Even when I winced over things Pastor Ted would say as a representative of evangelicals, even when I wished he’d focus on poor people rather than Republican party priorities, even when I wanted his theology to resemble that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Karl Barth instead of Oral Roberts, Pastor Ted was a man I was glad to call a friend. He’s still a friend now. Anything less would be a paltry definition of love. Love rejoices with the truth, wrote St. Paul, which means that anyone who loves Pastor Ted has to tell the full story - especially to themselves.
...the true importance of Ted Haggard
Thursday December 21, 2006
My colleague and friend Patton Dodd wrote a beautiful article for the Financial Times. It is titled simply, "My pastor disgraced our church." Please read. My favorite paragraph:
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Andy, I am sorry, but when I saw that title it just really disturbed me. I don't even know what it had to do with the article. If you look down further on this site David has two other posts about Ted Haggard's church (about the fall of another person at their church). Someone posted a very wonderful story from the New York Times that relates to Ted.
No offense intended, really. The reason I responded to your comment was because I thought it related to the post (a good thing) and was worth conversing with.
Without regard for particular people, I just don't think that the comments have helped the blog work better. I think incorporating quotes from reader emails would be a more effective way for David to make this blog participatory and balanced.
Did Haggard ever preach to encourage others to sin? To promote it? Big difference between Ted Haggard and Jim Wallis then.
Donny, there seems to be a big leson that you have failed to learn from the Scriptures you say you love so much: Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone. It seems you need reminding, you are NOT in charge of the stones.
My perspective, aligns well with scripture. I haven't judged Haggard or anyone else.
Their confession of sinning has though. What many "on the left" look for in a person like Haggard's "falling" is the hope that they can silence the message of repentance. Peter and Paul, were sinners and still preaached the Gospel of salbvation and the forgiveness of sins. I never read, "in the scriptures," I do love so much. anywhere, where a sinner promoted and preached to others to sin. I know how desperately some kinds of people want Christianity and their sins to mix so well, but, that is not the message of the Gospels. Ask Haggard's Church.
Or, better yet, read the New Testament. No matter who sins, there is no excuse for it. But there is always repentance and forgiveness in reality. How does it go in science? For every action there is an equal and oppositite reaction. The lesson to be learned from Ted Haggard, is that sin happens. So does admitting it, repenting and trying as hard as possible to go and sin no more. Love means not ignoring truth.
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