000 members - and he was president of a large american evangelical association,and had the ear of that idiot Bush. His 'handlers' were quite obviously midgets compared to Haggard, and the task they had set themselves in trying to 'pastor' and 'lead' him would inevitably fail.
At the same time I think America throws itself at religious freaks like this. But there is no way, after having 'used' (in my opinion) Larry King, that he is going to retire. The guy is just too young and too ambitious. And it does seem he now has his wife in full tow. 'Watch me', she had said at the time of his fall from grace. She is an author who still has a valuable asset - her credibility - and it seems she will now support him with that valuable asset all the way up the ladder of crazy the American religious world.
It will cut with a great deal of silly people - people who have the money to throw at him; because I think that is what he is after - money and power. I was listening briefly to one of his talks recently given at some or other church - heis using the same old jargon and plain clappertrap which a number of Americans love to hear.
Mac, Aylesbury, UK
