Ted Haggard Update (Updated) genre: Gaylingual & Hip-Gnosis & Polispeak
From KUSA Channel 9 in Denver, we have the following update on the allegations that Ted Haggard, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals had a "sexual business" relationship with a gay male escort. I've posted the entire article but it can be found here.
DENVER - A nationally known voice recognition expert says he believes voice mails left for a male escort are from a pastor in Colorado Springs.
Mike Jones, a gay man and admitted male escort, claims he and Pastor Ted Haggard have been having a "sexual business" relationship for the past three years.
He also claims Haggard used methamphetamine in his presence several times.
Haggard denies the accusations.
Thursday, Haggard took a leave of absence from the New Life Church and resigned as president of the multi-million member National Association of Evangelicals.
Jones provided two voice messages to 9NEWS he claims are Haggard calling him.
The voice mails for from a man who calls himself "Art."
It should be noted Haggard's middle name is Arthur.
The first voice message, left on August 4 at 2:18 p.m., says:
"Hi Mike, this is Art. Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply. And I could pick it up really anytime I could get it tomorrow or we could wait till next week sometime and so I also wanted to get your address. I could send you some money for inventory but that's probably not working, so if you have it then go ahead and get what you can and I may buzz up there later today, but I doubt your schedule would allow that unless you have some in the house. Okay, I'll check in with you later. Thanks a lot, bye."
The second voice message, left on August 4 at 5:10 p.m., says:
"Hi Mike, this is Art, I am here in Denver and sorry that I missed you. But as I said, if you want to go ahead and get the stuff, then that would be great. And I'll get it sometime next week or the week after or whenever. I will call though you early next week to see what's most convenient for you. Okay? Thanks a lot, bye."
Jones claims Art is referring to methamphetamine in the messages.
9NEWS had a nationally known voice recognition expert, Richard Sanders, listen to the voice mails to determine if it is Haggard. Sanders has previously worked on such high profile cases as the Oklahoma City bombing trial, the Columbine High School shootings, the JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation, and the Kobe Bryant case.
"This certainly sounds like the same person," said Sanders, after listening to the voice mails.
In his final report, Sanders found that of 12 single words that were the same on both recordings, nine of those words were perfect matches. He also found that the entire phrase, "I don't know," was also a precise match.
Sanders makes his decision by comparing the resonance of the voice, the play of one's tongue and the inflection of vowel sounds.
"If we can find enough words and phrases that match then it's generally accepted by courts that that's the same person," he said.
Haggard told 9NEWS he is prepared for the outcome of the church's independent investigation.
After hearing about Haggard's resignation, Jones said, "I'm sad. I'm sad for him, but we do have consequences for our actions."
Haggard is the senior leader and founder of the New Life Church. It has 14,000 members and the church told 9NEWS that close to 2,000 of the members are junior high, high school and college students.
"I think the church and Christians have through very difficult times and this appears to be one of those," said James Groesbeck, a spiritual leader for the church.
Groesbeck says it was the right move for Haggard to step down. "If what's being said is true, then it's the responsible thing to do," he said.
Many members of the church reacted to the news with disbelief.
"There is no truth to this at all. I'm disappointed because I loved him as a senior pastor and it's just sad to see him move on like that," said Chris Herndon, a church member.
"He loves God, he loves his people, his wife, his family and he would never do anything like this," said Adrienne Simmonds, another church member.
Elders with the church held a meeting Thursday night to discuss the situation, but did not release any additional information to 9NEWS.
The following clip of Ted Haggard is from the documentary Jesus Camp.
UPDATE:
KKTV Channel 11 in Colorado Springs is reporting that Ted Haggard has admitted to some indiscretions.
A sudden about-face in the scandal facing New Life Church's pastor.
After Pastor Ted Haggard went public Wednesday night denying allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials told KKTV 11News Thursday evening, Pastor Ted Haggard has admitted to some of the claims made by a former male escort. The church's Acting Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, tells KKTV 11 News that Pastor Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions claimed by Mike Jones, but not all of them.
Thursday morning, Jones went on a Denver radio talk show and said Pastor Haggard paid him for sex over the past 3 years. Jones also claims Haggard used drugs with him.
Right now, the situation is under investigation by an independent panel of leaders from four outside churches. The leaders are from Colorado Springs, Larkspur, Westminster and Louisiana. The panel's role is to decide if Haggard will be exonerated, released from his duties or restored to his pastorship.
Earlier Thursday, Haggard resigned as President of the National Association of Evangelicals, and placed himself on administrative leave as head of New Life Church. New Life Church has an estimated 14,000 members, while the NAE claims roughly 30 million members.
Daniel DiRito | November 2, 2006 | 11:51 PM
Comments
1 On November 3, 2006 at 10:11 AM, J. Rice wrote —
Here's another way to look at this situation. Evangelical/charismatic Christianity lives within the tensions of a gender paradox that can rend people's inner selves assunder. On the social/physical level, homosexuality is condemned. But, taking the cue from old Catholic bridal mysticism, evangelicals are taught to erotically love the "passionate bridegroom-Jesus" who has "fire in his eyes."
To picture oneself as a bride; to enter the "King's chamber" and be "ravished by his love" is the highest spiritual goal in this religion. This all might be good and well for a heterosexual female, but what about males? How does a man imagine himself (herself?) as a bride of Christ? What does it mean when for a male to swoon for Jesus and cry out with anxious desire the words from Song of Solomon: "Oh, that you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth!"?
It means that although in his social and physical realm the Christian man denounces/renounces homosexuality, in the spiritual realm he has taken on the passive homosexual role in a gay marriage. "He" has become "she," a bride in the bridal chamber. Take the lines from that old Lou Reed song: "...shaved her legs and then he was a she; she says, Hey babe take a walk on the wild side..." Conservative evangelical males would be horrified at such a thought, yet this is EXACTLY what they do spiritually, when they image themselves as brides of Christ.
While human males are off limits in the church, divine males are deliciously enticing; God and angels are imaged as buffed, macho men. They are the rightful objects of spiritual desire and passion. See, for example, the huge scupture titled "Exalter" in the lobby of Ted Haggard's New Life Church. Physically, this angel looks like a weight lifter pumped up on steroids. His arms are raised in exaltation of the the ultimate Super Alpha Male; the exalted (post-resurrection) Christ. Ted Haggard's accuser, Mike Jones, is of similar appearance. He obviously works out quite regularly.
So, that which is forbidden physically is the same thing that entices one spiritually. The same "six-pack" abs and iron pecks that are off limits in the human realm, are the legitmate objects of spiritual desire when one imagines Jesus this way, as the heavenly bridegroom.
Today's evangelical/charismatic male may look fully masculine. He might even have a wife and kids. But when he goes into the "prayer closet," he becomes a she--transgendered into a fawning, cooing bride, seeking bliss in the arms of 'her' "bridegroom-Jesus." When 'she' emerges from the prayer closet, the man becomes a "he" again.
When one goes in and out of this closet so often, for so many years, and eventually the closet door revolves so quickly and efforlessly, is it any wonder that people can become badly disoriented as to their gender? If these allegations prove true, perhaps pastor Ted eventually became confused at times as to which side of the closet door he was on.
2 On November 4, 2006 at 9:51 AM, Lemming Herder wrote —
What gets me is that time after time the very thing these people rail against turns out to be their deepest, and apparently darkest, secret.
Surely the American people are getting tired of this?
I guess we'll know Tuesday.
http://dontbealemming.com/2006/11/03/the-hypocrisy-knows-no-end.aspx
Posted by the Lemming Herder from Don’t Be A Lemming!
3 On November 4, 2006 at 7:00 PM, Lisa B wrote —
It's because of people like this guy I quit going to church. I believe in god, but not your god, my god is peaceful, thoughtful, caring, and loving. My god does not believe in killing innocent people because of someone's lies. I will pray for you and your kind.
4 On November 5, 2006 at 5:31 AM, anjo de souza wrote —
this kind of scandal would not be so common if christians would stop stigmatizing and demonizing minority groups like gays and lesbians. Christians used to demonize and marginalize gypsies, jews and women, but now it is not kosher anymore to do that , so they pick on gys/lsbians.
Haggart probably grew up in such an environment and was born gay, but has learned to live a lie for so many yrs and compartmentalize himself. What irks me and makes me condemn him , is that he does not have the moral fortitude to admit his true nature and worse to be a hypocrite and preach against the very thing he engages in. His homophobic preachings and his homophobic actions have hurt millions of innocent and oppressed gays and lesbians.....so they say what goes around comes around. He should make atonement to his victims by spending the rest of his life ministering to gays and lesbians victimized and marginalized by the holier than thou christian bullies and ayatollahs.
Anjo da Verdade/ angel of truth
5 On August 31, 2007 at 11:44 AM, Ron wrote —
This is sick! So many evangelicals are hypocrites, not able to have God help them with trust issues, immoral behavior, etc. Why do they show up in the pulpit week after week ---money - is the issue. They will be judged - fortunately not by humans but by God Himself!
6 On May 3, 2009 at 6:44 AM, strawberry blonde wrote —
I am not a religous person, but I do know that christian religion teaches us that Jesus died for our sins. Also that we should help one another, "treat our neighbor as ourselves". I cannot believe how he was treated when HE was the one that sinned. Isn't that part of the christian idea? Forgiveness?? Very hypocritical if you ask me.
7 On July 3, 2011 at 3:55 PM, Paul wrote —
Ted Haggard is a wounded soldier. When ordinary soldiers go out to fight the enemy and get wounded, we put them in hospital and treat them so they can get well and get back into the battle. It seems that Christian "soldiers", when they are wounded, are paraded in the new, put in the modern version of the stocks, and then shot at dawn. I am very pleased to see that he has rehabilitated and is starting a new church. This is what should happen to all wounded Christian soldiers.
Jesus said, "Let the person who has never sinned (in any way) cast the first stone."
I believe that God is rejoicing over the restoration of Ted Haggard, and that he has entered the fight against the enemy and is working to save souls for Christ.
Maybe his critics who continue to judge and condemn Ted are the ones who might fare worst on Judgment Day.
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