https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siO9m1XR5uU
It appears that New Life Assembly paid the young man $180K in what can only be described as hush money. He comes forward in this report by TV station KDRO. The references to the life that Ted Haggard was actually living are incredible, especially when we now know that the church knew about much of this in 2006. At the very least, New Life Pastor Brady Boyd should step down immediately. This deception is unacceptable, and one is hard pressed to find a reasonable excuse for the amount of money that was spent to “deal with it.”
H/T: Truth Wins Out
“It’s better to forgive, and let it go,” says Haggard.
Know what’s even better than that, Ted? For a pastor not to make obscenely irresponsible and unethical choices that will force his wife, children, colleagues, congregation, and a trusting young person like Grant into such a situation in the first place!
There’s a funny clip on youtube of the documentary coming up on thur. night where haggard tells the camera (whilst on his way to a job interview) how he is 51 years old and has never been through a job interview.
I think that is really telling. These evangelicals are so out of touch with the way normal people live, in every sense of their lives, and that includes the homosexual part.
That was actually the most disturbing part of the entire story… the way that Ted tried to secure Grant’s silence under the guise of “forgiveness.” Did you hear the tone of his voice? It was like, “Well, you know… you’re *required* to forgive.” Nice arm-twisting, there. How manipulative.
It’s obvious that Ted was hoping that since Grant deleted the text messages, things would be swept under the rug and that Ted could go back to business as usual… never mind the fact he took advantage of a young man at a very vulnerable time in his life.
I can’t imagine the discomfort and possibly terror that this guy must’ve felt as Ted Haggard psychologically forced him into lying next to him as he m**********. It’s traumatizing enough for me personally to accidentally hear somebody engage in something from say, hypothetically, across my old dorm room, but having to sit there, frozen, while somebody actively disregards their wishes??? And this guy was grappling with internal sexual “demons” (what the church might call demons, what I call simple confusions.) He was absolutely taken advantage of. For crying out loud, I wouldn’t accept that kind of behavior from a roommate, let alone a pastor who I’m inviting in my life as a confidant and friend. Good Lord.
I don’t know how the relationship developed later, but at that time this may as well be called what it is, a form of sexual assault. The young man was an unwilling participant in a sexual act, pressured into acquiescing by an authority figure through the power of manipulation.
Ted Haggard stated what he knew would happen if anyone found out he was gay.
I can’t imagine this kind of pressure, but at the same time…while he went ahead with his decision to be husband and father…he WAS in a position of power.
The churches and other social networks have NO shame when it comes to the chain of one deception begetting another and another and another.
The church wants gay people to first lie to themselves, lie to their families, lie to whoever is closest.GAY person is tarnished with the brush, rather than the person who INSISTS on lies ordering everyone’s day.
Isn’t there a religious admonition on breeding a thief, and when the thief steals, then why should his blame also include those who made him?
The preference for deception has layers SO thick!
My grammar is horrible!
I mean, then why shouldn’t his blame also include those who made him?
Wouldn’t the honesty of a gay person be preferable in teaching what homosexuals would do in the open, be better than the web of lies and speculation bearing so much bitter fruit?
Good work to post this…keep it up. Integrity is everything.