Ted Haggard Struggles with His Sexuality

[JHarrison01]

Just watched World News Tonight and saw a segment of the interview with Ted Haggard, the fallen evangelist. If you remember, two years ago allegations came to light of sex with a male prostitute and methamphetamine use.

Well now Ted is speaking out, describing his "homosexual tendencies" as a "Struggle with Sexuality"

When all this came to light two years ago I was really pissed at this guy for the hypocrisy of condemning homosexuality while sleeping with a guy (and paying for it).

Now I feel sorry for him - by denying his sexuality he will likely face years of turmoil and pain. Obviously, I don't think sexual orientation can be suppressed

What do you think?

 

[Etoile]

Yeah, I feel sorry for him, more than anything else. Same for Palka or whatever that ex-gay's name was who turned up in a gay bar here in DC. It's hard for these people to reconcile what they are (gay) with what they want to be (straight). I agree that it must cause a great deal of pain.

There is a movie about Haggard tonight on HBO at 8pm, I'm planning to watch it.

 

[Wolfman1982]

Call me cruel, maybe even cynical. But I don´t feel sorry for him. Since to me the only way he can be forgiven. Is that he forgives himself. And he does everything is his power from now and until the end of his own time. That he does to others what he want them to do himself. Basic karma rules. So if he tries to go back to "straighthood" , then he is basically screwing himself over. But then again what do I know about that person and whom am I to put a judgement on him. Just because he has judged others. But oh well that is my honest opinion about that issue.

 

[JHarrison01]

At least he confronted his sexuality or at least tried to.

Contrast that with Larry Craig and Mark Foley that to this day proclaim their innocence.

 

[Etoile]

Wow. Anyone who saw last night's film (only 45 minutes) would not feel anything but pity for Ted Haggard. The man's life was absolutely destroyed by the scandal. That his wife didn't take the kids and run is amazing...they really had a tough time of it during their exile from Colorado. He was able to move back there in mid-2008, but the whole family's life went through terrible upheaval. He is really so human in this film, he breaks down and cries more than once. He is extremely sympathetic and has really struggled with his own demons. The poor guy - I feel awful for him.

 

[JHarrison01]

What was the name of the segment? I'll have to set the DVR or try to find it on HBO On Demand.

 

[Etoile]

It's "The Trials of Ted Haggard" by Alexandra Pelosi (daughter of Nancy). It premiered last night, so I'm sure it'll be on several times more.

 

[Wolfman1982]

Etoile: perhaps Ted Haggert has been taught a lesson. So let us hope he can learn from the whole thing. Instead of going into a GLBT hate again. Since he also had an "inappropriate" relation with an 18 year old male person during his time as a pastor in that church too. So it seems to me, he has learned a very important lesson, please check this out right here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko170l6tLlw

 

[iswallowloads]

Alexandra Pelosi's kind of a Michael Moore, in that her film's aren't very objective. They're edited in a manner that is intended to make the audience think or feel a certain way. I wouldn't judge Haggard on that film any more than I would judge him based on the rest of the media's portrayal of him.

That being said, I know several people that are 'battling their demons', and the problem is that word 'demons'. Not only do they loathe themselves because their desires or sexuality conflict with their religious beliefs, but they prey on people that feel the same way, or try to convince them they should. That's just sad.

 

[John Doe]

I don't make a habit of feeling sorry for assholes but if it makes you feel any better he'll probably go into gay rehab soon.

 

[iswallowloads]

I don't make a habit of feeling sorry for assholes but if it makes you feel any better he'll probably go into gay rehab soon.

Judging by wolfman's youtube link, I'd say you're right. He sounded like he was in an AA meeting.

 

[Programmer Cat]

The poor guy - I feel awful for him.

I don't. As long as he keeps thinking that God cares about who people have sex with and how they go about it, he's part of the problem.

 

[Etoile]

The nice thing about the Golden Rule is that it's unconditional. I don't need for Haggard to forgive me, love me, or anything. I'm not holding back on my pity for a guy who's been through hell just because he thinks I'm going to hell. Just because somebody holds different views from mine doesn't mean I don't respect them as a person.

Ted Haggard doesn't need to be a perfect person. None of us are, and yet we are all deserving of dignity.

 

[iswallowloads]

The nice thing about the Golden Rule is that it's unconditional. I don't need for Haggard to forgive me, love me, or anything. I'm not holding back on my pity for a guy who's been through hell just because he thinks I'm going to hell. Just because somebody holds different views from mine doesn't mean I don't respect them as a person.

Ted Haggard doesn't need to be a perfect person. None of us are, and yet we are all deserving of dignity.

We are all deserving of dignity, can't argue there. But can dignity and self-loathing coexist?

As per the Golden Rule, I don't know if I agree that it's unconditional. In an ideal world it would be, but I, personally, can only treat somehow how I want to be treated until they prove time and time again that they have no plans to afford me the same respect. When Haggard speaks of himself as a junkie, and proclaims he's the greatest of all sinners that deserves what he's gotten (those are almost verbatim qoutes), he's saying that others like him are also the greatest of sinners and will deserve whatever they get.

There are a lot of people out there in a great deal of pain because they basically hate themselves, mostly because they were raised in environments poisoned by people like Haggard, or worse. Is it my place to judge or punish those people? Absolutely not. Are they deserving of my pity? Sure, up until they 'go through hell' yet come out with just as much hatred to spread as they always have.

 

[Etoile]

Are they deserving of my pity? Sure, up until they 'go through hell' yet come out with just as much hatred to spread as they always have.

That's my point. For me, there is no "up until" - it's unconditional. Dignity and self-loathing can coexist when it is an outsider bestowing the dignity.

 

[iswallowloads]

I see dignity the same way I see love. I truly believe you can't love another until you love yourself. Dignity first comes from within as well.

Good for you for being able to stick to the Golden Rule no matter what. I wish I could do the same, but I have many times in the past, and it always got me burned, big time. Life, at least mine, isn't like the movies, where people that are trying to hurt you, see your behavior as an example to follow and change their wicked ways. They only see it as a weakness and therefore an excuse to take advantage of you or cause more pain than they normally would have.

I fully believe in karma, but I also believe that if someone tries to hurt me, I'm doing us both a favor by stopping it now, and unfortunately that's not always pretty.

I really do admire you though, not being sarcastic.

 

[ted_cinti]

very nice pictures, I can help.

ted

 

[Etoile]

I see dignity the same way I see love. I truly believe you can't love another until you love yourself. Dignity first comes from within as well.

Good for you for being able to stick to the Golden Rule no matter what. I wish I could do the same, but I have many times in the past, and it always got me burned, big time. Life, at least mine, isn't like the movies, where people that are trying to hurt you, see your behavior as an example to follow and change their wicked ways. They only see it as a weakness and therefore an excuse to take advantage of you or cause more pain than they normally would have.

I fully believe in karma, but I also believe that if someone tries to hurt me, I'm doing us both a favor by stopping it now, and unfortunately that's not always pretty.

I really do admire you though, not being sarcastic.

Thank you. I'm a strong believer in something Anne Frank said: "In spite of everything, I still believe people are truly good at heart." That's what enables me to give dignity and respect even where others might not feel it was appropriate. Gandhi had a similar quote: "Do not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." Following these makes me feel good, so I make it a priority.

 

[iswallowloads]

Wish there were more like you, maybe I wouldn't have had to do some of the things I have in the past

I've studied a bit of Gandhi myself, and have always admired him. Are you studying because of school or out of personal interest?

 

[Etoile]

Wish there were more like you, maybe I wouldn't have had to do some of the things I have in the past

I've studied a bit of Gandhi myself, and have always admired him. Are you studying because of school or out of personal interest?

It's a personal interest; I've asked around at all the local schools and none of them have courses in Gandhian philosophy. I became interested after seeing the Ben Kingsley movie last fall, and I've been reading about satyagraha and his life since then.

 

[John Doe]

Thank you. I'm a strong believer in something Anne Frank said: "In spite of everything, I still believe people are truly good at heart." That's what enables me to give dignity and respect even where others might not feel it was appropriate. Gandhi had a similar quote: "Do not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." Following these makes me feel good, so I make it a priority.

What could Anne Frank have possibly learned about life? She only lived to be 14.

 

[Etoile]

What could Anne Frank have possibly learned about life? She only lived to be 14.

As Abraham Lincoln said, it's not the years in your life that count - it's the life in your years.

Or, put another way: age doesn't matter, unless you're a cheese.

 

[iswallowloads]

It's a personal interest; I've asked around at all the local schools and none of them have courses in Gandhian philosophy. I became interested after seeing the Ben Kingsley movie last fall, and I've been reading about satyagraha and his life since then.

Good for you. He has a lot to teach the world. It's a shame that he has fallen into the "everybody knows him, few know anything about him" category. At least here, when I was in Europe I was surprised at how much many of the Eastern Philos are flourishing. Christianity's still huge there too, but spirituality is much more diverse. I think it's because here we're a little to obsessed with image and all that other superficial crap. Sorry, I'll get back on subject.

He had a pretty profound effect on me. When I was 18 I had a bit of an epiphany and realized that life was only about one thing - truth. When I came across his autobiography, the title appealed to me and I felt an instant kinship. I still have a really really long way to go, but I could do a lot worse than Gandhi as one of my guides.

 

[iswallowloads]

What could Anne Frank have possibly learned about life? She only lived to be 14.

http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2

http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Frank-Diary-Young-Girl/dp/0553296981

 

[John Doe]

As Abraham Lincoln said, it's not the years in your life that count - it's the life in your years.

Or, put another way: age doesn't matter, unless you're a cheese.

There's still a limit to how much you can learn in a given time frame. Despite recent and impressive advancements in quantum physics, we're still limited by the fourth dimension.