Friday, November 03, 2006

Kick a man...

The evangelicals will say that I'm kicking a man when he's down - it's the same argument whenever a man of God falls. But Ted Haggard, advisor to the Bushes, has stepped down as head of the National Association of Evangelicals amidst allegations that he paid top (Creflo) dollar for sex with a man. Apparently, he's going to seek spiritual advice and guidance. I'm sure God will tell him something along the lines of, "thou shouldst not have buggered the young man, let alone use my tithe money to pay for your sexual deviance. Thou shalt perish in hell, as Sodomites do. Burn Ted, burn."

Disclaimer: the above in no way represents the thinking of God, it wasn't a vision, neither was it an hallucination. It's just artistic licence.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

How great is the glass house when the stones start falling, they don't even have to be thrown.

Whilst it sounds unfair that an unsubstantiated accusation has lead to the resignation of a high-profile man of God.

It shows a number of problems with the way that a society moralises everything that men in leadership have to live as perfect gods rather than fallible men.

If sex and the failings towards sex had not been so scandalised as to be considered completely abominable that it could not be seen on the level of one ministering to another albeit with a fault that is in need of counsel and empathy, possibly rebuke - well, this, would be the result.

It is like the cult of shame visited on all that the man has ever done and never, can the slate be completely wiped clean.

I remember a not so holy man, who was hounded for a year on the issue of sex rather than the substance of his leadership - with all the evidence presented - the acknowledged fallibility of man prevailed over the expected perfection of leadership.

The man goes about the world today, a respected elder statesman, people flock to hear him speak and he is changing things and helping people rather than being locked away in some shame-deliverance self-loathing convent or abbey.

I recall - Bill Clinton is his name. He has always commanded my utmost respect, for being a man who understands that we are all fallible.

culturalmiscellany said...

YOu get worse, you really do :)

Anonymous said...

Nkem Kofi Ifejika I am ashamed at you!

Anonymous said...

LOL..for goodness sake...stop putting your head in the sand about homosexuality...it's normal...and if religions keep suppressing it, then they can't squirm when these 'scandals' come out. i shudder at what else is going on in churches and mosques. when sexuality is suppressed it becomes subverted and ugly.

soul said...

oh please akin, out a sock in it.
This is not the same issue.
this man condemned gay people.
he lavished vitriol on the regular on human beings because of they happen to fall in love with people of the same gender.

Ther eare words for what this religious nut was doing and hypocrisy is oh but one of them.

It is not just about sex, it is not that committed adultery, it is that he stood on the pulpit and lectured and condemned people who courageously refuse to remain hidden just to protect the sensibilities of the 'regular jo' whilst he cowardly an shamefully deceived the woman he married for donkey years, about his true orientation.

He couldn't just spare her and allow her to live and make a life with someone else, he deceived her and kept on deceiving her from the blooming pulpit!

Quest said...

i was going to blog on this! I find it so hilarious. What a victory for gay rights in America. And what a pompous hypocrite. The way a lot of evangelical leaders condemn homosexuals, you start wondering what they have going on the side... Props to his lover (can't remember the name) for outing Haggard. I read that he said he had to do something about it because he thought it was hypocritical that the same man was preaching against homosexuality. I have a lot of respect for people who don't let bullshit slide.

Anonymous said...

@Soul:

I was commenting on the generalised view of sex scandals rather than the minutiae of sexuality, hypocrisy, pulpit-thumping or gay rights.

What I was getting at was, if society had not so coloured issues of sex with sanctimony, bigotry and other false ideologies, this man could have have been a successful gay minister rather than a cheating closet homosexual - if that is the case.

I am not so much interested in ascendant rights given to groups of people, rather, I would that equal rights applied to all people.

This would cover hot-button issues like gay marriage, choice in abortion and so on.

I suppose I am more affected but the underlying sexuality/religion debate than I am letting on here. No Questions, Please!

soul said...

@everchange...
right on and lets not firget that he is also a crystal meth head.. ain't that crazy hmmm..
the guys a religious zealot, yet he's scouring around searching for his next meth fix.
I guess to him, a spiritual high just wasn't enough.

soul said...

@no questions, please?.

erm, I wasn't looking to you for answers.

Anonymous said...

Oh! Golly!

The man is down and he has been kicked out. So much for compassion for the wayward - those companies (sorry, I meant churches) can be ruthless.

Chxta said...

How come I missed this post before? Jo inform me if there is more kicking to be done. I would gladly join in. I can't stand munafeeqs.