Is this the most hypocritical scandal in the religious right's Hall of Hypocrisy? Probably not. But the religious right has built an empire of its own on hatred and fear; most notably exploiting anti-gay sentiment to raise money, enroll members, and ultimately gain the incredible political influence they enjoy today.
And the revelations involving yet another good reverend are the epitome of the hypocrisy that has come to define the religious right today.
Yet Soulforce.org, an Austin-based organization, which purports to seek "freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious & political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance," responded immediately to Haggard's tale of woe. So immediately, in fact, that the juiciest tidbits had not even hit the tabloids before Soulforce.org issued its first press release urging "compassion for Haggard and accountability for the National Association of Evangelicals."
Suddenly an organization that I'd hoped would hold its own kind--namely, evangelicals--accountable with respect to "freedom ... from religious & political oppression" was directing its energies instead, toward providing cover for some, while holding only selected others to account. Within a week's time, Soulforce.org had mobilized to facilitate a letter-writing campaign, I suppose, to remind Haggard that he is not alone.
So stunned, was I, that I hammered out this fiery reply:
Unfortunately, I STRONGLY DISAGREE with your organization's position with respect to Rev. Ted Haggard's closeted existence. He was not "victimized," as your editorial suggests, by "religion-based bigotry."
If anything, Reverend Haggard was complicit in his own oppression: a WILLING participant--a victimizer, in fact, quite willing to trade living an authentic life for worldly power, wealth, and fame; and worse, quite WILLING, apparently, to sell his LGBT brothers and sisters 'down the river' in order to facilitate GOP efforts to mobilize its 'base" against the most basic of human rights--the right to love, in peace.
Put differently, instead of following Jesus' example, Haggard chose 'the path of least resistance'--preferring worldly influence over 'the way of light.'
Therefore, while the National Assn. of Evangelicals should be called to account for its failure to pursue the Christian warrant to "love thy neighbor as thy self," it is not at all apparent to me why Haggard (who presided over its operations, after all) should be immune from this reckoning. Why? Because he was "taught by the church to hate himself?"
While it is certainly true that "lives are destroyed by the lies about gay and lesbian people perpetuated by the NAE, the Religious Right, and the Protestant and Roman Catholic Church," would Soulforce really have us believe Haggard bears no responsibility for his CHOICE to profit from those lies, instead of challenging his colleagues to follow the example of Jesus?
Even now, having been exposed, Haggard has continued to prefer the way of lies (dissembling, obfuscation, etc.) as opposed to 'coming clean' in the light of TRUTH and authenticity.
Accordingly, the compassion for Haggard Soulforce.org now urges seems profoundly unwarranted, ill-conceived, and misplaced.
What about compassion for those of us who have truly been hurt by the vicious attacks on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people, while Haggard personally participated in strategy sessions and conference calls with the Bush White House as it organized to mobilize evangelicals in campaigns built, not around love, but rather, around hate?
Why should "compassion for Haggard" be the first order or business, especially when he has yet to demonstrate any contrition or understanding of the harm his choices have caused?
While I can, perhaps, empathize for his plight; I cannot sympathize. Doing so, would put me at odds with my own interests. And the fact that Soulforce.org has issued this urgent call for compassion for Haggard's use of God's word is troubling indeed.
