1 Boring Old Man

Ted Haggart, one of those evangelical types with a megachurch in Colorado Springs is being outed as having a three year Gay relationship with a homosexual prostitute.

Gay escort claims sex tryst with preacher

A former gay male escort claims he and Rev. Ted Haggard of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, shown in this file photo, had a three-year sexual relationship. Haggard denied the charges, which come on the eve of Colorado voting on two ballot issues relating to gay marriage.

A former gay male escort is going public on the eve of Colorado voting on two ballot issues relating to gay marriage, claiming a three-year sexual relationship with a prominent Colorado Springs pastor who has been an outspoken opponent of same-sex unions.

A Denver resident identifying himself as Mike Jones said he had a sexual relationship with Ted Haggard, founder of the 14,000-member New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

During an appearance today on the Peter Boyles show on KHOW 630 AM radio, Jones said "After sitting back and contemplating this issue, the biggest reason (for exposing it) is being a gay man all my life, I have experience with my friends, some great sadness of people that were in a relationship through the years" and were not able to enjoy the same rights and privileges as a married man and woman.

"I felt it was my responsibility to my fellow brothers and sisters, that I had to take a stand, and I cannot sit back anymore and hear (what) to me is an anti-gay message."

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But frankly, who cares if the Ted Haggard is Gay? That’s the whole point of this non-political issue. Sexual preference is no more a marker of character or human value than skin color or gender. What we care about is his hosting The Battle for Marriage or that he is was until today President of the National Association of Evangelicals which has as policy this statement:

We believe that homosexuality is not an inherited condition in the same category as race, gender, or national origin, all of which are free from moral implication. We believe that homosexuality is a deviation from the Creator’s plan for human sexuality.

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Individual Christians, ministers, and congregations should compassionately proclaim the Good News of forgiveness and encourage those involved homosexual practices to cease those practices, accept forgiveness, and pray for deliverance, as nothing is impossible with God. Further, we should accept them into fellowship upon confession of faith and repentance, as we would any other forgiven sinner (I Corinthians 6:11).

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I hope that James Dobson and  Tony Perkins learn from this. Dobson, by the way, is already making his usual paranoid interpretations of anything he doesn’t want to hear:

It is unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man’s accusation. Ted Haggard is a friend of mine and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday’s election — especially the vote on Colorado’s marriage-protection amendment — which Ted strongly supports."

"He has shown a great deal of grace under these unfortunate circumstances, quickly turning this matter over to his church for an independent investigation. That is a testament to the character I have seen him exhibit over and over again through the years."