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Yup, if Rev. Ted has to give up his day job he definetly should try stand-up comedy Funny how much the media seems to be obsessed with this guy when no one I know has ever heard of him. n2sooners, he's the head of the National Association of Evangelicals (actually, presumably the soon-to-be former head) and one of the most influential leaders among Christian conservatives. He was listed as one of TIME magazine's 25 most influential evangelicals, along with Rick Warren, Doug Coe, Richard Land, and Tim LaHaye. If you don't know who he is, you don't know much about American evangelicalism. Which is fine. But it doesn't mean he's insignificant. The media is not cooking up a scandal out of nothing here. On the Daily Show last night, Jon Stewart was basically poking fun at other evangelical leaders for not standing up for Haggard. He showed clips of the other leaders denying Haggard's popularity, or even knowing him. I wonder what would have happened if one of them did defend him? The same thing I imagine. How can you defend the defenselessness of Haggard's actions? If the allegations are true, how can they defend these actions? They wouldn't and they didn't, and yet The Daily Show manages to ridicule them anyway. Baffling. Sorry, I'm a southern baptist, my wife goes to church at least three times a week. Most of my friends are conservative and a majority attend church, and none of then recognized the name. So I hopped around to some conservative blogs and it seems most of the conservative bloggers never heard of him either. It just seems odd to me the media can downplay what Kerry said then a few days later make a huge story about some guy most people never heard of. Honestly, I have never heard of him either. Most of your conservative friends have never heard of him. Is this a conservative trait? Before this story broke, had you ever heard of him? Yes, but then I tend to be somewhat of a news junkie On the Daily Show last night, Jon Stewart was basically poking fun at other evangelical leaders for not standing up for Haggard. He showed clips of the other leaders denying Haggard's popularity, or even knowing him.Reminds me of something from the Bible...oh, yeah--didn't the disciple Peter deny knowing Jesus? More than once, as I recall. So there's a biblical precedent for such a denial. Sorry, I'm a southern baptist, my wife goes to church at least three times a week. Most of my friends are conservative and a majority attend church, and none of then recognized the name. So I hopped around to some conservative blogs and it seems most of the conservative bloggers never heard of him either.This only proves but that you, your wife, your friends, and the bloggers you read don't know much about American evangelicalism. That's okay; a lot of people don't, evangelicals (and Baptists) included. Run a news search for Ted Haggard from before the scandal broke. He's not a nobody. Presumably you do know who Richard Land and Doug Coe are? If not, then I wouldn't expect you to know who Haggard is, either. It isn't surprising to me that I have never heard of him. It is amazing in polls they run how many people have never heard of Hastert or Pelosi. What amazes me is that the MSM is pushing this story so hard and talking about it's effect on the elections when I would be willing to be a vast majority of Americans have never even heard of this guy. It is just interesting what the MSM thinks is a big story. John Kerry bashing the troops (be it a gaff or intentional) they play down as being a non-story (especially in the print media), but some scandal involving some guy most people have never heard of is a HUGE story. Please. please, don't play the naive card. Surely you must know that any story with sex involved always sells newspapers, etc. They always have, And especially if some sanctamonious religious figure is main character in the story or stories. I don't suppose you complained about the Monica/Clinton stories when they damn near brought the government of your country to a halt. I (and most Americans) had heard of Clinton before that incident. I know it is news. Not saying it shouldn't be reported. But I just don't think it is a HUGE story that will somehow have any significant effect on the election like the MSM keeps trying to insist. Heck, I bet the weather in Cleveland will have a bigger effect on the election that this scandal. The thing is, in evangelical circles, this story is a very big deal, your personal experience notwithstanding. This guy has been a major crusader for family values and a close confidante of the president for some time, and it turns out he's a hypocrite. Socratoad is right -- people are fascinated by the moral corruption of big-time puritans. Think of Jimmy Swaggert. Think of Jim Bakker. Comparing it to a botched joke from a political has-been is misleading. In terms of political news, I think this is a non-story, too, but if you are interested in following the American religious scene, then it is very, very important. Whatever your knowledge about it may be, the National Association of Evang... |
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