Friday, November 03, 2006

Time for Remedial Jesus Camp?

Well, well, well . . . .

Here's something from KMGH television in Denver:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Rev. Ted Haggard admitted Friday that he bought methamphetamine from a male prostitute but said he never used it.

The admission came as the self-professed prostitute flunked a lie detector test about having sex with Haggard. Haggard stopped his pickup to talk to reporters camped outside his Colorado Springs home Friday and confirmed allegations that he bought meth from a Denver man but says he never had sex with him.

"I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away. I was buying it for me but I never used it," he told reporters. "I was tempted. I bought it. But I never used it."

Haggard, 50, said he never had sex with Mike Jones, a 49-year-old Denver man who raised the allegations this week. Haggard said he received a massage from Jones after being referred to him by a Denver hotel.

Haggard, who was leaving his home with his wife and three of his five children, said he bought the meth because he was curious. He was heading to meeting of outside church leaders who wanted to discuss the scandal with him.

On Thursday, Haggard resigned as president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals association. The executive committee of the association's board scheduled a conference call Friday and planned to release a statement, the association said. Haggard had been president since 2003.

Haggard initially denied the allegations, which included claims that he used methamphetamines during the sex, but a church spokesman later said Haggard admitted to some of the allegations. Haggard -- an outspoken opponent of the drive for gay marriage -- also stepped down as senior pastor at his 14,000-member New Life Church pending an investigation by a church panel, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."

And this, from The Rocky Mountain News:

Haggard said he was referred to Jones for a massage by a hotel in Denver. The minister said he travels to Denver to write books.

Haggard drew a silent stare from his wife when he told the gathered reporters that he received a massage from Jones.

Jones, who describes himself as a former prostitute failed a polygraph test administered Friday morning in Denver, when questioned about sex with Haggard.

The polygrapher, John Kresnik, said the results "indicated deception" but he also believed the results may have been skewed because Jones, was suffering from a migraine and didn’t get much sleep.

"I’m disappointed with myself," Jones said on Peter Boyles’ morning talk show on KHOW radio after taking the 90-minute polygraph. "I feel like I’ve disappointed a lot of people. I initiated it and I’m willing to accept the consequences of it."

However, Jones said he "would not back down" from his original accusations. He also said — at the prompting of Kresnik — to take two more lie detector tests after he got some sleep. Jones said he only got two hours of sleep.

The reason for the two tests, Kresnik said, was because there are two separate accusations being made — that Haggard sought gay sex from Jones and also asked Jones to be the middle man in an attempt to get methamphetamines.

Jones said he never got drugs for Haggard, but said he knew people who could get drugs. Jones said Haggard liked the drug because it "enhanced" the sexual experience.

Sitting in the radio station studio, Jones looked weary and his lips drew tight when Boyles played tape snippets of Haggard denying the allegations.

Kresnik said he asked six questions on the polygraph test and there were two relevant questions — both involving sexual contact with Haggard. Kresnik said those were the ones Jones failed.

"All I can do is call them as I see them," Kresnik said.

KUSA-TV reported Thursday night that a voice analysis expert compared a voice mail
recording provided by Jones to a recording of Haggard's speech and that they matched.

Jones said he felt sorry for Haggard, who stepped down from his position as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and took leave from his post as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Haggard, 50, initially denied the allegations, telling 9News Wednesday night that "I’ve never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I’m steady with my wife. I’m faithful to my wife."

Who knows, apart from Haggard and Jones, whether they did the big nasty? But you have to work hard not to laugh bitterly when the guy says he's been faithful to his wife and never had gay sex with Jones, but that he did get a massage from the ex-male prostiture and, yes, he did BUY METH but never used it.

And, according to the phone message, wanted to buy more after -- says Haggard -- not doing the first batch of meth he got.

Uh huh.

I guess Pastor Ted really does "luuuuuuv Catholics." He's -- allegedly . . . seemingly -- trying to be just like some of the worst, and most notorious, clergy that we've got.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That picture is not from KMGH. It is from NBC's KUSA-TV