Did the Evangelical Church really gave Ted Haggard a generous severance package?
920972
I think it's very wrong but I think it was more for his family than it was a reward for his service.
930373
I doubt if he was taking meth. That was just a cover-up for his homosexuality. The other man denied selling him meth. He seems a lot more honest than the pastor. It was about sex, not meth. He has resigned from the church. His days of leading or fleecing the sheep are over. I can forgive people for their short comings, lord know I have mine, but to criticise and condemn others for doing the same thing you are is unforgivable. Hypocrisy is the real sin in this case. He is only sorry that he has been outed. He would have kept doing the same thing and leading a double life if the other man hadn't come out with the truth.
1173461
I was very much encouraged by my parents to find my own way, be my own person and for that I am most grateful to them. For a number of years as a youth, I attended an evangelical Sunday group and although I have what I think is a deep understanding of the christian faith, I never really bought into it. I am fairly well convinced that somebody who lived 2000 years ago died a violent death for denouncing the corruption of the religious, political and military leaders of the time and that those ideals gave rise to the christian faith. But therein lies the most contentious point - that this enlightened individual was telling us we don't need self-righteous big-wigs lording it over us, yet from this message a whole new breed of religious zealots were born, who proceeded to enslave minds with their twisted dogma.\n\nBrian (Life of - MP) was so right and probably remains the most accurate reconstruction of that moment of history - by a country mile.
805041
If so, then as some on here have suggested, let's pack it all in and throw the whole mess away. Having spent a good deal of my life studying the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures I certainly don't come to that conclusion. Instead I see story after story about losers (not winners), the least (not the greatest), the littlest (not the biggest), the dim-est (not the brightest), the foulest (not the most righteous), the f__k-ups (not the ones who get it right), being the ones who are deeply loved and greatly prized. It is not a collection of winner's stories. It is an anthology of humanity with all of its beauty and ugliness, and a God who seems to be remarkably like his/her creation. It is an image (sacrament) about how God has always been in and loving his creation - and that his creation has always been "in" its God. So the redemption stories in those Holy books are not about god leaving anyone out (including herself), but about how everyone was always in (all along).  Contrary to what the moralists and hell-lovers proclaim, God has not changed his mind since saying in Genesis 1:31 about her creation: "it is so good, so very good!"
870922
They are with Ted Haggard praying for another chance.\n\nPlease note that I did not say forgiveness.\n\n\nGo big Red Go
640125
True.\n\nNew Orleans restoration has gone to Haliburton (Cheney).\nNo Child Left Behind Tutoring > Christian Churches\nEnvironmental affairs > Texas Oil (horrible truth)\n4 million dollars of higher education money has gone to a project to "prove that prayer works".\n\nThe list goes on.
860336
As I don't know them, I wouldn't have any way of knowing that, but I do know that they are in no way responsible for the errors and crimes of their father.  They have no need to be ashamed.  The shame is all Ted Haggards'--for being a hypocrite and a purchaser and user of illegal drugs.  Being homosexual, in itself, is nothing to be ashamed of.  The greatest shame is that his religion convinced him to believe it is.\n\nI do not celebrate the failures of my fellow human beings, though I do think it a good thing that his hypocrisy has at last been exposed.
1117786
No ... it seems it was not just the having the kid .. it was having the kid tortured and killed that did the trick. Oddly the christians believe that god got over it because he got to watch his son die in agony ... now THAT is one sick religion.
770840
Wow, that is amazing that you ask such a question, because I am a member of a COG church and our pastor was asked to resign.  Not just for simple petty reasons, like he stepped on toes, or he didn't preach the right sermons.  He was more into adultery, abusing his wife, and neglecting his children.  Basically, not living or attempting to lead a christian life.\n\nI knew this was going on but chose to step back and let others handle it and that is exactly what happened.  Eventually, the state overseer came down investigated and out of guilt the pastor fessed up.\n\nIf you do decide to contact your state office, do this for the right reasons, not for personal gratification.
957613
No, I don't think God is pleased at all of us.  Every day he get's to watch humanity fight for money and resources. Everday he get's to see a child strave, or a woman raped. Every day he gets to to see armies fighting and killing in his name. Everyday he watches the rich get rich at the expense of everyone else.\n\nNo, he's not proud of us, nor is he happy either.   We all better be glad that he sent Christ here as a buffer between him and us or else I think he would eventually just throw up his spiritual hands and say "Enough is enough!" and wipe humanity of the planet.
858106
Actually I worked with a very cruel woman who was a minister in the the No Name Church.  She justified mistreating those in her way as necessary in the world at this time.  (I don't think it was their belief, I just think the wrong person in their religion was given some power.)  I witnessed many manipulative cruel schemes in the work place to help her gain a position of power.   I grew up in a fundamentalist hotbed of religion and thought I had seen and heard everything up to that point.  People like Ted Haggard may do damage on a phenomenal scale, but I have never seen evil masked as Christianity as I did with this woman.  It was truly a eye opening experience as I listened to how other members had to come to her for council and her advice . . . such as advising one man to divorce his wife.  Part of her rationalization was the marriage ceremony was not printed in the Bible so it was a man-made contract not supported by the Church.
812966
Little if any.  Most reasonable people don't equate religion with a political party.  If they do, they constitute the most dangerous threat do our country. What Haggard did was very bad not only for his church, but his teachings. It only proves that we must be tolerant of other people. God would not want us to be judgmental. God does not hate homosexuals. Only man can hate.
1116336
I am not sure who or what your source is but I did not need all that information to come to the conclusion that Pat's a crook and a cheating hypocrite.  \n\nAs far as "God's" Divine Plan... well if you take the perspective that "GOD" is with in and that Faith is something you feel more then an actual "God like" being then I guess good old Mr. Robertson is right on Track.... It's his Divine Plan to be filthy rich and to walk over the backs of the poor.  Yep he's on target
746422
Probably not. But I do know of one who was "stricken down" on his way to a radio interview about his role as an abortion provider. Had a stroke and nearly died. Some of the local Fundamentalists read far too much into it.
817456
When I lived in Colorado Springs, I attended New Life Church (Ted Haggard's church) I have to say that we didn't, don't and don't ever plan on putting our faith in a person. Ted, whether or not he is guity of this, is a horribly sinful man, just like I am a horribly sinful person, just like David in the Bible, and dozens of others have fallen so low that they could never, ever even imagine receiving any type of forgiveness from God. Just because he was a pastor, does not protect him from the sin of this fallen world we live in. David was a man after God's own heart, yet committed adultury and murder. Not saying that was right, but it's times like these that we have to realize that we are weak humans that are naturally prone to sin, and we just need to always be asking God to protect us, and rooting our faith in Him and His Word, rather than in mere man.
211160
http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain24.htm\n\nthis is everything you need to know to show you that it is a false revelation and that in fact, it did not come from God.\n\nI'm agnostic, so I apologize for answerring, I recently apostacized from the LDS Church but, was raised as a Lutheran.  Sorry, but you will never find a good enough answer to a religious question, no one knows the true truth, the real truth, all they know is how to be blindly lead and how to blindly lead, and this G12 seems like an excellent way to getting active participation from all members in missionairy work.  Who wouldn't want to have that sort of leadship in their local church?  having control over 12 who each have 12 and so forth, that's a lot of power and it plays on the idea of greed.  Greed is bad and if you have seen what the early catholic church did because of greed, you'd see that the G12 movement is false, and is not revelation from "Heavenly Father".
410708
My dad is a Pastor for three churches in the black hills of south Dakota, he has made many misprints in his 32 years in the ministry! for instance in the bulletin: (from a list of cleaning supplies needed) instead of toilet bowl cleaner he put "bowel cleaner" and (for our college ministry called Hope For The Future) it read "there will be no Hope For The Future after next week" one time instead of saying he may be seated for the next hymn, he said "you may be heated for the next sin" those are just the tip of the ice berg!!!!