Ted Haggard, Disgraced Gay Hooker-Hiring Preacher, Starts New "Church"

Image from source, Denver Post

How funny is it that Teddy Bear started his new church in the wake of fellow anti-gay activist George Rekers' recent scandal. I've got to wonder if Haggard had loosened his stance (ahem) on the gay this time around.

[Excerpt]

Haggards incorporate new church

Ted and Gayle Haggard recently incorporated St. James Church, sited at their home on Old Ranch Road in Colorado Springs, where the couple held two overflowing prayer meetings in November.



The Haggards did not return The Post's calls, but Ted Haggard, the deposed founder of the New Life megachurch, told the Gazette newspaper on Tuesday that the incorporation of a new church on April 29 was done for accounting purposes — tracking reimbursement of travel costs as they speak at churches and other venues around the country. . .

Read more at: DenverPost

Pastor Rod Parsley Endorses John McCain

John McCain had a problem after getting the nomination. He doubtless knows that all of the in-fighting in the primaries tends to go by the wayside once the general election begins (so buck up, Democrats!). But he still faced the problem of his image amongst conservatives. Mike Huckabee had the fundies in his corner. Mitt Romney won (by process of elimination) the allegiance of conservatives. And prominent far-righties were disavowing John McCain, even threatening to vote for Hillary Clinton!

So what's Grampa to do? Shore up his image, of course! He got the (sort of) endorsement of "dancin' fool" George W. Bush, with the White House as a backdrop. He got an uber-conservative talk show host to introduce him (that kinda backfired). And now, he's lining up the endorsements of super-preachy, religion-and-politics types. First, it was John Hagee, who is anti-Catholic and anti-gay--probably anti-lots of things. Now, he's got Rod Parsley of Columbus, Ohio--my hometown.

I am distrustful of religion in general, evangelists in particular, and "mega-churches" especially. If Jesus existed, and was all they say he was, he never expected this sort of thing. Anyway, Parsley gives me a wiggins, and reminds me of LeRoy Jenkins (a 70s evangelical from Columbus), and especially, Ted Haggard. In this video, Parsley rails against "the gay," with such passion--and loss for words--I can only think he's imagining it in vivid clarity.



The problem is not that John McCain has been endorsed by these people. The problem is that he has enusiastically embraced these endorsements. Hopefully, that will be enough to scare any right-leaning Democrats from voting for him.

Rev. Ted Haggard: No Longer Ex-Gay?

Photo from source, FOX "News"

The formerly fabulously Reverend Ted Haggard, the crystal Methodist (™The Stephanie Miller Show) can't get any love these days. Or, maybe he can, and that's the problem! The Mega Church he created has severed all ties with him, and he's severed all ties with the "reparative therapy" group he was enrolled in.

Maybe Ted should just start up a new, gay-friendly Mega Church! Although the kneeling might take on a different significance. Heh, heh. Thank you, I'll be here all week. . .

[Excerpt]

Disgraced Evangelical Leader Ted Haggard Breaks Counseling Ties With His Former Megachurch

The megachurch founded by Pastor Ted Haggard said Tuesday he has prematurely ended a "spiritual restoration" process begun when he was fired for sexual misconduct. . .

Read more at (yup): FOX "News"

Update: Sen. Craig, Ted Haggard, and Mike Jones

The story I posted just a few slots down has started to hit the news. It would be really interesting to see if it hits the Sunday morning talk shows!

More interesting will be to see if this story gains steam, or if it just fizzles out. So far, it seems to be a local story, but it's lighting up the blogosphere. Stay tuned.

[Excerpt]

Infamous Male Escort Claims Sen. Craig Saw Him

DENVER -- The male escort responsible for the downfall of Christian evangelist Ted Haggard is now alleging Idaho Sen. Larry Craig also came to see him in Denver.

In a new radio interview with a station in Palm Springs, Calif., Mike Jones hesitated from making the allegation on the air but a TV camera was rolling during a radio commercial break and that's when he made the accusation.

Jones was in the studios of a news radio station to promote his new book.

Read the rest at: TheDenverChannel.com

And here: 9News.com

UPDATE: On perusal of my favorite blog, AmericaBlog.com, I found this related story, which is from one of my other favorite blogs, Bloggernista.com. According to Robert Novak (not one of my favorite people), other Senators knew about Senator Craig's ways before his restroom encounter with the cop happened. Check it out:

Republican Senators Knew About Larry Craig

Larry Craig and Ted Haggard Stories Connected?

Photo from source, KennethInThe212.blogspot.com

While I'm on the topic of GOP Sex scandals (see previous post), this one really blows the lid off of the Larry Craig story. I have no way of verifying the veracity of this story, but if it's true, we will have our all-consuming news story for the next week. But oh, how we'll LAUGH!

WARNING: Sites linked in this article may be NSFW (Not Safe For Work) and may contain images you do not want to see. Or maybe you do. . . Anyway, keep that in mind.

[Excerpt]

Hook, Line and Sinker

Blogger JoeMyGod says gay hooker Mike Jones (who famously defrocked Rev. Ted Haggard not too long ago) told him that Idaho Senator Larry Craig was also a customer of his. Joe believes him -- and so do I. . .

Read the rest (warning in mind): KennethInThe212.blogspot.com

Followup: Ted Haggard Chastized for Fundraising

Photo from Towleroad.com

Wow, there's something of a perfect storm of gay/I AM NOT GAY! news out there right now. Following up two earlier Ted Haggard stories (here and here), Teddy seems to have gotten himself into a pickle with his "fundraising" letter. Looks like it's time for Plan B. . .

[Excerpt]

Church Overseers Chastise Ted Haggard

Last week, Haggard sent an e-mail to KRDO-TV saying he planned to pursue a master's degree in counseling and also counsel at the Phoenix Dream Center halfway house. He said he and his family would move in to the Dream Center run by Tommy Barnett, who leads the 15,000-member Phoenix First Assembly of God that Haggard now attends.

Haggard, 50, also sought financial support.

New Life overseers released a statement Wednesday saying they told Haggard the e-mail was ''unacceptable.''

''Mr. Haggard's solicitation for personal support was inappropriate,'' the overseers said in their statement. ''It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry. Mr. Haggard will not be moving in or working with the Dream Center. He will not be doing any ministry. He will be seeking secular employment to support himself and his family,'' the statement said. . .

Read the rest at: NYTimes.com

Ted Haggard's Help Fund a Fraud? New Details

Photo from Wikipedia.com

One of my favorite blogs, AmericaBlog, has a post up from one of my favorite columnists, Dan Savage. It regards Ted Haggard, who I wrote about recently, having set up a charitable fund to help he and his family freeload ahem, make a living. It turns out that the charitible fund is probably bogus, and run by another perv. I'm sure you're shocked. Here is the link to the original article:

[Excerpt]

Ted Haggard, as we learned today on Colorado Confidential, wants you to pay for his and his wife’s living expenses while they go to college—they’re destitute, you see. (Colorado Confidential reports that the Haggards currently own a house in Colorado Springs valued at close to a three quarters of a million dollars.) In an open letter sent to Haggard’s gullible “supporters,” the disgraced preacher gives two addresses where money can be sent. Checks can be sent to Haggard’s mailing address in Phoenix or, if a supporter needs a tax deduction, checks can be sent to Families With a Mission, a charity based in Colorado Springs.[snip]

As posted earlier, local attorney and Slog reader Dave Coffman located documents on file with the Colorado Secretary of State that showed Families With a Mission “voluntarily dissolved” on February 23, 2007.

Hm. Weird—who knew you could get a tax deduction from dissolved charity?

Read lots more at: SlogTheStranger.com

And read AmericaBlog.com's typically spot-on analysis here: Haggard, Families With a Mission, and the sex offender

Ted Haggard Needs Your Help!

Photo from Wikipedia.com

The formerly fabulously Reverend Ted Haggard needs your help! He's asking for money to keep his family in the style they've become accustomed to. Not just for a few months, until he can "get on his feet" (up from his knees, I presume), but for two years. Read on. . .

[Excerpt]

Ted Haggard's Cash-For-Heaven Offer

Have some extra cash? Feel like going to heaven? Then you might consider sending Ted Haggard and his family some monthly checks for the next two years while they move into a halfway house and get psychology and counseling degrees from the University of Phoenix.

If you haven't had enough of the Haggard/New Life Church saga, this week KRDO Channel 13 in Colorado Springs aired a story about a letter that Haggard sent to consumer reporter Tak Landrock, letting him know of the Haggard family plans to move into the Phoenix Dream Center to minister to ex-cons, recovering alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, and "other broken people," Haggard writes. "I identify." [snip]

Haggard, the charismatic former head of the National Association of Evangelicals, was fired last Nov. 4 from the 14,000-member New Life Church that he founded after he admitted buying meth and getting massages from a male escort. After three weeks of intensive "restoration" therapy, Haggard claimed he was "completely heterosexual"; he and his family subsequently moved to Arizona. . .

Read the rest at: ColoradoConfidential.com

Behind the Blogger, Part Two: The Religion Thing

This is the second in a series, explaining a bit more about me, the blogger. As I said in my profile, I was raised vaguely Christian. What I mainly mean by that, is that we celebrated Christmas and Easter. For a short time, Mom took to reading Bible stories to my brother and I, but no more often than she read from Edgar Allen Poe or other authors. She later told me she couldn't very well sell me something she didn't completely buy herself.

Several years passed, with little more religious influence other than saying a brief "grace" at the table. Even my maternal Grandmother who was allegedly religious, rarely said much about it. Then, when I was in ninth grade, I got a crash course. My best friend, and a few others in my class were attending Sunday School classes at the local Lutheran church. One of my friends was even the pastor's daughter. I went nearly every Sunday, learned a lot of Bible lessons, and really enjoyed myself. There were donuts between school and church, there were the friends, and the Pastor was very nice. It was a very touchy-feely, warm-hearted church without even a whiff of fire and brimstone.

There was Bible camp too, which was like band camp without my horn, and a lot more Jesus. And, as the year progressed, we were headed toward "confirmation." So, I quit. I reached the point of no return. While I was enjoying the fellowship, and learning a lot of (as far as I'm concerned, essential) information about religion, I realized like my Mom, that I just wasn't buying it. I couldn't very well get confirmed into a faith that I didn't really share.

I was 14 years old, and I realized I was. . .what? An atheist? I didn't have a real clue yet, but started on a mission to find out. What I knew was, the more I read the Bible (and I think I read most of it that year), the more it didn't ring true to me. And realizing that, I started to believe that it was more likely that all religions were wrong, than that they were all right. So I pursued atheism. I subscribed to American Atheist Magazine, and watched the local Cable Access show by the Columbus chapter. I learned a lot there too, and didn't find a lot to argue with.

But the Atheists seemed just a tad too hardline to me. They were as rigid and outspoken about their beliefs as the overtly religious people I'd encountered. I might not believe in any particular religion, but I had no way of proving there was absolutely NOTHING that was supernatural . I'm way too open to various paranormal ideas: ghosts, telepathy, telekinesis, poltergeists, UFOs, Bigfoot. . . OK, I don't believe in all that, but I'm not ready to reject them all out of hand, either. I do feel like there is some mystery out there, and I don't know what it is. And neither do you. I've settled on the term agnostic. It's as good a description as any.

Mom says she feels bad that she didn't expose us to more religion. I don't. In fact, I'd like to thank her right here, right now. I'm rather proud of being a generally decent person, with a conscience that isn't guided by the prize of heaven or the punishment of hell. I really believe that people who are only "good" to stay out of hell aren't really good people at all--and they scare me.

My (non-) religious outlook has of course affected my views on politics, and life in general. While I do my best to respect others' religions, I don't get much of that respect in return. Many influential people are trying their damnedest to insert Christianity into law. To hell (literally!) with atheists, agnostics, non-Christians, the lot. The current administration has probably done more than any other to entwine religion and politics. And not just religion, but a specific, evangelical form of Christianity. They claim it was how America was founded, but it was not. This as much as anything is what has earned them my antipathy.

In my experience, the more overtly a person declares their religion, the more likely they are to be utter creeps. Televangelists (with their many scandals) are a good example of this. And when one of them meets his fate like Ted Haggard did, I confess to having a hard time controlling my glee. Well that one was just funny, you've got to give me that.