Not to hammer this celebrity aspect too hard, but in an attempt to know more about Haggard I came across this article from his website about himself...

"Haggard's influence reaches beyond Colorado Springs. In 1996, Christianity Today magazine named him one of 50 up-and-coming evangelical leaders younger than 40.

Now 46, Haggard has the ear of prominent evangelicals such as Pat Robertson and Bill Bright. The Bush administration asked him to join other religious leaders in crafting a plan to provide social services through faith groups.

Haggard's profile will grow next year when he becomes chairman of the National Association of Evangelicals, which politicians consult to measure the concerns of conservative Christians....

Other charismatic pastors have come to Colorado Springs, but no one remembers them.

Haggard clearly has something, lots of things: a regular-guy personality, a conversational preaching style, an ad executive's marketing savvy, a drive that pushes him to pray at dawn and the kind of smile seen in a toothpaste commercial."

While we see the secret homosexuality in one man, we should also take note of the very public idolatry of many people that elevates a pastor in such a commercial fashion. In the case of Haggard, one man's sin is exposed,... but tomorrow millions of others will not notice their own idolatry in this thing as they eagely look for the next "up and coming" champion to replace Ted.

MC

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Mike Compton

All things being equal ... There is a word that we might still want to be mindful of with all this ...

Gossip

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Mike Balog

Indeed. The problem isn't simply Haggard's. Rather, it's our tendency in the body of Christ to make Super Star's out of people. And when they fall, it's as if a meteor has fallen from the heavens. God help us all.

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Jimmy H

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Mike Compton

I do find it interesting that nobody is saying:

"We'll, he's only human" "Nobodys perfect" "He couldn't help it" "everyone sins" etc etc. All of the worlds lame excuses to justify their own sin, they would never use to justify the sins of a preacher. Why? Because they know it's simply not right.

Even though I believe there is never an excuse to sin, because sin is always avoidable, I am terribly grieved at this entire situation. My heart breaks for Ted and for all those affected by this tragic reality.

I met Ted once at TBN and we talked about open air preaching. He knew of Holy Hubert and his book "bless your dirty heart". I do hope and pray that Ted has truly already repented, as he claims, regarding the drugs. And that the sexual accusations are not true, though the board of his own church is now saying it is.

I pray that Ted be reconciled back to God just as King David and the Apostle Peter were.

We cannot judge Ted Haggard or what he has or hasn't done, thats not our place... however we will be on hand when his entire life is replayed at the judgement.

I have two thoughts to interject, and I'm too tired to look up verses. But as a leader the bible is clear that he will be judged more strictly than one not in a leadership position. Also there is a warning against leading young ones astray... it would be better to have a mill stone tied around your neck and tossed into the sea.

Ted shouldn't be afraid of anything that we say about him, or the world thinks about his situation, he should fear the Word of God! Instead of making comments out of a car window, he should get down on his knees before his church and ask for forgiveness for his indiscretion.

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Ian Smith

Hello...

I do not know much about Ted Haggart. I have been saddened by the exposure of this ordeal by the media around the world. However, I would like to remind everyone that the last page in the book of his life has not yet been written. Even if he is guilty of all that he is accused (and more), God is still able to create some good from this situation.

I have often wondered what would have happened if some of the other famous "celebrity ministers" had simply repented -- and then told the truth about their entire lives. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, Benny Hinn or Ted Haggert had simply said, "[i]Look -- I have really messed up! And if you're going to talk about this situation, please remember to seriously pray for me, my family, my Church and the Body of Christ. This thing is bigger than me and more than I can handle, and I really need your prayers. Please pray that I might truly know Him in his fullest[/i]." Perhaps God could still use such men because they demonstrate the grace of God. The Word of God is filled with men that have sinned miserably, repented, dusted themselves off, and performed great works for the Lord. Perhaps this man will be like David, Samson or Solomon. He could warn others about not only the sins that he partook of, but of the danger of being carried away by various winds of doctrine and of being placed upon a pedestal.

I am praying for this man, his family, and even the individuals that "followed him." By his own words, he has admitted to some terrible sin. But God can still do the impossible. He can use a repentive human being with known flaws to spread the truth -- as long as he operates in pure and humble love for our Lord. I pray that the eventual last chapter of this man's life is wonderful!

:-)

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Christopher

Hi Compton, hope you are well.

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Christopher Joel Dandrow

That is sobering ChrisJD.

You know so often we graciously focus on the importance of forgiving sin in each other. We want to see how quickly the fallen leader can repent, be restored and dusted off and put back in circulation with a best-selling book about God's amazing grace....and that is a good focus to be sure but there still remains the rippling effect our sins have on other people. The bombs may have stopped falling but now we endure the lingering fallout. Soon the spiritual rads accumulate in the body...society becomes sick and eventually dies.

There is more to discuss then the forgiveness of sins. The sin is forgiven and even forgotten to a measure but there is permenence of effect. For example, I know of a business where two of the Christian principles are going through divorces at the same time...not only do their respective fammilies suffer, but the employees of their company are effected because of the drain and ruin brought upon the enterprise by vindictive parties, legal fees, emotional depletion, spiritual confusion, and lack of concern for day to day operations. And so employees, seeing the handwriting on the wall, begin to look for employment elsewhere...

This interconnectivity is a real consideration when considering the price of our sins. We hurt each other even with sins that we consider personal and private. And so we can forgive Ted Haggard, and maybe God will restore him to fellowship. (Certainly not leadership...) The damage to his wife, children, congregation, and the country at large remains. All of this is amplified by our hateful politics, with the Democrats gleefully using Haggard to take bank shots at the Republicans, and the conservative right reeling and rocking over yet another homosexual scandal...It is Lord of the Flies and Haggard's face is the boar's head on a stick that the children all dance around.

O, when will the captain of the boat return?

Adding to the backdrop of all this I just read FreeCD's transcription of Earnest O' Neils' stirring sermon on cheap grace...how modern Christians have zero impact on the nations they live in.

I am sad. At this point some may want to medicate my sadness with some bit of wisdom or alternative perspective but I think for now I''ll prefer to be sad. Considering our sorry state I think it's the only sane response.

Forgive us Lord,

MC

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Mike Compton

Well said MC, I too am sad, not just this headline here, something else. Just stalled on some meanderings, they seemed just like so much noise and confussion, we are at a low ebb and it is difficult to press down into the heart of the matter. Think you well touched on some of the same sentiment;

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Mike Balog