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THE CUTTING EDGE

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Well, another preacher has been "caught with his pants down". Dr. Ted Haggard, pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs and President of the National Association of Evangelicals admitted to getting a massage from a homosexual man and purchasing meth (which is supposed to heighten sexual activity). However, he declares that he didn’t inhale, snort or swallow, or whatever one does with the very dangerous methamphetamine.

Ted, a very talented preacher, first declared that no sex was involved but no one with the IQ of a stump believed that fairy tale. After all, his church “Overseer Board” very quickly declared him guilty “without a doubt” of “sexually immoral conduct.” The council is to be commended for their quick and decisive action. Ted resigned from the NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) and from the New Life Church.

At the beginning, Ted denied knowing his accuser, later admitted getting a massage and buying meth but throwing it away. He did admit to being tempted to use the illegal drug. In his statement to his church on Sunday he wrote, “The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality….I am a deceiver and a liar.” He is to be commended for finally admitting that fact. It is interesting that the previous Sunday he prayed: "Father, we pray that lies would be exposed. We pray that deception would be exposed." That was sure a quick answer to his prayer.

Dr. James Dobson said that he was still Haggard’s friend and agreed to work with two other religious leaders to heal his marriage and reputation. However, now Dobson has backed out of the long restoration process.

Question: How should the rest of us view him?

Yes, we are all flesh and have the same possibility of sinning but should we feel pity, anger, hatred, remorse, etc.? I hope Ted maintains his marriage although the damage to his wife and five children was horrific.

My thoughts: Any man who would have sex with another man is sexually perverted, and in the day of AIDS, he is a silly sexual deviate. A man who goes to bed with a female prostitute is just as stupid. Any person who has such a non-life that he is tempted to use illegal drugs is pathetic. How can a sane man take such a risk when he has such visibility? Here he was, an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage, and he visits a male prostitute! What would drive a man to take such risks?

It is called sin. Sin binds, and blinds, and grinds. Talk to Samson.

Look at what his folly has done to him. Haggard has disgraced himself, his Lord, his church and lost his high paying positions. From now on he will probably be seen around town wearing a neck brace to keep his head up. The only positive result might be that thousands of other preachers will see this major tragedy and learn that sin will find us out.

Many religious leaders get into trouble because they believe their own publicity and their followers are too impressed with their ability, commitment, and success. Many of those followers like to be near their celebrity preacher since they can bask in the limelight. They should look at his feet of clay.

Church members need to be Christian in their attitudes as well as their actions. Have great respect for your pastor but remember that respect is not the same as worship. Realize that he is simply a man, maybe a good man, and even a great man but he is still a man. Also realize that he and his family have problems as other families have. Pray for him but hold his feet to the fire and make him accountable. Be sure that what he preaches is based on the Bible. If he says, “God told me thus and so.” Ask him what he means, and be prepared to walk out if his answer is not Biblical.

Does God ever speak outside the Bible? People who say they actually hear the voice of God are troubled people. Surely those who believe God still speaks audibly will at least agree that God would never lead contrary to His Word. If your pastor lies, exaggerates, or is boastful, then kindly call him on it unless you also lie, exaggerate, or are boastful.

Defend your pastor forcefully when anyone makes accusations but you owe it to other Christians and the cause of Christ to check out all accusations. You also owe it to him, but never believe accusations without two or more witnesses.

Ted Haggard was a fool who threw everything away for a sweaty encounter with another pervert. Ted should ride into the Colorado sunset and never walk to another pulpit. While he can find forgiveness of his sins (if not his stupidity), he has disqualified himself as a preacher of the Word of God.

(Dr. Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives, author of 13 books, frequent guest on national television talk shows and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years

Piranha News Media Feeding Frenzy Over Fallen Preachers!

Another celebrity preacher has fallen (or jumped) into sin and the media are delighted. Remember the great time television newscasters had with Jimmy Swaggart as they aired his weeping confession over and over and over? Also a weeping Jim Bakker being led away in handcuffs? The media are having another piranha feeding frenzy over Ted Haggard of Colorado Springs and his alleged three-year monthly trysts with a muscle-bound gay prostitute in Denver.

While there is a legitimate story here, the media moguls--who only see out of their Liberal eyes—salivate in telling the sordid story of fallen preachers. Moreover, the legitimate story is often turned into a witch-hunt. Many of the media may be honest but they are neither fair nor balanced.

Another example is Congressman Foley, whose sins were not nearly as egregious as Congressmen Frank and Studds, yet the two Democrats got a wrist-slap, while Republican Foley was jumped on with hobnailed boots of blind bias by the media. Fair and Balanced?

I am horrified at Haggard’s fall. He is a talented person who built a huge church in Colorado Springs but he was dumb as a box of rocks to get involved with a male prostitute and risk losing everything. He can be forgiven of his sins of lying, illegal drug use, perversion, breaking his marriage and ordination vows, disgracing his church and Savior, and breaking trust with the NAE which he led. It is wonderful that he can be forgiven for such sins but there is no forgiveness for making dumb decisions!

Hopefully, he will be rehabilitated but he should never return to any pulpit.

Haggard’s church is to be commended for taking immediate action and he did the right thing in resigning as pastor of New Life Church and as President of the National Association of Evangelicals (representing about 30 million Christian middle-of-the-roaders.) Haggard also made a clear confession saying: “The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality….I am a deceiver and a liar.” He is to be commended for finally admitting that fact. He still declares that he did not use illegal drugs, but no one really believes that except those who believe that Elvis Presley, Judge Crater, Jimmy Hoffa, and Amelia Earhart are sitting around on some Caribbean island drinking ice cold adult refreshments.

The media love to boast of objectivity, but media objectivity is as scarce as white dinosaurs in Kentucky. They have a secular, anti-Christian, humanist agenda to promote, and any informed person who questions their message or motives is labeled an ultra-conservative. Horrors! Maybe even Fundamentalist! (Gasp!)

Whether it is evangelical preachers, Christians in politics, creationism, welfare or abortion, the media try to give a tone of sophisticated substance to empty drivel. It surprises me that people do not fall to the floor gasping and choking with laughter at their sick sophistication.

Liberal Preachers -- Treated Differently

It is time to cool the anti-clerical hysteria fomented by the media. How about a little fairness from those disciples of the double standard? They are quick to jump on evangelicals with zipper problems, but liberal preachers are not exposed as fornicators, home wreckers, or perverts. That makes many of the media liars and hypocrites of the first magnitude.

When the head of the National Council of Churches, the "Protestant pope" and Methodist Bishop, told us he had failed his family and the Gospel and fled to Florida (to be a counselor at a girl’s college!) from his two prestigious positions in Indianapolis, not a peep was heard from the media for many weeks. Equal treatment?

Martin Luther King, had girlfriends across the nation, and admitted his adultery; yet even now, most media people refuse to expose him. Where are the fearless reporters who try to be “fair and balanced”?

Every person, whether the sanctimonious hypocrites of the left or the nuts of the far right, should be put to the same test. But Liberal leftists usually get a free ride.

To hear most newscasters, you would think evangelical preachers spend their days stuffing their pockets with money and their nights with ladies (or men!) of the evening. No mention is made of the untold millions of transformed lives through the gospel message, millions of hungry children fed, thousands of medical missionaries sent out, and thousands of students educated at Christian colleges--all with no tax dollars!

The witch-hunt is on, led by the media darlings of the left. Their eyes are glassy as they repeat the sordid details of a fallen preacher, while ignoring or soft-peddling fornication, thievery, and lying by liberals.

People on the left don't usually hunt witches, but they'll make an exception for the religious right.

The Apostle Paul foretold, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that one of the Hallmark characteristics of the End of the Age will be an unprecedented falling away of the Christian Church (called "apostasy"). Listen and see if all this sin in the lives of professing Christians on both sides of the aisles represents fulfillment of this key prophecy.

Are you spiritually ready? Is your family? Are you adequately protecting your loved ones? This is the reason for this ministry, to enable you to first understand the peril facing you, and then help you develop strategies to warn and protect your loved ones. Once you have been thoroughly trained, you can also use your knowledge as a means to open the door of discussion with an unsaved person. I have been able to use it many times, and have seen people come to Jesus Christ as a result. These perilous times are also a time when we can reach many souls for Jesus Christ, making an eternal difference.

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