Pastor Ted's Rehabilitation

I've run across an interesting account of the press conference that occurred yesterday published by the Rocky Mountain News concerning the response to Ted Haggard's future. Larry Stockstill, who apparently chairs the oversight committee, for Haggard, has given a number of pointers on Haggard's situation.

• First, there is strong sentiment that Haggard hasn't told the whole truth and nothing but the truth yet. Therefore, there will be psychological tests, counseling, maybe even polygraphs. They'll check his computer and his finances. All of which is probably a good idea, in light of what's been revealed so far.
• According to Stockstill, Haggard says that despite long standing homosexual urges, he's not gay. Now this needs to be kept in mind as I come to the next point.
• Haggard's "rehabilitation and recovery" will be overseen by Jack Hayford of Church on the Way, Assemblies of God mega-church pastor Tommy Barnett, and Focus on the Family's James Dobson. This last named participant is worrisome to me. Dobson has strong credentials in psychology, but his ideology has skewed his interpretation of the scientific evidence. To Dobson homosexuality is a deviancy that must be cured, rather than a biological fact similar to left-handedness (once considered dangerous and deviant).

With Dobson at the helm of his recovery I wouldn't expect to see him come out in support of a conversation that would lead normalcy for gays. I would applaud him if he chose to remain married to his wife, knowing that part of him is attracted to men. Monogamy, in my mind, is a good thing to affirm. In that sense, we can choose, but we must be honest with ourselves. Then too, it appears that our sexuality can be understood along a spectrum that runs from completely 100% heterosexual to 100% homosexual. Most of us live somewhere along that spectrum. It appears that at the very least Ted Haggard lives somewhere along that borderline. For appearances sake at least, he's chosen to embrace heterosexual relationships, but the other part of him drove him to explore other aspects of his sexuality. Only time will tell where this will lead.

The way forward looks to be long and arduous, and for those of us who wish to see gays and lesbians included in the community as equal contributors, the Dobson involvement raises red flags. But I will continue to pray for a good and decent and civil conversation!