Ted Haggard's Sin

I've offered several posts, a newspaper column, and an essay dealing with Ted Haggard and his plight. Why I've spent so much time on something, that in the minds of many, has passed on into history is beyond me. But, I guess the reason is simple, we need to have this conversation about homosexuality and the church. I understand why we don't like talking about sex in church. We're conditioned to think that its something private, something to hide. It is personal and its intimate and shouldn't be played out in public, but it's an issue that's tearing apart churches, this country, and destroying lives.

I had passed on to me an essay by Jon Pahl entitled "Ted Haggard's 'Sin'" published in the Martin Marty Center e-mail letter -- Sightings. Pahl, a professor of church history at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He uses Augustine's understandings of sin to understand Haggard's predicament. He points out how Augustine believed that "sin arises from a social nexus." Thus, for Haggard his "sin" was created by his context. It became a transgression because his environment made it so. What is fascinating here is Pahl's analysis of Haggard's inner thoughts, and how he bought into and yet transgressed the lines of the anti-gay movement. It dominated him because it was constructed as a problem -- "If, say, gay sex were considered good within a committed, loving, and publicly recognized relationship, it would not pose a moral threat." I don't know about you, but I find this compelling!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks, Bob, for finding my commentary helpful! Your writings on the topic also represent both compassion and understanding--an important way to process any act of violence, like this one. If I might be so bold, you'd probably also enjoy my last book, Shopping Malls and Other Sacred Spaces: Putting God in Place. Much of it was written while I was working as a youth minister in a Disciples of Christ congregation in Valparaiso, Indiana. Now, if you're ever in Philly, don't hesitate to look me up! And where is Lompoc, anyway? You can reply directly to my e-mail: jpahl@princeton.edu.

All best,

Jon Pahl

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