What Should Be Said About the Ted Haggard Affair?
A friend recently asked me why I hadn't written about the Ted Haggard scandal. I didn't really know. I had certainly thought about it. I even wondered what I would write. Yet, for some reason, I didn't.
Tim Challies did and I think he hit the nail on the head regarding the important issues and in the way it should be approached. Bottom line: Though what Haggard did most certainly cannot be condoned, we are all sinners and it is only the grace of God that prevents us all from acting according to our depravity.
Tim's post is a long one, but I really encourage you to read it in its entirety.
Tim Challies did and I think he hit the nail on the head regarding the important issues and in the way it should be approached. Bottom line: Though what Haggard did most certainly cannot be condoned, we are all sinners and it is only the grace of God that prevents us all from acting according to our depravity.
Tim's post is a long one, but I really encourage you to read it in its entirety.
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Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 11/14/2006 07:00:00 PM
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2 Comments:
I ahve read Tim's comment son this. I resepct Tim greatly - but, quite honestly, though there is much truth in what he says, it is pretty much 'spiritual poppycock' - and exactly the kind of thing the world rightly charges as 'hypocrisy.
I know little of the Haggard story. But I know this: no one shouold be in any form of church leadership who is engaged in overt sinful relationshps. No amount of spiritual gobbledegook can cover that up.
Haggard knew what he was doing over a period of time. He has brought the neitre church of Christ into disrepute. and resignation is only ever the right solution.
I recollect writing something similar about Benny Hinn's many heresies...I don't think living such a lie for so long can merit any different treatment.
Tim, sadly, doesn't actually deal with the issue of Haggard's actions from scripture at all - he merely diverts the issue into a bland discussion about how we are all sinful. He's right, we are. But that really is not good enough nor is it to be sufficiently biblically-minded either...
Peter, you know I love ya, but maybe you really should read about the Haggard thing first, cause I think you're way off on this one.
For starters, nobody has argued that resignation or stripping of one's leadership position is not the proper response for such an offense. He should have resigned as he biblically forfeited his ability and right to lead. The elders did the right thing in removing him from his position. That being done, the question is then what is our response to be?
If we're looking at this biblically, the last thing that we as fellow fallen humanity have the right to do is to judge him more harshly than we want ourselves judged (else we really do, then, look like hypocrites). Tim rightly points to all of our total depravity and, apart from the saving grace of God, we all have the possibility to fall into the most depraved of sins, including the things Haggard himself did. Is there really one among us who has the right to point the accusatory finger and throw the proverbial stone?
I don't know about you, but I'm not picking up that rock and I think that is the biblical response.
Perhaps the hypocrisy comes in if we are harder on those in the world than we are on ourselves. But it just may be an indication that we need to extend grace to those "of the world" more often.
We must deal with sins accordingly, but we must be careful that we not think of ourselves more highly than we ought and remember that with consequences of sin and the judgment of God is the grace of God as well.
We are Christians who are called to a high standard, but none of us need to put on the red cape.
If I've misunderstood your position, please feel free to set the record straight...you didn't give us much of what you feel is the right "biblically-minded" response beside telling us that Tim's is not (poppycock, I think you called it), so maybe there's just been miscommunication. Thanks! :-)
BTW, I miss hearing from you.
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