August 25, 2007
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The Rev. Ted Haggard
The Rev. Ted Haggard stepped down from the church he pastored after admitting he was involved in “sexual immorality.”
Now he needs financial help. So he has asked his supporters for financial support. The financial support will help him for two years while he goes back to school.
He is getting a degree in counseling.
Here is the link: LINK
Do you think you could send financial support to a fallen minister?
Comments (78)
I don’t give money to people I perceive as scam artists. If others do, that’s their choice.
By the way Dan, you’ve really been doing a flurry of posting lately!
Yes. Everyone deserves grace.
Those are some pearly whites. So, yeah.
I could not send financial support to anyone who preaches on TBN…
If you can give a pastor money to buy a new car while he is still on the pulpit, why not a few dollars for school when he can no longer morally be there?
Um, a degree in counseling? That must be a joke. If anything, he needs counseling before he gives it to others. No wait, he doesn’t need counseling. He needs a psychiatric intervention.
No, not for his desired degree. Business? I probably wouldn’t give him money for that, either, but at least it’d look more legit.
O, and don’t forget his house and the car for the wife and kids, plus whatever else he fancies. Wait, don’t tell me you actually thought your collections didn’t go straight to his pockets anyway!
I wouldn’t send financial support to anyone other than an immediate family member for a college degree. Let him get student loans or work his way through like most students.
-shrugs-
I don’t think that being a “fallen minister” should be a factor considered, if you were going to.
Psychiatric intervention? For what, being homosexual? You’re not telling me that you believe you can change someone’s orientation, can you? (Nearly all scientists agree, you can’t. Studies and those weird camps have pretty much proven that it’s impossible.)
I wouldn’t send money to someone I didn’t know. But if the guy had helped me through spiritual troubles, well, counseling sounds like it would be a good direction to head off to, so I’d be inclined to help him out, especially considering he’s having some very difficult times. I’m not going to start casting stones at this guy for being gay and a former pastor, that’s not nearly as bad as some Catholic pastors who sprung that scandal a few years ago. Instead, I would only feel pity and compassion for this guy.
-David
Well, if he stays gay, I’d…no, I’d never send money. But I’d approve more than one who’d go with that bullshit about love of Christ “saving” someone from homosexuality. What a load of crap.
i don’t even send money to my grandmother
No, I wouldn’t. But I there aren’t many people I WOULD give money to at random. It has nothing to do with his actions. It’s not my place to judge him.
Fallen or not, I don’t see why he is asking people to pay for his education? Let him get out there in the workplace and earn it.
I don’t think I’d send financial support to a minister in general.
I’m broke over here! Send ME money!
To answer the question, maybe…. however, concerning this situation, over my dead body. No one is helping me get my degrees, and I haven’t fallen like that.
depends on the situation — I mean I could but the situation would have to be right —— and I don’t think it is right in this one……….
To major in counseling? Are you kidding?
COUNSELING? He’s gettting a degree in counseling??? No, I could not support that. He’s on his own.
As part of the community he ministered in, I think he should be able to pay his bills just fine. Per the article, the church paid him $115,000 for the 10 months he worked in 2006 and an $85,000 anniversary bonus before the scandal broke. His severance package included a year’s salary of $138,000, and he collects royalties on his book titles. His house is up for sale and has a market value of $715,051.
Now, if his friends and family want to support him, I’m glad. Otherwise, I think most graduate students could make it just fine with that income.
SERIOUSLY! I have yet to commit any form of misconduct that would make me the outcast of a community, yet I have to struggle by myself to pay for college by myself! This ungreatful asshole has the audacity to ask the public to pay for him after he couldnt handle his own job!?! fuck.
Not him, at least.
No. People should deal with the consequences by themselves, not drag others into.
everyone falls but pastors are held more accountable for sins because they are the ones who the congregation looks to.
Yes
Ew, no.
It would be the christian thing to do. That being said I would help out others before I helped him.
Certainly not this one. What’s kind of counseling is he studying, anyway? Going to try and “convert” more gays? -_-
well he paid for a prostitute and gay sex for years with church money. Maybe he could turn those experiences in a skill or something…
Depends on how you define fallen. But onto the question, it depends on the church I guess, but probably not Teddy here. Didn’t you have another entry about how he has a gigantic house from church donation? I just find that ridiculous and even if he really does need financial support, it’s hard for me to believe he really needs it.
He is another Jimmy Bakker.
No.
When I wanted to go to school, I worked as a waitress and paid for it myself. He needs to get a job and pay for his own college, like the rest of us normal folk. What a loser. And because of the fact that he IS a loser, no, I would not send him money.
No, I wouldn’t.
uh no…definitely not.
I wouldn’t send aid to THIS particular guy, not because he’s gay, but because he’s a lying, cheating scumbag who betrayed his family and his congregation.
I don’t care if he’s a minister, fallen or otherwise. He’s begging for money to go to college when he’s an adult fully capable of going out, getting a job, and paying for it himself. There are young adults out there who are working their way through college! Why can’t he? If anything he can try to get some sort of grant. But to beg the public for money… that’s pathetic! Besides from the looks of the article… “Haggard received a salary of $115,000 for the 10 months he worked in 2006 and an $85,000 anniversary bonus before the scandal broke, The Gazette reported. Haggard’s severance package included a year’s salary of $138,000, and he collects royalties on his book titles, the newspaper reported. El Paso County records show Haggard’s home, which has been up for sale, has a market value of $715,051.” So, if he has squandered away all his money in the past two years that’s his own fault and he should be made to live with the consequences. However, if he’s still got all his money and is just scamming the public for more money, may the sorry son of a bitch burn in the hell he preached so much about.
I don’t think it’s an issue of whether or not he’s “fallen” or whether good people should give money to “tax collectors and sinners.” If you read the Bible, you’d realize that God never would associate with those types in the first place.
What I find interesting here is that while Haggard isn’t a preacher, he’s still relying on other people to pay for his stuff. Can’t he get a job like everyone else? Wal-Mart will gladly give Haggard money for college in exchange for his services as a night cashier!
No,he needs to work like everyone else if he needs money.
not that one. let him get a real job and see how the other half lives. it would help in his “counseling” studies.
i don’t agree with his actions during his stay at his church.
but none of us are perfect, we are all human and prone to err.
we need God, we need His grace. because without that, we have nothing.
I would give him money if he went to counseling… if not, then I dont think he should get money. and no money for school until he at least starts counseling. I thin anyone involved in cheating or divorce should seek counseling – but hey, maybe thats just me.. lol
and im a graduate student in seminary who makes way less than he does/did, so maybe some of that money could flow ym way – *wink wink*
Daniel (doubledb)
No, but Im a jew
I don’t give money to pastors to begin with.
NO! Who in their frakkin’ right mind would go to Ted Haggard for counseling?
I would to everyone except Ted Haggard
I’m glad the wise folks at Theologins cafe aren’t the ones who decide who gets mercy and who doesn’t. The world would be in bad shape……I’m glad God is in control of that and not you guys.
Let me clarify my last remark. I would not give him the money either, because it looks like he has the resources to pay for it himself. I would not, however, say the mean wicked things some of you said. I’m amazed at how hateful people can be.
I don’t think I’d really give money to anyone unless I know them personally and know that they really, really need it. This guy doesn’t fall under either of those categories.
If God led me to do so, I would. However, I don’t believe He’d have me give money to someone with that many resources at hand. More likely, He’d have me give to someone living on the street, a single mom with low income, a prisoner, etc. – people who have little or no available resources.
Love.
No.
He’s asking for $$ for school after getting a $138,000 severence package, and a seven-hundred grand house on the market. Riiiiiight… That’d be a negatory.
Shoot Cracka Please…
Myself and my 4 roommates could go to 4-year public university complete with housing and food for just over 232K. I believe he can manage the two of them for 2 years on 138K.
that dudes name should be something like martin johnson er somethin…. not ted…
whos this guy going to councl?
thats the question.
I guess its a individual thing, it would depend on a few things….
I think the real question is “Would you go to this man for counseling?”
Not so he could quickly resume a position of spiritual leadership. That is so unbiblical.
Personally, I wouldnt donate any money for anyone to go BACK to school. Take out student loans like the rest of us.
Nope… he should get a job like everyone else…. Fuckin’ Jackass…
I wouldn’t….but not because of the “fallen” part…but instead like many others have said…why would he not work somewhere and pay his own way? Him doing this makes me think less of him even than the other part. Everyone falls and makes mistakes. But this makes him look lazy and greedy and willing to use people for his personal gain.
it would depend on the personal relationship, and I would like to see a period of simple, hard work. Sweat does a lot to purify oneself. Simple hard work. Physical.
Perhaps Ted should have been a better steward of his ridiculous earnings? I’m pretty sure no one was coughing up the dough when i wanted to go to school. If we can all earn it by loans and such, then so should he. This is just another typical way for these big time pastors to sham out and live fat off the common people. Sorry, Ted. Get a job, dude…
Nothing to do with him being a “fallen minister” but I think he needs to work hard and rely on God and not other people for awhile. Especially since he has deceived others in the past. Working hard will keep him out of trouble as the Bible says:)
I am married to a minister and we have both worked our way through school with JOBS. My hubby milked cows, worked in a Meijer store, a plumbing and heating office, a library, and restaurants, etc. in his life to provide for his own family of 2 children and me:) and we are still paying off school loans! And it has helped him relate to all kinds of people!
2Th 3:6-12 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is living in idleness and not living according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know what you must do to imitate us. We did not live in idleness among you. We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, with toil and labor we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. It is not as though we did not have that right, but, we wanted to give you an example to follow. While we were with you, we gave this order: “If anyone doesn’t want to work, he shouldn’t eat.” We hear that some of you are living in idleness. You are not busy working-you are busy interfering in other people’s lives! We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
It depends on how much faith I have in him.
Hmm… if the financial support was less than 1% of my net worth and it was a loan he intended to repay, then I could. But he’s as much a liability as someone who’s filed bankruptcy. A marriage, in most investors’ eyes, is a business agreement. Almost like a contract. If you break your word to your business partner/wife, it’d be that much harder for a financial investor to trust your word. (regardless of the fact that he’s a minister. why do people need to drag religion in unnecessarily? does being a holy man give you better credit? Does Equifax care if you’re a minister? Not really…)
I think you can send money to anyone you want to. Would I? No. But would I criticize someone who did? No.
not in this situation, but i can pray for him
If it were a normal fallen minister, who was poor to begin with, then maybe. Not for him though. He had a ton of money – where did it go? He’s still making royalties too. And I agree that he needs to learn how to be an adult because there are LOTS of people, myself included, going to school on loans and hard-earned cash that don’t have the luxury of “supporters.” Plus, with the stuff I’ve heard come out of that guys’ mouth, I’m not really in favor of him pursuing a career in counseling…
at least he was honest w/ his “followers” so i’d give a bit. maybe
It depends…
It’s interesting that he is going for a degree in counseling, when he obviously NEEDS counseling. If someone has made a serious error in judgement and repents of it and clearly has changed the erring behavior, I could get behind them. Cleaning up someone else’s mess is another story. He made the mess, and he should be the one to clean it up.
Not to this particular “fallen minister”-according to the article he seems pretty set money-wise.
Just who the hell is he gonna counsel with his man-cheating ass? get-the-hell-outtahere. These people are as stupid as they come if they’re STILL giving this clown money. Another example of people just needing a reason to throw away money, lol. Sell us anything….
I could if they didn’t molest kiddies or anything.
If they were gay or something, no problem, I’d send them money.
I am sure he has a big healthy bank account somewhere from where he has already fleeced his flock.
NO! HE SICK ANYWAYS SO FUCK HIM!
Not this guy.