i have little doubt that most of you have heard the allegations that ted haggard, the pastor of new life church in colorado springs and the president of the national association of evangelicals, has been accused of soliciting sex and using methamphetamines. as will samson said so well in this post this is a tragic situation that will profoundly affect everyone involved.
i'm not going to use this event as a launching pad for a sermon lamenting the oppressive expectations of superficial righteousness that we place upon evangelical pastors, though i definitely could, but i cannot help but utter one note of lament.
in response to this tragedy, which is bound to have a profound effect upon haggard's wife and five children, the 15,000 members of new life church and evangelicals who have been influenced by haggard's leadership at the NAE, james dobson offered the following statements on cnn.com:
"It is unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation," Dobson said in a written statement issued before haggard's leave was announced.
"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," Dobson said.
so apparently, according to dobson, the primary cause of this tragic event is the liberal media and the primary consequences will be political.
as if we needed further evidence that dr. dobson just doesn't get it.
as will sampson reminded us, let us continue to pray for ted haggard's family, congregation and the well-being of his accuser.
4 comments:
Good work in directing us to Will Samson's level-headed post on the topic, and thanks to you for remaining quite non-partisan on this as well.
It is good for us to remember that just because a media source breaks a story by which a law has been broken doesn't mean it is necessarily biased (though biased media is certainly embedded within our culture). Quite sharp and well spoken i might add regarding Dobson, as you carefully point out the partisan rhetoric he has allowed himself to be swallowed in, and will more than likely carry with him into his old age.
Actually, Haggard at least admitted that he got a massage by his accuser, and admitted he had done some "wrong things." So Dobson isn't telling the whole truth.
thanks for commenting dr. j and before girl.
i actually posted this before haggard went clintonian on us. thus, dr. d hadn't heard the partial confession when he made these statements.
Ugh, will you get rid of Dobson's face? It's the first thing I see when I come to your blog and it's always one of those "AHH! Oh wait, it's okay" moments.
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