Ted Haggard's last sermon

Sir, this comment is not related to this particular column. I am a liberal Democrat Christian who probably has very little common ground with most of your views politically. But I saw your interview on Charlie Rose and simply wanted to say that despite our disagreements, I have the utmost respect for your views, as they are obviously well considered.

Man, I am so sick of the overwhelming hypocrisy from you people. Enough is enough!

Yes, Jesus never mentioned gay sex. But he also didn't mention that the only things a Christian ought to believe are mentioned by Jesus. Perhaps that is why there are 23 other books in the New Testament.

Francis-- true, there are more books in the NT.

Hippocracy from a Christian, that's new.............NOT!!!!

Ah, yes, there we go, the old hypocrisy comment from Mr. Anonymous. Who, BTW, didn't bother to use his spell checker. Why is it that those who don't bother to try to live their lives in such a way as to either glorify a deity or to serve other humans mock those that do?

Song: Meth And Man A$$ On A Sunday Morning! YEE HAH!!Praise The Lawd!!

Why did they fire him? Oh, that's right. He taught them not too.
It's my hope Haggard would learn and come out of this a better man, in fact I think he will. It's his congregation and people like Dobson that I fear won't. I think they fear him having gay sex, more than using drugs. In fact - I know they do.
Maybe now his congregation would see why we NEED gay marriage? I doubt it. As a gay man, I can say my first reaction was like - oh yeah, im sure there are more of em. Unfortunately for people like Haggard, they set themselves up to be judged like this. Why? Judge, lest you be judged. Haggard taught his congregation to judge, and likewise they have done that to him. Maybe liberals had a point after all?

Judge, lest you be judged. Haggard taught his congregation to judge, and likewise they have done that to him. They haven't "judged" him as harshly as they did Clinton. They're are levels of judgeing others for these hypocrites.

I am a passionate young Christian who is concerned about the direction of our country. This blog touches on both the elections and King Saul. Well so does a piece I have written comparing Samuel's days to ours.
Please read this blog with an open heart and an open mind to let God's voice be heard in making your opinion or reaction to my piece. You can access it by clicking here. I welcome your feedback.

"Yes, Jesus never mentioned gay sex. But he also didn't mention that the only things a Christian ought to believe are mentioned by Jesus. Perhaps that is why there are 23 other books in the New Testament." Yet he did explicitly condemn divorce, but we don't see Dobson campaigning for a constitutional amendment prohibiting it.

Rev. Ted Faggard. BWWWWWWWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!

" So Christians deplore sin and aim to rise above it, while secular libs celebrate sin and find enjoyment when a man succumbs to dangerous and adulterous behavior." As one of the 'secular libs' you're painting with an awfully wide brush, I have to say that there's been a lot more liberal comment on this than just 'enjoyment.' If you actually read what was being said out there, it's mostly sympathy for Haggard's family and relief that someone who built his career on close-mindedness has been revealed as a hypocrite.
I hope the church takes a good look at what it might have done to produce a man like Teg Haggard. If the church had shown Haggard the acceptance that Jesus showed his followers, he could have fulfilled his potential as a happy, out gay man. You think he would have been doing meth if he was truly comfortable with his own homosexuality?
The church needs to realize that demonization of homosexuals just creates another generation of Ted Haggards. Gay people are *not* going to go away. The church can either embrace them and allow them to live full lives, or continue to close its eyes and shove them into the closet with shame and ridicule. What would Jesus do?

Divorce is mentioned. Hypocrisy is continually mentioned. Being holier than though, and piously going through ritual but not following the underlining spirit is continually mentioned. You may wash your hands seven times, but if you don't help the stranger on the road on the Sabbath you don't get it. Pharisees. The median price of a home in Colorado Springs is $214,000. There are over 10 ministers at the church with homes ranging in value from $300-$700,000. That money is not going to the poor, the needy, the sick, the least of my brothers. They have great special effects at the services, rock bands, concert orchestras, so there is that...

I listened to his last sermon. As a somewhat religous person, I found his sermon to be quite moving. However it is with great irony that he spoke those words just prior to the events that unspooled. Perhaps he is a prophet? It is with great sadness that I witness this story evolve. My parents divorced after my mother found a letter to my father from his secret gay lover. It simply destroyed our family, and 20 years later, it's not any easier. His family must be going through living hell right now. Please pray for them. I know. I went through the same thing, but without the publicity.

Didn't Rev Ted first cop to the meth but deny the gay sex? Now he's copping to BOTH? Oh there's one thing conservatives can't stand, and that's a FLIP-FLOPPER. Well you have to have pity for the guy's family. If Rev Ted had only owned up to his sexuality, if he'd grown up in segment of our society where that was possible, this whole thing might have been avoided. So even leading evangelicals are gay. Surprise, surprise.
It's beginning to look like that ol' joker God MADE some folks gay, isn't it!

SkipChurch, The fundamentalist Messiah is all about "compassion" only when it applies to political fundamentalists caught in sex scandals like Ted Haggard, Paul Crouch, Mark Foley, Joe Scarborough, or Bill O'Reilly. When it happens to fundies, we can lay all the blame on journalists or really anyone who dares to think differently. But when the same happens to Clinton, the world will come to an end if we don't exhaust our energy with unending streams of condemnation. (And let's remember that Haggard's situation is all Clinton's fault. Or should we instead blame Haggard's wife? No, no fundamentalist would ever think to do that now, would they...?) How fun to construct a Messiah whose numerous teachings against corruption and hypocrisy suddenly vanish whenever they become politically intollerable.

Gays and Lesbians didn't get the victory they desire. The man is sorry for his sins. He is not divorcing his wife and taking up with a gay partner. His regret is failing and not realizing a gay center within himslef. What happened is that lies and deception were exposed. Now others involved in homosexuality should leave that life and repent.

It appears the sermon has been pulled from the church's web site ...

There are many Christian liberals. Let me assure you, Haggard and Foley are not the poster children that gay people would choose to have. When you raise a child to beleive that being gay is wrong, they won't discuss it with you. Then they will grow up as screwed up as these guys, but you won't make them straight. They will learn the arts of lying, hiding, and deception. Why is it that straight people think they know so much about how being gay comes about? Do they think that allowing gay marriage will make their children gay?

Donny, you are full to the brim with christian shit. His wife will divorce him so he can finally be happy. You people should just crucify yourselves. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Donny,
Start shoveling, pal. This hypocrite isn't sorry for his sins, he's sorry he got caught. Watching the squirming of a self-righteous jerk whose only explanation for destroying his family is basically "don't do what I do, do what I say" or "The message I deliver more than makes up for my conduct" is probably victory enough for everyone.

I wonder why the link was taken down for the sermon (I.e. topic of this particular post) Is the New Life Church ashamed of what this sermon reveals? I particularly found it to be inspired, in light of current events, and also pertaining to the scripture covered. Why would this church discourage others from seeing the hand of God at work through the irony of this message?

The problem with religion is that it allows the stupid and superstitious to "believe" they have something to contribute to civilization. And that belief is the rock on which the advancement of humanity always founders.

IT IS AN HYPROCRESY OF CONSERVATIVE AND SO RELIGIOUS PEOPLE - LOT OS THEM- ARE HIDDING DEEP IN SECREET. JUST BE REAL AND BE WHAT YOU ARE. THE GUY IS HANDSOME THOUG

Too bad the sermon has been blocked by New Life. Damage control, spin doctoring: instead of being honest with the public, they whiten their sepulchre more, but within there are still dead men's bones and the reek of corpses.
As a former charismatic and fundamentalist, I am not at all surprised. There are many heavily closeted gay men and women within the fundamentalist churches.
I can't believe that some respondents here still stick to the old "gay agenda" angle and claim that Haggard was persecuted in some way by the mysterious "liberal media." He got caught, that's all. He was no more persecuted than Nixon was.