Are we all really just like Ted Haggard?
In an attempt at dramatic rhetorical flourish the other day I concluded a post on Ted Haggard with the following words.
The truth is, I am Ted Haggard, we are all Ted Haggard, and Ted Haggard is all of us. And may God have mercy me, on Ted and on all of us.
I"ve received a good deal of feedback on that comment, some of it in agreement but several comments have been quite taken aback by the statement and some of the critics have been quite picturesque in their language in describing their disagreement with me on this.
Today I came across a post from Rick Phillips at Reformation21 (HT - Justin Taylor) discussing the merits and demerits of the "denounce Ted" and "just like Ted" positions. Since I took what could reasonably be called a "just like Ted" position in that former post I was particularly attentive to Rick's words in that regard. You'll have to read down aways in the post to find a list of five things he finds wrong with the "just like Ted" position.
I don't know if Rick or one of the gang at Reformation21 read my
post and decided that someone needed to put a sock in the mouth of the
bozo from Maryland, or if they saw some other posts along those lines,
but I do feel compelled to respond.
And my response is simply to agree with what Rick has said in his
post and to explain a little bit of my own reasoning for saying what I
said. This is not really a retraction, but it is an admission that in
an attempt to provide a stirring rhetorical finish to that post I
overstated my case.
What was particularly offensive to some was that my comment seemed
to indicate that I think everyone is engaging in the same kinds of
activities as Ted and lying about it to everyone about it. Insofar as
my comment may have conveyed that I do fully retract and I will state
that I believe that most folks, both Christian and non, are not engaged
in such deception.
Also, I want to say that I was speaking mainly about Christians in
that comment and my intention was to convey that we all share a common
Romans 7 type struggle where, to one degree or another, we desire to do
good and find that we are unable to. Don't hold Russ Reeves responsible
for my position, but I think he stated it well when he said:
My point in addressing this is not to call Haggard a hypocrite; that hardly needs to be said at this point, and it’s not all that exceptional, since the only person who can avoid hypocrisy in some form is the person devoid of morals.
To one degree or another every Christian is going to
have some struggle with hypocrisy. If Christ is our standard and we
desire to be like Him, we will all fail to live up to our best
aspirations.
Further, when Christians see a brother in sin, we are told to look to ourselves in Galatians 6:1:
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
But having said all of that, none of it minimizes the seriousness of the sin committed here, nor the need for discipline in such a situation. Nor does it mean that any or all of us are engaged in the same kinds of sin as Haggard or are doomed to the same kind of fall. That is what Rick Phillips brings out and I am in wholehearted agreement.
Recent Comments