After it was disclosed Friday that New Life Church in Colorado Springs paid money to one of Ted Haggard’s longtime same-sex partners in 2006 in exchange for his silence, Exodus executive vice president Randy Thomas swiftly diverted attention from the church’s abuse of power and instead made Haggard out to be a sexual predator — even though the “other man” was in his 20s.
For better or worse, it has long been commonplace — in both conservative Christendom and Hollywood — for 40- and 50-year-old heterosexual men to seek relationships with 23-year-old women. That potential imbalance of age, privilege, and life experience is insignificant compared to the abuse of power committed by a church that, by its admission, offered untold sums of “compassionate assistance” on the condition that the sexual relationship not be disclosed — even as the church was publicly declaring in 2006 that it knew of no sex partners other than Mike Jones, Haggard’s middle-aged prostitute.
Contrary to Thomas’ claim, there is no evidence that Haggard’s newly disclosed male partner was any more “impressionable” than the average twentysomething woman. And since no illegal sexual activities appear to have happened, Thomas’s call for “proper justice” suggests that Thomas might support the re-enactment and enforcement of antigay sex laws against consenting adults.
Thomas — an opponent of self-disclosure and sexual honesty among homosexual men — expresses no objection to New Life’s attempted cover-up. Like New Life, Thomas equates “compassionate assistance” with secrecy.
For nearly a decade, Thomas and his peers at Exodus’ flagship Love In Action program have sidestepped and excused similar abuses of power against genuinely impressionable youths — perhaps because Exodus believes that secrecy and denial about sexual orientation is all the “change” that one ultimately needs.
Tags: abuse, Exodus International, Randy Thomas, Ted Haggard9 Comments »
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The church doesn’t care at all about any other “sin” they commit. As long as the “sin” of homosexuality is dealt with.
Makes you wonder if it really isn’t because of the bible and has more to do with personal feelings and disgust.
There isn’t anything that is going to get me to change my mind. The church hates homosexuals with usage of the bible as an excuse. I know that because the church will commit ANY sin to be against homosexuality.
They will distort and mislead and cheat. They will bribe and exploit, and when all else fails, LIE just to be against homosexuality.
Comment by James — January 24, 2009 @ 10:56 am
I posted about this today, too. Ted Haggard Is NOT REALLY Completely Heterosexual (http://dhconcerts.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/ted-haggard-is-not-really-completely-heterosexual/)
Carol Boltz has posted on this, too. Ted Haggard: God already knows the truth (http://myheartgoesout-carol.blogspot.com/2009/01/ted-haggard-god-already-knows-truth.html)
Comment by deb — January 24, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
It is just disgraceful the way the church has engaged in False Witness to cover its behind. How tragic that the closet haunts this “church”
Comment by Wayne Besen — January 24, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
According to the Associated Press:
Maybe this was quoted out of context, but this argument is absurd. According to SNAP’s logic, no minister could ever marry a member of his or her church because any budding relationship would be “inherently abusive and manipulative.”
Congregants aged in their twenties are adults, and they deserve more respect — and responsibility — than SNAP gives them credit for.
Comment by Michael Airhart — January 24, 2009 @ 3:13 pm
From Box Turtle Bulletin:
According to the statement posted on the church’ web site suggesting that there are other credible allegations that the church knows about:
Comment by Michael Airhart — January 24, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Now that word is out that New Life pays generous hush money in a time of recession, I’m sure there will be many takers on that offer – legit and not.
Comment by Wayne Besen — January 24, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
I’ve heard some people suggest that the twentysomething man and several of the other “incidents of inappropriate behavior” were scammers looking to make some money from a church that — like the Catholic church — clearly has no clue how to handle sex scandals with honesty, transparency, and integrity.
Comment by Michael Airhart — January 25, 2009 @ 2:00 am
“scammers looking to make some money”
****************
Thieves bamboozled by other thieves?
This could get entertaining as it progresses! LOL
Comment by Scott — January 25, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
From the Yahoo article:
So the “legal standing” to “take action against the man if he tells his story” was what? An accidental part of the settlement?
Comment by Emproph — January 27, 2009 @ 4:23 am