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When I saw the transcripts of the Rev. Ted Haggard’s phone message, my first thought was that it sounded more like a call to his dealer. That would have still been a big story but more of a local affair. You know, “Pastor of Megachurch Bought Meth from Sketchy Guy.”
I’m rather speechless about this whole Ted Haggard story. I grew up down the road from his New Life megachurch (pop. 14,000) and have followed his ascendancy for years. I’m rather uncertain what can be said about the media coverage, too.
Here is the latest from Denver. This does not prove anything one way or the other, of course, it just adds evidence that the truth is somewhere in between the accuser’s pre-election media splash and the Rev. Ted Haggard’s initial denials. In other words, the lie-detector test backs the position already accepted by the leadership of New Life Church.
Gosh, once we get through Tuesday, it’s only two years until the next presidential election. And unless Tom Cruise throws his hat in the ring, it looks like Mitt Romney will be the candidate whose religion will get the most media attention.
The pre-election story of the day, of course, is about the stunning allegations by a former gay male escort against the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Haggard has stepped down from both posts, pending investigations.
Minnesotan Michelle Bachmann is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House. She’s a member of a congregation affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Media coverage of her campaign has delved into religion repeatedly but I couldn’t quite find the time to mention it here.
