Ted Haggard isn’t a Christian. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Neither is Jerry Falwell, or any of the others who are part of the vocal religious right who veil their hate and intolerance with the guise of Christianity – values that are decidedly unchristian.
The most prominent themes in Christianity are those of unconditional love, forgiveness and stewardship, themes that are lacking from the “brimstone and fire” sermons of these purported Christians.
The most obvious example of the spiteful and hypocritical nature of these people is the recent exposure of Haggard’s alleged homosexual affair with a male prostitute as well as the consumption of methamphetamines. Haggard, who was vehemently against homosexuality while in public, not only acted in a way that was “deceptive” and “sensual” as he described to church-goers through a letter (according to the Nov. 5 issue of the New York Times), but has acted hatefully in the past, through his sermons that condemn the lifestyle of gays and lesbians.
Haggard even began his ministry by frequenting gay bars in the Colorado Springs area, audaciously encouraging men to abandon their ways and attend his new church, according to an article in the May 2005 edition of Harper’s Magazine.
This kind of malice is definitely something that is contrary to the Christian belief of love for all people. While the Bible does speak specifically about certain issues, it is a guideline for ones own life, not a tool for the condemnation of others. The Bible should inspire introspection and self-inquiry in its readers, not judgment and persecution of people who live different lifestyles.
Surprisingly, until recently, Haggard was the leader of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), which presided over 45,000 churches and 30 million parishioners, according to the article in Harper’s – an organization President George W. Bush successfully tried to curry favor from, with the president or one of his advisors even holding meetings with Haggard once a week discussing policy.
But Haggard isn’t the only leader in the Religious Right community whose preachings speak clearly to the contrary of Christian beliefs. Jerry Falwell and his wife were outspoken opponents against women’s and homosexual rights, even loosing a libel suit where he was accused of calling gays “brutal beasts” and a gay church “a vile Satanic system that one day be utterly annihilated and there will be a celebration in heaven.” In his own defense, Falwell denied having said that while in court for libel (a case he lost).
Falwell and his wife even appeared on television to denounce the Equal Rights Amendment, saying that “the foundation of the women’s liberation movement, there is a minority core of women who were once bored with life, whose real problems are spiritual” and that women involved in the women’s rights movement “have never accepted their God-given roles, they live in disobedience to God’s laws” and are promoting a “godless philosophy.”
What Falwell has failed to realize is that the Bible encourages respect above all else, with many theologists saying that Jesus (the man whose name they so often evoke in justifying their hatred) and the Apostle Paul treated men and women equally in the Bible.
These people just aren’t good representatives of Christianity. Yet they still have strong ties to the Bush administration and it is important that we remain aware of their hypocrisy and the misinformation they use to justify their political strategy. Let’s not let them be the spokespeople for an entire religion. It’s just a bit embarrassing.