I realize today is Election Day and I should be advocating certain policy initiatives (Vote NO on 87 because there is no accountability for it) and condemning others, but I’m not going to do that at the moment (entirely) because of something so ludicrous (yet apparently unnoticed) it has me shaking my head.

The recent disclosure of a “sex scandal” involving Ted Haggard, the former head of the 30 million strong National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of New Life church in Colorado Springs, has initiated action on behalf of other high-profile evangelical leaders.

Last week a male prostitute came forward stating that Haggard had engaged in sex with him as well as used him to purchase methamphetamines. After days of denials, Haggard has come forward and confessed to the majority of the allegations.

In reaction, James Dobson, Albert Mohler Jr., Ravi Zacharias, and H.B. London, among others, have joined together to put Ted Haggard through a “disciplinary and restoration” process. This process will involve drug tests, counseling and polygraph tests.

Dobson stated:

“And I do reach through these microphones and put an arm around Ted. He is my brother, he's my friend. I said in the press release that he will always be my friend. But because homosexual indiscretions have occurred, they must be dealt with, and they will be. And I ask our listeners to be in prayer for Ted, for Gayle, for his family, especially his children, for New Life Church, and for the three of us -- Tommy Barnett, Jack Hayford, and myself.”

Uh—hello—what about the drug use? What about using another human being? What about his unfaithfulness to his wife? “But because homosexual indiscretions have occurred, they must be dealt with, and they will be.” WHAT?! That’s it?

Haggard himself has stated:

“I am guilty of sexual immorality; I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I’ve been warring against it all of my adult life.”

Wait- what is the repulsive and dark part? The drugs? The marital unfaithfulness? Or the homosexuality? Or all of it? I have a hunch Haggard was really only referring to the homosexuality statement. Anyone else feel like that is the case?

Here’s what has me up in arms:

What is implied from Haggard’s statements and is implied from what Dobson omits from his statements is that the drug addiction and the marital unfaithfulness (not to mention the blatant condemnation of others) are not the main issues here—the important issue, it seems to be the case, is that a pastor has had homosexual thoughts and allegedly acted on them. It seems that the “homosexual issue”--not the lying and breaking of the law--are the primary subject of concern for most evangelicals. No doubt conservatives like Dobson will use this as a moment to explain how homosexuality can be healed and that Haggard can be “restored” to his family and community. Forget the fact that he might need to be in drug rehab or jail, let’s just talk about the homosexuality. Why heal a drug addict or adulterer when you can you heal the homosexual?

Why isn’t anyone discussing a coherent moral code extricated from the entirety of Christian philosophy instead of a few sentences in the old and New Testament?


Where is the discussion about how Haggard used another human being as a commodity?

Instead, in his confession to his church, Haggard asks his congregation to forgive the man who revealed his transgressions on a radio talk show.

Forgive him? For what? The man broke the law as a prostitute and drug peddler. He did nothing against the individual members of the congregation. Nothing in what Haggard or any other evangelicals is saying even mentions forgiveness of statutory crimes and perhaps forgiveness for judging things on which they have no business passing a verdict.

My heart breaks for Haggard because he lived a lie and damaged others (including the prostitute) with it. My heart breaks for his children because they are born out of that lie and must live through this public humiliation. My heart breaks for his wife because of everything—but mostly because she is a victim of an ideology that errs in places no one is even looking.

My heart breaks the most because everyone is focusing on a speck when there is a much larger plank that needs to be addressed.