Good Old Fashioned Christian Values... and Handjobs....

I watched a documentary the other day on Ted Haggard, called Scandalous.  It was on TLC,   I don't know if any of you know who Ted Haggard is, but he used to be the president or something of the Evangelical church in the United States.  If you want a good background on the guy before the scandal, watch "Jesus Camp", another documentary.  As a matter of fact, watch Jesus Camp anyways, it's awesome.  Albeit a little scary.  Anyways, a guy came out saying that he and Mr. Haggard were having sex and doing drugs or something.  I think Mr. Haggard concedes to getting a handjob once, but no sex, and no drugs.  And he says it happened only once.

ANYWAYS.

So, Mr. Haggard gets fired.  Sure.  I can see that.  You don't need the leader of your church to be doing meth and gettin handjobs, I get it.  But not only that, the guy basically gets excommunicated, not just from the church, but the whole society.  And not just him, but his whole family.  His wife was on there talking about how when she was at her lowest, the people whom she thought were her friends, turned their back on her.

Well, here's my take.  You reap what you sew.  Only problem is, I don't think Ted knows what it is he's sewn.  While watching this documentary, you continuously see him get berated by callers and interviewers, as well as listen to Teddy talk about the shameful things he's done.  But my issue is, they all think that the problem with what he's done, is that he had this contact with a man.

So what, if he'd have been nailing some lady, then everybody would have just said, "well, that figures", and gone about their business?  Why isn't the worst problem of his actions that he's cheated on his wife?

Now, I've said in here already that I am a Christian, but here's my deal.  Somebody explain to me when Jesus said anything about homosexuality?  Sure it might be in the old testament, but the old testament says you should stone your kids if they get unruly.  With all of the problems in the world, hunger, death, war, genocide, drugs, gangs, oppression.  Why is it that these people feel the need to condemn people for loving each other?

In any case, I feel sorry for Ted, I really do.  But not because he's lost everything, I feel sorry for Ted because he still doesn't know what is wrong.  I once had a dog that got it's head stuck in a doritos bag.  It was running around my apartment running into walls, couldn't see, and he almost suffocated.  And while I felt so bad that my dog almost died, the dog just felt bad because he was out of doritos!!!

Anyways.  Here's what you did wrong Mr, Haggard.  You helped raise an entire generation of Christians to have core beliefs rooted in hatred and taught them to judge and condemn others.  What did Jesus do when others fell?  He washed their feet.  He put his arm around them to protect them.  And said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".  He loved them all, regardless.  Nobody is perfect, so you've got to learn to love what isn't perfect about you.  Even Jesus wasn't perfect, and trust me, those people that sit in the front rows of those churches on Sunday mornings, are FAR FAR FAR from perfect.  Does that mean there is anything wrong with them?  Are we scum of the earth because we make mistakes?  NO.   

We're normal.  You're normal.  And the last people you need to get forgiveness from is your church.  You don't need anything from them.  Because trust me, when it comes down to it, they'll be the first to jump ship.  You know who will stick around?  Your wife.  Give her some love and ask for her forgiveness.

So, where do you go now?  I hear you're starting a new church.  Well, maybe you can start a new church and teach some of the lessons you should have learned from this.  And the lessons you should have learned are this.

1.  Nobody is perfect.
2.  Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
3.  Judge not lest ye be judged.
4.  Love thy neighbour.  (all the time, and not only if they share your core beliefs, and not only if they don't fuck up)
5.  Accept and love people who are different than you.  (Jesus loves them, why shouldn't you?)

Then, maybe, if you or your family have problems, then your friends won't cast you aside, and turn their backs on you.  Maybe they'd love you, and help you through your problems.

That's what real friends would do.

You don't even need to be a Christian to believe that.