The Trials of Ted Haggard

I heard about the release of the documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard, on HBO a few months ago while surfing for news. I missed its premiere, but I finally got around to watching it last night.

I'm hardly a fan of Ted Haggard. I didn't really care for him before he got in trouble. Like many, I scoffed when I heard that he was caught in sin. "How could he have done something so stupid!?" Since then, I've read many of the articles that have been written about the man and the vast attitude of public opinion against him. I don't - in any way - condone of his behavior. After all, for a person is in his position who was struggling like he says he was, it would have been far better to admit the problem and sought out help than to be openly exposed and caught by surprise. As my friend and pastor says, DISclosure BEFORE EXposure. In the eyes of public opinion, he's no better off than A-Rod or Miguel Tejada, much less Jimmy Swaggart, all of them asking for forgiveness after being caught in a really embarrassing situation.

I think the thing that surprised me, while watching the documentary, was how negatively the church, as a whole, had received him after he had admitted guilt and asked for forgiveness. I mean I understand the frustration and anger of the homosexual community. It reminds me of the Van Halen album OU812, released during the time of the string of scandals involving Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Marvin Gorman and other prominent preachers in that day. People should be upset. Haggard wasn't truthful with his family or his church at first and finally had to admit the truth when other versions of the story emerged. The film mentions, as a footnote, that another allegation was made by a church member before the film was actually aired publicly. There's just no good way to dole out bad news.

This is the problem that I have with how the man was treated by the people he once led as pastor. According to what was reported in the documentary/movie, Haggard was made to move out of the house he owned, to leave the state of Colorado and never darken the door of New Life Church again. I understand people being hurt, angry, upset - whatever - over what the guy did. This guy blew it and fell hard. Anything involving the former head of the National Association of Evangelicals, the pastor of New Life Church and the host of hundreds of conventions around the country, it's next to impossible to keep it quiet.

I think the biggest tragedy isn't necessarily what happened to him and his family. I really feel for his wife and kids having had their lives uprooted and undermined because Haggard's actions. But the guy felt so alone that he couldn't go to someone and ask for help. That's huge and awful! He was afraid of being judged before, and based on how he's been treated, he was right to feel that way. As he says in the documentary, "I feared that if I admitted my struggle, I would lose my friends, my vocation - everything." Consequently, one of the overseers in leadership at New Life says in the video "We want Ted Haggard to just go away." Everyone who attends New Life should take note of this. They could one day be saying this about you. And in case someone might think they couldn't possibly do something like what Haggard did, remember "except for the grace of God..."

I think it should also be noted how everyone - as a whole - responded to this particular incident. Would it have been as harsh had he had committed adultery with a woman? I don't think so. There's more of a stigma for homosexual behavior. By saying that, I don't condone homosexual activity. But, lets be honest, homosexual activity is the hotbutton for American Christianity right now. If it came down to it, and the average person given the choice, most people would have preferred that he would have gotten caught with a woman - or a string of women - than to get caught like this.

What I keep coming back to is that I would expect this kind of response from the media. Ted Haggard's story is the "perfect storm" in journalism. "Superpreacher busted for doing what he preached against." There will be no mercy in that arena. But, to be effectively blacklisted and subsequently blackballed by the Christian Church? I think everyone should take a step back and consider what has taken place: a Christian brother is caught in sin. Period. Sin is sin, whether its viewing pornography, adultery, or cheating on taxes. We say we understand this, but we have our own idea of what's a little worse than the rest. In conservative circles, that would be homosexual behavior.

Like many who get entangled in sin (name your poison here), Ted Haggard tried to cover his tracks only to find he was getting out of control. Originally, the story was he met with the male prostitute once for a massage. Then that story grew to regular, monthly meetings. Then, somehow drugs were involved. Finally, there was someone else besides the prostitute. Unfortunately, that's how sin works - and we know this. We do something that we said we would never do and vow not to do it again. But, we do it again and make excuses for ourselves, based on our background or experiences. Sometimes we can even be confronted and respond with lies and deceit. Considering what Haggard said in the video, he felt he could not go to anyone for help. If he could have turned to someone for help, would he have taken the opportunity? We'll never know that. The truth is that things were out of control and he finally got exposed in the worst possible way.

Now, consider the next passage of scripture in light of this scenario:

^"1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ²Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, ⁵for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:1-5

I realize that the men involved in addressing the disciplinary action levied against Ted Haggard probably read this passage of scripture along with many others. Note the text - "if someone is caught in sin." It's as if the Apostle knew that people wouldn't likely come clean and admit their failures outright. No, they would probably get caught, one way or another. When they are, those who are spiritual have a responsibility to restore that one in the faith. The problem here isn't the fact that Ted Haggard lied and covered up his struggles, temptations and sin. He just revealed, what most of us knew all along, that at the end of the day we're all only human. No, the problem here is that when the church (in this case, New Life Church and its overseeing ministers) had the opportunity to be the agent of true healing for Ted Haggard, they chose to be his judge, jury and executioner. Rather than taking the responsibility of restoring this man to a level of respectibility in what was his own home (Ted Haggard says at one point that New Life was his life), he was banished like a leper. A 4-man panel of church overseers made the decision to deal with Ted Haggard like they did. They explain in a video (their response is shown briefly in the documentary) why they felt it necessary to deal with him the way they did. Yadda, yadda, yadda. They punted. Plain and simple. "Go away, Ted Haggard. Get help somewhere else."

I find it a curious question to ask, if they were found in the same circumstances, how would they want to be dealt with? If it were me, I would prefer this:

¹⁴ David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." 2nd Samuel 24:14.

Unfortunately, Ted Haggard learned just how harsh and true this passage could be.