The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Ted Haggard

Anybody know what Ted Haggard's doctrinal position is?

No, but I could guess!

gnarley,

Honestly, I've never heard of this man in my life before yesterday. Evidently he is an Evan"jelly"cal pastor of some sort of mega-church with much wider influence?

I simply do not care if he is guilty of this "hypocracy" or not but I am very suspicious of the timing of the nasty revelation of his homosexual and obviously liberal accuser.

I watched TV as this (homosexual) accuser stated that he was proud to expose the hypocritical and intolerant IMMORALITY of Ted Haggard. As if homosexuality is not immoral in the first place!

I have never in my life seen American politics this vicious and low and I'm afraid it is only a taste of what is about to explode and encompass our political scene in the near future. I can clearly hear the weeping for Tammuz by millions of self-justified Americans.

Denny

Romans 3:22-24

I don't know much about him either, other than a brief interview with him that Michael Horton conducted over the phone which was later broadcast on the White Horse Inn. Seems there was something about him in a recent issue of Modern Reformation as well. I believe he's straight-up evangelical with a twist of charismata. New Life Church, which he pastored until this scandal broke, was involved in that "prayer mapping" exercise which is a totally charismatic practice. (Please correct me if I'm wrong with these details.)

It would be easy for those of us in the Reformed/Lutheran camp to say, "Well, what do you expect from an evangelical?" but I am genuinely saddened by one more public (and overtly sexual) scandal involving a well-known pastor. The checks and balances aren't in place in these Lone Ranger independent churches, and that's a weakness that hopefully this tragedy will bring to light. But I understand that he is--or was--the President of the National Association of Evangelicals in addition to pastoring the megachurch in Colorado Springs. I've been confused about the purpose and role of the NAE and maybe this will be the final nail in their coffin. The NAE was first organized--again, correct me if I'm wrong here--to counter the liberal, leftist shift of the National Council of Churches. But my feeling is that it has outlived it's purpose and maybe it's time to pack up and go home.

I haven't answered Gnarley's question about Haggard's doctrinal position, and maybe this thread should be moved to the Open forum.

My two cents,
Relztrah

Good thought Relztrah---will do

I ran into this on James White's web site, Alpha and Omega Ministries, and thought I would pass it on. It surely seems to sum up the Ted haggard situation beautifully and the "Emergent Church" factor in general.

"Campolo on the Haggard Situation + Mawdudi

I just happened to pop on CNN in my cabin and whose face did I see but Tony Campolo. On the screen he is identified as a "spiritual adviser." So I started listening very closely, as they were discussing the Haggard situation. What words did I hear? "Problems." "Asking for help." "Issues." "Problems." "Needed to be liberated." "Restoration process." "Demons you are struggling with" (not in a literal sense of that term, of course), "Love himself," "not being judged," etc.
Of course, nothing was said about sin, rebellion, wrath, punishment, or, the big word, "repentance." Never appeared. Not once. No cross, no atonement, no repentance, nothing uniquely Christian at all. But then again, isn't this the norm now? Would we not be shocked if, in fact, we heard someone speaking the truth about repentance and forgiveness at the foot of the cross?
Then Campolo attached the promise of Christ's love for the elect in Romans 8 to all people. No matter what you do, God will continue to love you. Sloppy agape, nothing about the fact that not all are children of God, but many are, in fact, children of wrath. He described God as our "most significant other."
When the interviewer brought up grace, while Campolo spoke of it as undeserved favor, he never once said it is undeserved favor for the repentant. It is never, ever separated from God's purposes in salvation. This kind of easy grace that is separated from sin has nothing to do with the grace revealed in divine Scripture."

Denny

Romans 3:22-24

Sounds likle Campolo.

I would just like to say that very recently I attended a conference in which a very well-known Christian leader who knows Ted Haggard well spoke of the situation. He was quite clear that Haggard had indeed, and was continuing to, repent. This leader was also quite clear that what Haggard did was indeed sinful, needed repenting of, and that this sin was one that had basically ruined what could have been a very fruitful life. Haggard and his family will live with this shame from now on, and that is the way sin is.

Tony Campolo's take on the situation is Tony Campolo's take. Haggard is repenting and getting counsel. He himself is seeing how he has failed and doing something about it. While we may not agree with Haggard's position on theological things, he is doing the work of repoentance and should be accorded some grace by the people of God.

I'm sorry but I cannot bifurcate "Haggard's position on theological things" and "showing grace", i.e., accepting that Haggard is truly regenerate. How can one who is not regenerate "do the work of repentance"? Let me make myself perfectly clear so there is hopefully no misunderstanding here. IF <-------- Haggard truly believes what he professes to believe theologically, then what he needs most is for God to show him some "grace" by regenerating his dead soul so that he may desire and do true works of repentance for the very first time in his life and believe upon Christ with a true living faith for the remission of his sins.

Haggard may be "sorry" for what he's done although it may be just sorrow for the shame, humiliation, etc., that has resulted from his sinful acts. And it is true that people who know him may extend to him some sympathy and try to offer aid, if needed, to him and his family.

In His grace,

Yes, I know your position on this. But no one can truly judge his heart except for the Almighty. We are all sinners full of hypocrisy in our doings, failing to live up to what we say we believe. In this at least, I have been assured by someone close to him that he IS repentant, and I am content to leave it there.

I agree that no one can judge another man's heart infallibly. And I did say IF he truly believes what he teaches, then he cannot be saved. We have clear teaching from Scripture that false teachers/prophets are not part of the kingdom of God. So, we are not left in total ignorance as to a person's spiritual state. If that were the case, then the Church would have no warrant to accept or bar individuals from membership, no basis upon which to discipline people, etc. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In His grace,

Granted, the following article was written by a liberal, but if the service was like it is explained here, that is not "worship" that is happening at that church!

Pastor Ted's 50th birthday bash at New Life, Colorado Springs

Marie,


Liberal or no Liberal, what was described in this article about this so-called "Christian church" was frightening.

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

Denny

Romans 3:22-24