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The leader of one of Colorado's most popular mega-churches, Ted Haggard, said his church would investigate allegations from a male prostitute that Haggard solicited gay sex, 9News reported Wednesday.<br><br>Haggard, the founder and senior leader of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs and president of the multimillion- member National Association of Evangelicals, denied the accusations raised by the prostitute to KUSA- Channel 9. But the pastor said he is prepared for his own church to investigate the claims.<br><br>Male escort Mike Jones of Denver started talking to 9 Wants to Know two months ago, making claims that he has had a three-year sexual business relationship with Haggard, the station reported.<br><br>Jones went public about their alleged relationship Wednesday morning on talk radio.<br><br>"People may look at me and think what I've done is immoral, but I think I had to do the moral thing in my mind and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing and doing the opposite behind everybody's back," Jones told 9News.<br><br>The station spoke to Haggard outside his home in Colorado Springs, and he fervently denied the allegations. Haggard is married and has five children.<br><br>"I've never had a gay relationship with anybody. ... I am steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife. I don't know if this is election-year politics or if this has to do with the marriage amendment or what it is," Haggard said.<br><br>The Denver Post could not reach Haggard for comment.<br><br>Haggard has been one of the major proponents for a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4588998">www.denverpost.com</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

can we say Hypocrite? <p></p><i></i>

this Harpers article has a good rundown on Ted.<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.harpers.org/SoldiersOfChrist.html">www.harpers.org/SoldiersOfChrist.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>It makes you feel great knowing that someone who anoints a street intersection with cooking oil has weekly access to the president of the United States.<br><br>Also, he has a nice, slimey showcase in the documentary "Bible Camp." <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>He was always on the lookout for spies. At the time, Colorado Springs was a small city split between the Air Force and the New Age, and the latter, Pastor Ted believed, worked for the devil. Pastor Ted soon began upsetting the devil's plans. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>He staked out gay bars, inviting men to come to his church</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->; his whole congregation pitched itself into invisible battles with demonic forces, sometimes in front of public buildings. One day, while he was working in his garage, a woman who said she'd been sent by a witches' coven tried to stab Pastor Ted with a five-inch knife she pulled from a leg sheath; Pastor Ted wrestled the blade out of her hand. He let that story get around. He called the evil forces that dominated Colorado Springs—and every other metropolitan area in the country—“Control.” <br><br>Sometimes, he says, Control would call him late on Saturday night, threatening to kill him. “Any more impertinence out of you, Ted Haggard,” he claims Control once told him, “and there will be unrelenting pandemonium in this city.”<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <br> <p></p><i></i>

Seems like that denial is slipping... <br><br><br>denver and the west<br>Haggard steps down amid gay affair inquiry<br>By Eric Gorski, Felisa Cardona and Manny Gonzales<br>Denver Post Staff Writers<br>DenverPost.com<br>Article Last Updated:<br><br>Ted Haggard, one of the most prominent evangelical pastors in the nation, resigned today as president of the National Association of Evangelicals amid allegations that he carried on a three-year sexual relationship with a male prostitute.<br><br>Haggard, founder of the 14,000-member New Life Church, has denied the accusations but said in a statement released by the church today that he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by accusations made on Denver talk radio this morning."<br><br>He has placed himself on administrative leave pending investigation, spiritual counsel and a decision by the church's board of overseers, the church's legal counsel said.<br><br>"I am voluntarialy stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date," Haggard's statement said.<br><br>The former prostitute, Mike Jones, 59, of Denver, went public with the accusations on Tuesday, saying he felt compelled to do so because he believes Haggard, a strong opponent of same-sex unions, has been hypocritical.<br><br>"I made myself cry and I made myself sick," Jones said about his decision to come forward. "I felt I owed this to the community. What he is saying is we are not worthy, but he is."<br><br>Jones says he was contacted three years ago by Haggard for sex - he thinks through a gay newspaper advertisement or an online ad he posted on rentboy.com.<br><br>Today, Jones showed the Denver Post an envelope addressed to him from "Art," a name Jones says Haggard used - sent from an address in Colorado Springs. Jones said the envelope came to him with two $100 bills inside.<br><br>Jones also played a recording of a voicemail left for Jones from "Art." Jones refused to reveal what the topic of the voicemail was about because there could be legal problems and he wants to consult with an attorney.<br><br>"They want to protect the sanctity of marriage and I am trying to figure out what that means because they are not doing a good job," Jones said of anti-gay marriage proponents. "To have someone in such a high profile position preaching against them and doing opposite behind other people's backs is hypocritical."<br><br>Jones said he would take a lie detector test to validate his claims.<br><br>The church's lawyer, Martin Nussbaum, said Haggard's resignation is in no way an admission of guilt. He's already denied Jones' accusations, but feels that when an allegation like this is made, he needs to take this step, Nussbaum said.<br><br>Nussbaum, paraphrased: The bylaws state that when an allegation of immorality is made, this process is triggered, where he puts himself on leave. The outside board makes the final decision.<br><br>In the interim, the church's associate senior pastor, the Rev. Ross Parsley, will serve as acting senior pastor of the church.<br><br>Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com <p></p><i></i>

According to the <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4588998">Denver Post</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->, Ted's temporarily stepping down from his leadership position... After consulting his spirtual advisor, Ted said:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>"I am voluntarialy stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date..."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>He hopes he DOESN'T HAVE TO discuss this matter in more detail...<br><br>Is the coverup running late on this one, or more parapolitical theatre? Perhaps international spy wars? Who the hell knows, but one more hypocritical fundie facing a little sunlight... <p></p><i></i>

Haggard is the same lunatic who was caught on camera by evolutionary scientist Richard Dawkins being a controlling, bullying asshole, dominating his congregation with exhortations of absolute devotion.<br><br>He was also caught on camera attacking Dawkins for insulting his churchmembers by referring to them as "animals" (presumably because Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist). This is ironic, because he, himself, refers to his congregation as his "flock" (as in "of sheep).<br><br>Check out the documentary in question:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1501157684453512889&q=%22the+root+of+all+evil%3F%22">video.google.ca/videoplay...evil%3F%22</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

How many more self-loathing friends does Bulldog Guckert have in high places? <p></p><i></i>

im really, really enjoying this. <p></p><i></i>

Here's the <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=wkUi6dhwWx0">clip</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> from the documentary of Dawkins and Haggard. <p></p><i></i>

I'm trying to figure out whether I remember ever reading about a channelled personality or group entity calling itself "Control. "<br><br>It's pretty hard to compose a google that will bring up useful info with "channelled" and "Control."<br><br>Is this ringing a bell with anyone? Or am I just thinking of John Lilly's "Earth Coincidence Control Office "(E.C.C.O.)?<br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>

think william burroughs. <p></p><i></i>

<!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2006/1102/20061102_032450_ol02haggard_300.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br>edit:<br>what caught my attention with this pic was - the forehead... <br>maybe I'm just 'seeing things'<br>anyone else have any observations?<br> <br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=rain@rigorousintuition>rain</A> at: 11/4/06 7:24 pm<br></i>

I remembered an <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/pages/descriptions/97/77.html">early episode</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> of "<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/">This American Life</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->" (NPR weekly show out of WBEZ, Chicago) about an evangelical group in Colorado. The reporter (a young woman) went to see what the heck they were all about (see the description--there was a lot of clever prayer-related PR/outreachn, like praying in front of <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>every</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> house in Colorado Springs). She ended up feeling drawn towards the organization--at least that's how I remember it. <br><br>Th episode aired in 1997.<br><br> <p></p><i></i>

Oh ha ha--just had to add this: 'Pastor Ted' wrote a few spiritual guides, books, etc. one of them is called "No More Lonely Nights". <br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/newlifechurch/prodinfo.asp" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br> <!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Detailed Description<br>This booklet discusses the problem of being lonely even when surrounded by people, and the reason for such loneliness. <br><br>Pastor Ted Haggard is the Senior Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Spring, Colorado. The author of many books, Pastor Ted and his wife Gayle, reside in Colorado Springs with their five children.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br> Here's the http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/newli ... mber=BK013<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/newlifechurch/prodinfo.asp?number=BK013">link</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->.<br><br>I gotta say, I have a little sympathy for the man--whatever the full story may be, he must have had a difficult life if, in fact, he is gay or bi, yet felt called upon to demonize (literally?) gays. <br><br>But my pity is very limited. Very. <br><br>Isn't Colorado the state in which the young, gay man was beaten to death and left hanging on a fence somewhere? <br><br>Did 'Pastor Ted'--indirectly?--give guidance/or encouragement to those who committed that act? OR did he come out strongly <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>against</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> that act? My guess is the former. <br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=pepsifiedthinker@rigorousintuition>pepsified thinker</A> at: 11/3/06 1:18 pm<br></i>