"Give Me a Break!"
That's what male prostitute, Mike Jones, said in response to Ted Haggard's recent claim that after a few weeks of intense counseling he is heterosexual. Haggard engaged in a three-year sexual relationship with Mike Jones, paying him for homosexual encounters while also taking Crystal Meth to both enhance and prolong the experiences. Mike Jones exposed Haggard on a local radio show after realizing who Haggard was and that he was leading the charge against gay marriage in Colorado. Haggard had been using the alias "Art" when interacting with Jones.Mike Jones told the Colorado Springs Gazette, "He's been performing oral sex on me for three years. You don't change that in three weeks." Jones is presently writing a book on the three-year affair, and though originally scheduled for a June release, Jones said the deadline "may be stretched out the more Ted Haggard talks. Every time he opens his mouth, I have to add another chapter."
Haggard has signed a non-disclosure agreement with New Life Church that essentially prohibits him from discussing the scandal publicly. How convenient. Part of the agreement included a "cash settlement" along with a stipulation that Haggard is also prohibited from revealing the amount. In politics this is called "hush money."
The creates a media blackout. Neither the leadership of New Life Church, nor the Haggards, are permitted to speak any further about the affair. This will not silence Mike Jones. He will carry the story from here on out.
But, I do not write this to "follow the story." This is not a news story. It is emblematic of the sickness of mainstream Christianity. Haggard is the tip of the iceberg. He's a product of what much of Christianity has become. There are little to no serious voices in Christian leadership condemning the criminality of Haggard, nor the lame unbiblical response by the New Life leadership. How else can an illustrious Christian leader engage in drugs, adultery, prostitution, sodomy, and oral sex and come out of it free and clear in a few weeks unless the church was enabling him? Our silence is the greater sin.
The Haggards are relocating to another state where Ted and his wife, Gayle, will pursue degrees in psychology. Anyone who seeks their professional help in the future should have their head examined.
