Don’t Judge Haggard

By Jesse Lava, Executive Director of FaithfulDemocrats.com

The allegation is out that Rev. Ted Haggard, one of the nation’s leading evangelicals, had a three-year, adulterous sexual relationship with a male escort.  Though Haggard stepped down from his presidency of the National Association of Evangelicals and resigned as head of New Life Church in Colorado, he denies the allegation.  And the fact is, we don’t know whether it’s true or not. 

In the whirlwind of pre-election coverage of this titillating accusation, we must not forget Christ’s command to judge not, lest we be judged.  If the allegation turns out to be true, it will just be one illustration of a fundamental Christian belief: that all human beings fall short and need God’s grace.  No one is exempt from temptation.  No one is free from sin.  We all have planks in our own eyes to remove before we go picking out specks in the eyes of others.  And what this country needs is not more judgment but more understanding and more love.

We at FaithfulDemocrats.com offer our prayers and sympathy to the Haggard family, the NAE, and all who are impacted by this difficult situation.  We hope they will emerge from this episode stronger and transformed by grace.  And we hope that the family of American Christians — Democrats and Republicans alike — will use this opportunity to hear the voices of people everywhere who are cast out, down on their luck, and in need of compassion.  In this fallen world, the need for grace abounds.  We as Christians should be there to provide it, remembering our responsibility to build a world of equality and justice — and recognizing that judging the private failings of others will bring us no closer to that ultimate goal.

Scripture does call us to make evaluations about right and wrong, of course.  When we believe an action goes against God’s will, we should say so, particularly if the action has some significance to other people.  This site makes such evaluations all the time, as in the Mark Foley case. 

But the kind of judging we should avoid is holding ourselves above other people — of having contempt not only for actions, but for human beings.  And we hope that Christians will reserve such judgment of Rev. Haggard.  For in the end, whether the allegation is true is not the most important issue.  What’s important is what this situation reminds us about how we should respond to those who, like Haggard, though in myriad other ways, are in need.

Late update: Haggard admits “some guilt.”