From today’s Denver Post:
The Rev. Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intensive counseling convinced he is “completely heterosexual” and told an oversight board that his sexual contact with men was limited to his accuser.
It should be noted that in the Spitzer Study of ex-gays, a study so overwhelmingly positive it’s been accused of being inaccurate, it took most people at least TWO YEARS to achieve this.
More after the jump.
The story continues:
“He is completely heterosexual,” [The Rev. Tim] Ralph said. “That is something he discovered. It was the acting- out situations where things took place. It wasn’t a constant thing.”
Why Haggard chose to act out in that manner is something Haggard and his advisers are trying to discern, Ralph said.
This he’s heterosexual with a homosexual problem of acting out sounds an awful lot like NARTH president Joe Nicolosi who said:
“There is no such thing as a homosexual. Homosexual is a description of a condition, it’s not a description of the person. We are all heterosexual, some heterosexuals have a homosexual problem.”
Much as I too was able to convince myself I was a heterosexual with a homosexual problem that could be dealt with whenever attractions came up, we shall see how long Haggard is willing to keep up the exhausting charade after the honeymoon ends.
-Dan
It is an amazing how someone will even prostitute their sexual orientation for money. Cuz this sure ain’t about God for the Haggards – it’s about utter lunacy. But it never is really about God for any of those hacks – it’s all about makin’ the money. Why don’t they just pass a law providing an automatic bonus for pretending to be straight? Oh yeah – I forgot – they’ve already done that -it’s called marriage.
The part of the article I found most enlightening was the section that mentioned Haggard and his wife’s plans to get Master’s degrees in Psychology. It sounds to me like Haggard is planning a new, high profile career rather than somewhat disappearing anonymously. I find it so fascinating that people who claim that we let our sexual orientation consume us develop a career out of their own “change” of orientation.
Kevin said:
Cuz this sure ain’t about God for the Haggards – it’s about utter lunacy.
I don’t see how we can really know that for sure, at least not in this case.
Haggard previously stated that homosexual feelings were something he had dealt with his whole life. Now, weeks later he is saying he is completely heterosexual.
This reminds me of many “ex-gay” situations where in early therapy the ex-gay convinces his or herself that he or she is completely straight. I did the same thing in therapy, but it does not last long and is typically self delusion. We also know that Haggard has the habit of not admitting things–didn’t he call himself a liar. I don’t really care, but he seems pretty deluded, and hopeful he does not destroy the lives of others around him. I don’t think society thinks Haggard has changed that much so quickly.
The fact his actions were not consistent is that he was a minister and married and closeted.
Well, SNL can always use a new skit.
POOF! You’re straight!
Literal interpretation of scripture, family with kids, Evangelical Land peer pressure — I have to pity him. Not because he’s a “victim” of these things, but he, as of yet, appears to be unable to come to the end of himself in order to truly know grace.
And that is a pitiable life.
Wow… that was quick. Why wasn’t my reparitive therapy as effective? If going hetero was that simple, you’d think they’d find a way to mass market it. Oh wait.. I think they have.
I wonder how the state regulatory boards of Missouri and Iowa treat religious conversion therapy that includes professional counseling?
I think Kendall may have figured out Ted’s next career.
What is so sad about this is that it is only going to lead to more mockery of Haggard and more negative attention to his family. Just when folks were starting to forget about the guy, Focus on the Family wants to get one more press release out of him. Yet regular every day Americans are just going to laugh and say, “Yeah, right…” It is sad on so many levels.
Poor Mr. Haggard, he drank the Kool-Aid
Completely hetero in three weeks? Really? I want a refund from my counselor right now.
In just seven days… I can make you a ma-a-a-a-an!
But the wrong man.
I think some of us said earlier that we considered that Haggard wasn’t gay. Since to be gay was to accept yourself as such. Sexually some also questioned if he were a homosexual and instead thought he were perhaps bisexually oriented.
But how soon can they de-adulterize Haggard?
…
Do I Believe??? No!!! I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian church, I attended seminary and was an ordained minister for 15 years. I prayed for 35 years for “healing” to have my homosexuality taken from me, and here this man was healed in 3 weeks. I’m sorry, I do not believe it! For years I felt God was not answering my prayer. Today, I am convinced that God created me just the way he wanted me, and He makes no mistakes! So I accept my sexuality although it is hard at times. I am now free from my fundamentalist roots and moving on with my life.
Why are christians so obsessed with other peoples sexuality..so obsessed with sex, gender and genitals…really, don’t they worry about real stuff , like poverty, famine, environmental degradation, war and pestilence, the rich gettting richer and the poor getting more destitute.
Why do they get so obessed with homosexuals, claiming it is a threat to the family ..HOW? if your husband runs off with the hussy next door, how can it be the fault of gays/lesbians? How can gays/lesbians be responsible for 50% divorce rate ( incidentally highest divorce are in the bible belt ha ha ).
If your son does drug and your daughter gets laid while on booze – how is that the fault of gays/lesbians. Christians historically sought out scape-goats..they used to blame Jews, then blacks, then gypsies , then women and now since it is no longer fashionable to blame jews or blacks etc, they have to pick on vulnerable minorities like gays and lesbians.
Hitler did not kill 6 million jews in a vacuum. Centuries of marginalization and denigration and demonizing of jews as Jesus killer enable common german citizens to exercise false moral authority in killing jews. In like fashion centuries of demonizing and denigration of homosexuals embolden wicked and otherwise morally bankrupt ‘straight’ bigots to descrimiaate and do violence to gay and lesbian and other sexual minorities .
Furthermore picking on a scape-goat makes christians feel superior and ‘saved’. Denigrating others is easier than exercising love,charity and compassion which is actually the most basic teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Sadly Christians hardly practise the most important commandemt of Jesus ie. Love God then immediately love your neighbour as yourself ( be he/she gay or staight).
It is AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS WHEN THEY IN FACT DO NOT PRACTISE THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT OF JESUS !!! THEY WOULD RATHER BE HYPOCRITES AND BE LIKE THE PHARASEES OF OLD DUUUH !
mikhail – a child of the Universe