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View Full Version : Guy Who Outted Ted Haggard Welcomed to Haggard's Former Church



Bubbalicious
01-29-2007, 06:33 PM
Haggard's accuser visits New Life Church (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CO_COC_HAGGARDS_ACCUSER_COOL-?SITE=CODEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The former male prostitute whose
accusations against New Life Church founder Ted Haggard led to Haggard's
dismissal as pastor visited the megachurch Sunday.

Mike Jones, who has a forthcoming book, told The Denver Post that
several people shook his hand and told him, "God bless you."

"I had read a lot about the church, but there's nothing like seeing it
for yourself," Jones told the newspaper. "It wasn't to rub anyone's face
in it by any means. I was wanting to get some perspective, to see where
they are coming from, what the magnet is."

Haggard resigned last year as president of the National Association of
Evangelicals after Jones alleged Haggard paid him over a three-year
period for sex and sometimes took methamphetamine during the encounters.

Haggard then was fired as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church.
He publicly admitted in November to unspecified "sexual immorality."

In an apology to the church, Haggard had urged members to forgive and
thank Jones for exposing deceit.

Church members invited Jones to the church several times.

Jones visited on Sunday with members of a New York-based theater troupe,
The Civilians, who are researching a project on evangelicals. Church
leaders knew about the visit beforehand.

Associate pastor Rob Brendle saw Jones in the foyer.

"I told Mike, 'I don't want to impose my religious beliefs on you, but I
believe God used you to correct us, and I appreciate that,'" Brendle
said. "The church's response to him was overwhelmingly warm. One of the
wonderful and enduring truths of Christianity is to love people the
world sets up to be your enemies."

Haggard and his wife, Gayle, completed a counseling program in Arizona
and are back in Colorado Springs, Brendle said.

---

Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

5stringJeff
01-29-2007, 06:38 PM
Associate pastor Rob Brendle saw Jones in the foyer.
"I told Mike, 'I don't want to impose my religious beliefs on you, but I
believe God used you to correct us, and I appreciate that,'" Brendle
said.

:confused:

Aren't evangelicals at least supposed to mention their religious views?!? What kind of watered-down message is that? 'Welcome to our church, but hey, we don't want to force our views on you!' I'm at a loss.

That particular point aside, it's good that the church is forgiving towards this guy.

darin
01-29-2007, 06:51 PM
Excellent! God's Grace is MUCH deeper and stronger than is man's.

Bubbalicious
01-29-2007, 06:58 PM
:confused:

Aren't evangelicals at least supposed to mention their religious views?!? What kind of watered-down message is that? 'Welcome to our church, but hey, we don't want to force our views on you!' I'm at a loss.

That particular point aside, it's good that the church is forgiving towards this guy.

Well he outed corruption or sin or whatever within their ranks, so I guess the guy felt Jones had done the church some good.
I've heard of Christians that abide by 'love the sinner, hate the sin,' and 'judge not lest ye be judged,' and 'he who is without sin, cast the first stone' - all that good stuff. It's not unheard of. Besides, it wouldn't have been very Christian to invite Jones to the church just to berate him for being gay. And it would have been hypocritical to chastise him for exposing the truth about Haggard, don't you think?

Nienna
01-29-2007, 07:01 PM
Well he outed corruption or sin or whatever within their ranks, so I guess the guy felt Jones had done the church some good.
I've heard of Christians that abide by 'love the sinner, hate the sin,' and 'judge not lest ye be judged,' and 'he who is without sin, cast the first stone' - all that good stuff. It's not unheard of. Besides, it wouldn't have been very Christian to invite Jones to the church just to berate him for being gay. And it would have been hypocritical to chastise him for exposing the truth about Haggard, don't you think?

I think that "not imposing their beliefs" could have been done through ACTION, instead of bending over backward to almost deny those beliefs. They imply some sort of guilt about their beliefs, seems to me.

However, I aplaud both the forgiveness of Jones, and the welcome. :)

Bubbalicious
01-29-2007, 07:08 PM
Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't see what they had to forgive Jones for. All he did was expose the truth.

Nienna
01-29-2007, 07:15 PM
Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't see what they had to forgive Jones for. All he did was expose the truth.

I guess they mean not judging him for being a male prostitute, or maybe not holding hard feelings for exposing Haggard. I tend to think the former, bc Haggard deserved to be exposed.

Bubbalicious
01-29-2007, 07:22 PM
I guess they mean not judging him for being a male prostitute, or maybe not holding hard feelings for exposing Haggard. I tend to think the former, bc Haggard deserved to be exposed.

Okay, that makes sense. It seems they don't have any hard feelings toward him about exposing Haggard, which is cool.

darin
01-29-2007, 09:02 PM
Haggard deserved to be exposed.

Isn't exposing himself what got him in trouble in the first place? ;)

Bubbalicious
01-29-2007, 09:25 PM
Isn't exposing himself what got him in trouble in the first place? ;)

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