Disgraced Pastor Ted Haggard Can't Pray Away the Gay

[Ian David]

Black Collar Crime
By James Harris and Joshua Scheer, Truthdig. Posted July 27, 2007.

The former escort who blew the whistle on Ted Haggard’s homosexuality shares why he felt morally compelled to come forward, what the fallout has been and what he feels is the real tragedy of the situation.

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpted transcript of an interview of evangelical Pastor Ted Haggard’s former hired gay companion Mike Jones, by James Harris and Joshua Scheer. You can read the full transcript here and listen to the podcast of the interview here.



James Harris: {Mike Jones} is the author of the new book I Had to Say Something -- the book outlining and detailing his relationship with Ted Haggard. Since his new book was published, Ted Haggard, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a 30,000-member organization, has stepped down. And this book has caused an incredible stir. Mike, usually I would start off a discussion of your book by saying clearly you were in this for the money. But you lost your escort capacity. You were fired from your fitness consultancy. Why did you do it?

Mike Jones: Yes, when I exposed Ted Haggard, I exposed myself. There’s no doubt about it. I also had death threats, and I risked being arrested, also. But you know, this man was such a hypocrite. This was a man who talked to Bush once a week. This was a man who actively campaigned against gay marriage. And he could not even abide by his own marriage vows. This is so strong for me, and it hurt me so deeply, that I simply reached the point where I had to say something.

Josh Scheer: What about in recent news where he said he has been cured of being a homosexual, he’s reformed. Do you believe that, since you spent three years with him?

Jones: Well, first of all, the word cured is disgusting. It’s not a disease or a sickness. Listen, this man I had seen for approximately three years ... this man is in denial. It’s part of the problem with the evangelical church, it’s part of the problem with the Catholic Church. They put such guilt and shame on being a gay man that you end up with someone like Ted Haggard who has to sneak around. And that’s the sad situation about all of this.

More:
http://www.alternet.org/story/57843/



Who wants to start a "Black Collar Crime" Forum?

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Thanks!

[Heidi]

1. Recommended.

:kick:

[SpiralHawk]

2. republicon christofasists - has there ever been a sicker batch of hypocrites?

I'm willing to bet a full diaperload of doughnuts that Planet Earth has never had a bigger more corrupt gaggle of pervo hypocrites since the dawn of time.

[xchrom]

3. recommend

[gratuitous]

4. In this whole sordid little affair

It's difficult to pick good guys and bad guys, but Jones' statement about the guilt trip is spot-on: Ted Haggard was so intimidated and so abused by his community that it's no wonder he got so fucked up. True religion is supposed to take you outside yourself, and open your concerns to the wider community around you; Ted's religion had him so fixated on what made is willy unwrinkle that nothing else in the entire world mattered. And that's sinful no matter how you parse it.

[Hydra]

5. SUCH a non-issue they keep playing

I wonder when the Puritan virtue of spying in people's bedrooms is going to go out of vogue, and when people are going to look at each other as people rather than a bunch of labels...

From:

GAY!
STRAIGHT!
BI!
POOR!
RICH!
LIBERAL!
CONSERVATIVE!
SAINT!
SINNER!

To:

person

[Devlzown]

6. I just do not understand why

people attend churches that tell them they are going to hell for being themselves. These people must have one hell of a masochistic streak. If your church causes you to hate yourself, I suggest you find another one. If you are a Christian, there are plenty of other churches out there that will accept you and give you the support you need.

[Hydra]

10. acceptance of self isn't a "social virtue"

Look at our media and advertising- we aren't supposed to be ourselves, whatever that happens to be. We're supposed to reach for an "Ideal" they paint for us.

The funny thing is, the ideal person is not appreciated either, which is how I broke out.

It would be nice if we made "gay" ok, so that other things could start being accepted as genetic and unchangeable, and not inherently dangerous to society.

[Initech]

7. What a bunch of hypocritical douchebags.

I think people like Haggard are insane. There's no other word to describe it. That was bar none, the most fascinating story of last year. It's good to see people like Jones exposing these hypocrites for what they are.

[IndianaJones]

8. How many guys in Haggards situation commit suicide early in their lives?

What would the outcome have been for him in a nurturing environment?

[sarcasmo]

9. Pray away the Gay, that's classic.

I have an aunt who tried to make her daughter go straight, it was quite sad. The Cousin is still gay and the aunt has never dealt with it, I don't understand Christians.

[BlooInBloo]

11. Star for a DUer says he kills himself within a year...

Teh religion, it makes you crazy.

[Swede]

12. Or as Bill Maher always says "the devil made him do it."

And he usually says it with dripping sarcasm.

[closeupready]

13. He is so right.

such a bunch of liars they are.