What, to you, is the real tragedy of Pastor Ted Haggard's sex & drug scandal?

Question

Please also indicate your religious affiliation(s), if any.

Answer 1

That he was allowed to get away with it for so long because he filled the pews and the collection plate.

Answer 2

That like so many gay men and women he had to suppress his feelings because his religion told him he was evil, a sinner, and wrong to feel that way, so his only real way of being himself was to "self medicate" with meth and pay for "attention" from a masseuse. If his faith truly welcomed him with opened arms and didn't make him feel shame and fear every day of his life, chances are he'd be married to a lovely man right now, leading a happy, productive life not involving drugs or sex scandals. Perhaps they'd have even adopted a few children and settled into family life. Of course, he wouldn't be living in the U.S....

I'm Wiccan.

Answer 3

Baptist.
I see 2 real tragedies:

1. There are so many people (however gullible) that believed in him and their faith will be damaged for a long time. Some may never recover.

2. There are so many people who are not Christians who will believe that many or all Christians are like Haggard-a hypocrite, and like his followers-blind and ignorant.

Answer 4

Clearly, the only rational reason for such behavior of Pastor Haggard is that he must have been tempted by the devil himself.

Hmmm. I wonder how many other evangelical christian leaders are being controlled by the devil? I wonder if it's a higher or lower percentage than the percentage of Catholic Priests who molested young boys because they were tempted by the devil? What are your thoughts?

Answer 5

Just because he has been accused, doesn't mean he's guilty. Whatever happened to innocent before proven guilty? People are accused of things all the time. Our media is so twisted and skewed, they sensationalize what they want and often use key words to slant stories, etc. If he is guilty, the truth will come out. I pray he is not but nothing surprises me anymore. Men are men, imperfect and will dissapoint you - that is why we follow God, not man. God will never let you down. :) oh, born again Christian, Jesus freak, right wing evangelistic terror - that's me.

Answer 6

All the LGBT kids who were born to families in his congregations who thought about killing themselves because 'God didn't love them' when the real problem was how hard Haggard was fighting God's creation of love in him. His inablilty to accept God's love, for him, just the way he was. The way his wife will suffer for his self-hate.

Answer 7

1) That he uses the bible to justify and reinforce the bigotry of his congregation and himself in direct contradiction to the example that his supposed savior set down clearly in the bible,

2) that he and his ministry bilked his congregation of millions of dollars in direct contradiction to the teachings of his supposed savior,

3) that he betrayed himself, his family, his congregation and his nation with his dishonesty, hatred and lies,

4) that there are millions more like him who read only what they want to see in their bibles for their own selfish reasons.

Go ahead and cast your stones, fools. In your hearts you know Jesus would turn his back on you for the modern day Pharasees that you are. No matter how loud you scream his name while engaging in hate and intolerance, as long as you close your hearts and pass judgement upon your fellow sinners, Jesus can never be not your savior.

Answer 8

The real tragedy is he got all those knukle heads to believe all his lies then when he was exposed they should have immediatly castrated him Hail Satan

Answer 9

The real tragedy is that hes not saved and has no idea who Jesus Christ is .

Answer 10

That people automatically assume all Christianity is like this! WRONG! This guy, if what he did was true, is a fraud and in need of Jesus!

PS...I'm a born again Christian who attends a Baptist church.