Ted Haggerty on Oprah - Page 2

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by Theoretica

Talk about splitting inconsequential hairs.

It's sad to me that with all the public appearances he's doing he's still in the closet. Or ironic. Not sure which.

I'm telling you it's all about the moola.

[amcal]

I didn't feel he was in denial at all and I really appreciated the way he described himself.

He did not say he was "gay with issues". He said he was a heterosexual but was conflicted. And he believes that there is a wide spectrum of sexuality.

His wife did not say she knew he had homesexual urges before their marriage - he revealed them after his marriage and told her he had not acted on them and that he was receiving consel from the church. It was never again an issue in their marriage until he was caught.

I really appreciated his honesty and I do believe you don't either have to be gay or straight. He loves his wife, has a healthy sexual relationship with her. But, he also has homosexual urges. That doesn't automatically make him gay. If he was gay and had urges to have sex with a woman would that make him automatically straight?

I think it's really narrow minded of people to assume he's gay. We don't live in his skin. We don't know how he feels. Why do we automatically deny the love he feels for his wife? Why do we deny the sexual attraction he feels for her and insist that because he had some homosexual affairs he must be completely and totally homosexual? Why can't he just be himself? Why can't he fall somewhere on the spectrum of heterosexual and homosexual? Why do we assume we know better than he does on how he feels?

I'm sad for him and his family. Yes, he brought this on himself by lying but, I understand why he did. He was brought up in a very evangelical christian family. You're just not allowed to be gay. Plus, he's a christian. And while he believes that God loves and accepts all, he believes homosexuality is not part of God's plan.

He has lived a very difficult life with a lot of conflicting messages. But, I think he's beginning to get it. He's not all the way there yet but, I'm happy to see him trying.

[holyhelianthus]

Michelle~ I do agree. Like I said I know people who have same-sex attraction and don't want to so choose not to act on it (and they prefer for it to be called SSA).

Sexuality is so personal in that it is different for each person and no one else's business. I can't comment on your sexuality any more than you can comment on mine with any real conviction.

That said I think with Haggard people are upset/confused because he doesn't practice hat he preaches AND he takes it upon himself to pass harsh (even violent) judgment where he is seemingly asking us not to judge him

[WonderWild]

Originally Posted by magstphil

Michelle~ I do agree. Like I said I know people who have same-sex attraction and don't want to so choose not to act on it (and they prefer for it to be called SSA).

Sexuality is so personal in that it is different for each person and no one else's business. I can't comment on your sexuality any more than you can comment on mine with any real conviction.

That said I think with Haggard people are upset/confused because he doesn't practice hat he preaches AND he takes it upon himself to pass harsh (even violent) judgment where he is seemingly asking us not to judge him

Are you referring to the judgements that he made while he was preaching? I believe that was the old him. People learn, grow and change. I hope that is exactly what he is doing. I hope he has learned to be more accepting. He is fighting a battle within himself and he is not perfect. I'm sure most of us have fought a battle within ourselves at some point in our lives. We should all be understanding of how hard that can be and how we can slip up even if we really don't want to.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by garrettsmommy

Are you referring to the judgements that he made while he was preaching? I believe that was the old him. People learn, grow and change. I hope that is exactly what he is doing. I hope he has learned to be more accepting. He is fighting a battle within himself and he is not perfect. I'm sure most of us have fought a battle within ourselves at some point in our lives. We should all be understanding of how hard that can be and how we can slip up even if we really don't want to.

As I said I didn't see the show and I think I posted earlier (bare with me- pregnancy brain! ) that I was wondering if he and his wife were looking at things from a different light. If they are I think that would help a lot of people see things a little kinder that follow Haggard closely. I'd love to see something like that. I very much believe people can learn and grow from that. I have faith that Haggard and people like him can change.