Ted Haggard is back in the news for his reality show. Both Carl Trueman and Justin Taylor have blogged on the issue. And they have come in for some predicable, misguided criticism.
The way some folks have handled this situation reflects elementary theological confusion. In particular, there is more to restoration than forgiveness. There is also such a thing as sanctification.
Suppose I forgive someone who wrongs me. That, of itself, has no direct affect on him. It doesn’t change his character, or alter his predisposition.
A thief and a sodomite are both sinners. However, theft is more about what you do than what you are. A thief can cease to be a thief overnight.
However, a sodomite can’t cease to be a sodomite overnight. For that goes to who he is, not merely what he does. Even if he ceases to practice sodomy, that doesn’t change his impulses. He doesn’t suddenly feel the same way about his wife (if he has one) as a normal man does. It’s a deeply engrained feature of his personality. Hard to root out.
There is also the question of reconciliation. When he secured the services of a callboy, much was made about how sinful that was. But I don’t remember anyone pointing out that he wronged the callboy.
Imagine the effect on the callboy of a famous minister securing his services. A guy has to be pretty messed up to become a callboy in the first place. It’s hard to think of a more degraded occupation.
I went to Wikipedia to quickly confirm my impressions that Haggard has a Charismatic/Pentecostal background.
ReplyDeleteI then did the same thing with Jimmy Swaggart and Jimmy Bakker.
All three of them have a Charismatic/Pentecostal background.
I'm not a Charismatic/Pentecostal, but I wonder if there's a connection, even a loose connection between Charismatic/Pentecostal -ism and overt sexual sin among its leadership?
P.S. I just looked up Benny Hinn. Add him to the above list.
"A thief can cease to be a thief overnight."
ReplyDeleteI suppose so. Unless he is a Kleptomaniac.
Good post. Good thought.
Mike Jones, the callboy, has a book that I look at on Amazon, and just the first pages are pretty bad. I can't imagine what the book is like. And could a Christian read it?
I pray the Lord will have mercy on him.
Not long after Ted Haggard's sin and failings came to light Todd Bentley revealed that he was having an affair. He left his then-wife who if memory serves had cancer, to marry the other woman. Rick Joyner said that this was not good but didn't seem to do anything to keep Bentley out of ministry. It can seem like a rare Pentecostal preacher who points out that "the annointing" does not trump any consideration of sanctification in the Christian's life. I heard an Assemblies of God preacher explain that too many charismatics and Pentecostals think that the annointing means that either you WON'T sin in some big way or that if you do it won't matter. He told those folks they needed to really study the life and failings of Samson. Eventually, he said, it WILL catch up to you and destroy any good you thought you were doing. God is still good enough to be God but that's no excuse for bad behavior. So, as I suspect we all know, there are some responsible Pentecostal teachers out there, they just aren't the ones that ever make the news. Hinn conceding that his wife divorced him because he didn't spend enough time with his family hasn't stopped him from doing the full-time ministry thing.
ReplyDelete"However, a sodomite can’t cease to be a sodomite overnight. For that goes to who he is, not merely what he does."
ReplyDeleteSo what do you say about someone like conservative pastor Tom Brock who was found attending a Faith in Action meeting (a "12-step" program for those who live with unwanted same-sex tendencies)? Is he unworthy of being a pastor?
In any rate, I'm not sure it's more degrading to be a callboy than a callgirl. Actually, I'd bet that call girls are more likely to face physical abuse than their male counterparts. They also have less control over the money they actually make, from what I understand.
Otherwise, you're correct. Many people demonized Mike Jones while failing to remember that Haggard was not exactly coerced into the relationship. Haggard used him for his own personal pleasure. What's worse, he failed to inform his wife about his actions, possibly putting her at risk for STDs from his drug use and casual sex.
JAMES SAID:
ReplyDelete"So what do you say about someone like conservative pastor Tom Brock who was found attending a Faith in Action meeting (a '12-step' program for those who live with unwanted same-sex tendencies)? Is he unworthy of being a pastor?"
I don't generalize one way or the other. One can only judge on a case-by-case basis if "reparative therapy" is successful or not.
In addition, ministry can be a high-stress occupation. Only very stable men should pursue ministry. And even they can burn out.