Posted on 11/05/2006 3:53:32 PM PST by quiet_reverie
Ted Haggard's letter to New Life Church
Gayle Haggard's letter to New Life Church
P.S. If that comment offended you, then what is your opinion on nmh's variant ? You'll see, the comment you received was far more toned down in comparison.
Agreed. I think the pressure of temptation on these guys must be enormous. I have some clergy friends, and they say (and I see it happen) people are always crowding around them, giving them stuff, wanting stuff, offering stuff....
I can't imagine the temptations that get tossed in the way of a guy whose personality can build a church of 14,000 folks. And one almost wonders if the sort of fellow who can do that, might not also be predisposed in some way to falling for the temptations.
I find this comment absurd.
If she considered marriage sacred she send him packing. He betrayed her trust in the worst way and her "Christian" forgiveness is posing and posturing; pure crap in my book.
Forgiveness for this jerks disgusting betrayal is his business with G-d.
If she had a shred of self respect she dump him and move on. Obviously the "church" is more important to her than righteousness.
I have been to Saddleback, Rick arren's megachurch, and was very unimpressed with the worldliness and lack of sound instruction. I would NEVER want to return to it. Yet, it is viewed as the prototype of the megachurches.
Each individual believer should be accountable to the Lord only. This is called the priesthood of the believer, set forth in Hebrews.
Is Haggard a Christian? And if the Mrs. kicks him out who will pay the rent on the 5+ acre, over half million dollar property?
http://land.elpasoco.com/schddispp.asp?schd=6228004009
It's the difference between a smart consumer and a sucker.
I agree, King Kong. Not one mention of the healing and restorative power of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, too much emphasis is placed on the engaging, charismatic leader rather than the simple instruction of Scripture.
Would you like to read what I consider, after one's conversion to Christianity, to be the single most important qualification for a leader / pastor? Of course you would! (smile) It is proven character.
The pastors (evangelical, charismatic churches) whose lives have had the most impact on me as one of the members of the church all have proven character. If a person had been through the fire, has been tested and found faithful in the little things, God says He will give him/her more things to be responsible for. What leaders allow in moderation, the flock will go for in excess. I lovingly appreciate and cherish the godliness of my pastors. I have a heart for holiness and wouldn't be able to stay in a church that didn't seek the Lord with all its heart, soul, mind and strength. I want ALL of Him. I'm a spiritual hog. Whatever God has to give, I want it.
But without my pastors who discipled me, and the elders and deacons and the wives of elders and deacons who discipled me, I wouldn't be able to do much of a job of following Jesus. I totally believe in the priesthood of the believer, that the only Intermediary who stands between God and me is Jesus, but I also know God delegated authority on this earth to pastors, apostles, prophets, teachers, and evangelists to shepherd the flock and bring in the sheep.
The problem is we are all sinners and some of us fall into the temptations of this life. This doesn't mean we should do away with pastors. I love the account of the centurion who understood the power that comes when we are under authority.
Matthew 8:5 And when Jesus entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lies at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus said unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 The centurion said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Truly I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go your way; and as you believed, so be it done unto you. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
There are also sociopaths/criminals/adulterers among police, FBI, CEOs, liberals, Hollywood stars, and adored athletes, and even Presidents. One should not be surprised that there are among ministers, especially in areas where big money can be made.
He is not, in any way, equivalent to a Pharisee.
He was not maintaining he didn't sin, but instead, when confronted, he admitted what he should have and very willingly left the ministry.
The Pharisees were hypocrites. To be a hypocrite, one must say they do one thing while actually doing the opposite.
To be a leader, you must be open to criticism and seek to change when found wanting.
No Christian leader is sinless. If we couldn't encourage others with the Word of God without being blameless, no knowledge of God could ever be shared.
Examine yourself. I believe you'll find yourself wanting.
Nice, Christian attitudes you have there.
Divorce definitely knows you tongues.
He's not around to get that money.
He's encouraging people not to abandon God and that church body because of his pitiful example. What's wrong with that?
She will prove herself by maintaining her vow before God.
Those vows usually read, "Until death do us part" and not "Until things get difficult do us part".
Perhaps divorce appeals to you for other, more personal, reasons, but it's not what God wants from Scripture.
He wasn't a hypocrite.
He never maintained he wasn't struggling in such ways. So he never lied about maintaining one thing while doing the opposite. He was never confronted with such charges to lie about them, for all we know.
There's no problem with standing up for the Word of God even when you struggle with it. You just need to admit and seek to not sin within it all.
However, in this day and age there are sexually transmitted diseases that will kill you, AIDS, Hep B&C, as far as I am concerned, if him and his wife were still intimate, then he endangered her life. I don't think anyone on here,including Christians, would expect you to stay with a spouse who endangered your life.
>>>Sin is a solitary act<<<
Haggard's sins were definitely NOT solitary acts. They required the cooperation and the..er..equipment of a gay hustler. Disgusting perverts, both of them!
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