Ted Haggard's troubling behavior, including in front of Alexandra Pelosi's cameras, was overlooked

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: In hindsight, Haggard was no saint
A church board looking into the pastor's fall from grace see a pattern of troubling behavior that went unnoticed.
By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
March 18, 2007

They have had four months to reflect, and the senior staff of New Life Church can now look back and see the warning signs.

Not one suspected that their high-profile pastor, the Rev. Ted Haggard, had been secretly visiting a male prostitute. But they see now what they should have seen then: that Haggard talked too much about sex; that he could be crudely suggestive; that he seemed to have a need to push boundaries.

And that no one ever called him on any of it.

"His loose discussions about sexuality might have seemed refreshingly raw and real, especially since church had always been so stuffy and prudish in the past," said Rob Brendle, associate pastor of the megachurch in Colorado Springs, Colo. "In retrospect, some of his comments and interactions that at the time seemed edgy, but innocent enough, now seem questionable."

A team of pastors assigned to investigate Haggard after he admitted in November to "sexual immorality" has concluded his behavior went beyond merely questionable.

The board of overseers uncovered a pattern of troubling behavior — "everything from sordid conversation to overt suggestions to improper activities to improper relationships," the Rev. Larry Stockstill told the New Life congregation in a report last month....

***

As an example of Haggard's inappropriate remarks, Brendle cited the pastor's boast to a documentary filmmaker that "evangelicals have the best sex life of any other group."

In front of the church, with the cameras rolling, Haggard then pulled aside two men from his congregation and asked how often their wives experienced orgasm. The clip is in Alexandra Pelosi's documentary "Friends of God," and is now on YouTube....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-adna-haggard18mar18,0,4398125.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Rex]

1. Ah yes, blame sex and not the fact that they repress all these

so called 'deviant' behaviors if it is inconvenient. Like their faith.

[cassiepriam]

2. Just like the American public overlooked *'s alcoholism, DUIs, failed companies, avoiding VN,

mediocre grades, etc etc.

People see only what they want to see.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

3. They only noticed all this after the money stopped coming in

Fancy that...

[nicknameless]

4. Here's the YouTube clip from Alexandra's interview with Haggard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOpMsuz_uK4

[ClintonTyree]

5. I bet if those same questions were asked of their wives....

and IF they answered honestly, there would be a completely different set of answers. Sure, The women had an orgasm EVERY time. :eyes:

[nicknameless]

7. You think so???

I do too.

:D

[Hubert Flottz]

6. "Visions on Pike's Peak"

"The congregation that Haggard founded in his basement — after a vision he had while fasting on Pike's Peak — is also reaching for renewal."

I can remember having some pretty strange visions myself up there where the air is rare! It only takes a couple of cold 16 ounce beers at that altitude!

[trumad]

9. Either that or a good Dirty Sanchez.

[Hubert Flottz]

10. Or being caught with his pants down out near Golden Colorado...

in one of those Golden Showers.

[SpiralHawk]

8. republicon morality. Bwaaa ha ha ha ha

The republicon christofascists are all Pharisees.

They make loud, public displays of their alleged 'piety'
while they are stealing, lying, and boinking everything -- man and woman -- that
they can get to hold still. Hypocrites.

[mahmoud al_hazen]

11. Haggard was the highest example of American moral righteousnous;

it's entirely typical and predictable that de-frocked 'holy man' Haggard has come to represent what remains of Christianity, at least as known in the United States. There are also well publicized video-clips of rabbis attempting to prey sexually upon children. The Judeo-Christian ethic is self-fulfilling in the USA.