You can purchase an autographed copy of Anything But Straight by sending a $35 check or money order to:
-------------------------
Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
Funny how even the evangelical churches subtly reveal, when they think no one is looking, that even THEY don't believe in Jesus! If they REALLY believed in Jesus and what he taught, they would have openly admitted everything about this saga, in light of Jesus's teaching that "the truth shall set you free!" Instead, they tried to HUSH IT UP. When the pressure is on, their most primal instincts emerge, revealing the stunning truth: even THEY know the Jesus story is a myth!
How jolting to see that when the lights go down and no one is examining their public piety, it becomes clear that these born again souls don't even follow the words of the One they pretend to claim rose from the dead! And THAT, my friends, is the REAL scandal here. When no one was looking, they simply had no time for their JESUS.
If they "REALLY REALLY" believed in Jesus and what he taught, they would do what Jesus advised, even when no one was watching them to make sure. Instead, they actually don't so what Jesus taught! Take the issue of divorce. They get divorced even MORE than non-believers do.
If they "REALLY REALLY" believed in Jesus and what the Bible claims that he taught, they'd stay in their marriages forever, no matter what (except for adultery.) But they simply don't. When push comes to shove, and it comes time to make a decision on a bad marriage, even the evangelicals throw Jesus out the window. Deep down, they know the Jesus story ISN'T true.
posted by Chris L., at
1/28/2009 12:34 PM
Alas, Chris, you have finally arrived at the proverbial law of the so-called Christian religonists that you so well described, The Law of the Funnel: "Wide for me, narrow for you!"
posted by richard schillen, at
1/28/2009 1:27 PM
I'm concerned about this young man. Where is he at now mentally? Is he able to accept who he is and get on with his life as a gay man, or does he just think he picked the wrong people to help cure him? Does anyone know?
posted by Anonymous, at
1/28/2009 5:14 PM
Did anyone see Haggard on Oprah? It was the saddest hour of television that I've seen in a long, long time.
posted by Chris L., at
1/29/2009 8:06 AM
Haggard likened his struggles with his desires to the struggles faced by dieters who say, "'I'm not going to eat today' and then they eat." Yeah, right! As if dieters by eating would hurt the entire dieting community like he hurt the LGBT community! A "heterosexual with complications," as his latest shrink classifies him, is really a conflicted homosexual.
posted by richard schillen, at
1/30/2009 8:26 AM
I don't think any "real" psychoanalyst would classify ANYONE'S sexual orientation, period! I think a good therapist would enable someone come to a conclusion for themselves. I can only imagine what kind of "therapist" that Ted Haggard was subjected to. This is incredibly unethical. The man is trapped in a bubble and the right information is not being allowed to reach him. His whole world is "Christianity," but he doesn't appear to see that "Christianity" is not the whole world.
He needs to get away from everything Christian and explore the real world, the one that exists minus the fairy tales and the guilt, shame and anti-intellectualism. What is being done to this man, and what he is complicit in allowing to be done to him, is just plain wrong. The construct that he's caught up in is simply enabling him, his wife and the entire evangelical community to continue in denial about his sexual orientation and even the gay issue at large.
posted by Chris L., at
1/30/2009 10:15 AM
You can bet Haggard's therapist is a member of the New Life Church or recommended by it, just as the RC cult uses practicing catholic psychiatrists and psychologists when the Vatican issues statements on pedophilia and sexual orientation, to reflect its teaching and beliefs. Haggard needs a good independent therapist, ideally nonchristian. Plenty of good Jewish psychiatrists out there Haggard, go find one.
posted by Anonymous, at
1/30/2009 2:01 PM
Robert, after seeing Haggard on Larry King last night, I am back to feeling sorry for the man. I feel sorry for his wife, too, who must be going "truly nuts" deep down. What is this nonsense that they are feeding them, that he is "heterosexual with complications" or "heterosexual with homosexual attachments?" I don't know what the man really is, but this really isn't right. Haggard is unwilling to question the thing that he needs to question MOST, his belief system, and he found therapists who are willing to go along with that. Reverend Mel White should give Ted Haggard a call.
posted by Chris L., at
1/30/2009 2:17 PM
So THIS is why "christian" men are so intent on recruiting as many mentally vulnerable and confused potential "ex-gays" as possible.
"Men" like Haggard hear the key phrase "struggling with my sexuality", and then they start salivating like that little weasel on those old Loony Tunes cartoons (the one always after Foghorn Leghorn).
posted by S., at
1/30/2009 4:44 PM
Chris, I understand your empathy with this man. I for one just can't feel sorry for him. He knew exactly what he was doing, not just once either. He knows deep down he's gay but refuses to accept or admit it because of the hatchet job religion has done to him, guilt and stigmatization aside. He should come out, get it over with and go after his church. Yes, I feel sorry for his wife, no question about that. He needs to stop lying to himself and others and accept who he is. I still can't believe that people allow cultist belief systems to control their entire existence. My gut feeling about all of them is that its not so much about belief but about making money. These cults and faith-based organizations are mostly nothing more than fronts for tax shelters. Remove that and you'd find their power, control and followers would diminish drastically.
posted by Anonymous, at
1/31/2009 8:01 AM
UH... Newsflash. What the hell were these two jumping into bed with each other in the first place? To sleep? Yeah right... Go tell your bullshit to someone else.
posted by Spouse Walker, at
1/31/2009 11:11 AM
Maybe I should try to seduce televangelists. I could use the extra cash.
posted by libhom, at
1/31/2009 10:46 PM
People tend to rage against those things which personally effect them the most.
posted by Chris L., at
2/01/2009 12:23 PM
Errrrr, as one of many who was in Manhattan on 9/11/01, I can assure you that Wayne Besen would not only have survived 9-11 had he been here, but if he had been in charge, Osama Bin Laden would be sitting in a jail cell right about now. You were not born and raised in New York, either, Joey777. :)
posted by Chris L., at
2/02/2009 11:26 AM
I wonder how many more young men are out there who've had the unfortunate experience of seeing Haggard's holy penis. I wonder how many underage boys he's molested.
The hypocrisy of these shitheads never ceases to astound me. They call us sinners and tell us we can (and should) change.
Don't they even read the same book they use to bash us over the head?
Matthew 7:2-6
For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s* eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.
posted by Anonymous, at
2/02/2009 3:08 PM
