c. 2007 Religion News Service
(Eds: In the second quote, the word “themselves” was italicized in the original text.)
Following are excerpts from Mike Jones’ book, “I Had to Say Something: The Art of Ted Haggard’s Fall”:
“Let me begin by saying that I do not hate Ted Haggard. I have not rejoiced in what has happened to him. I did not throw a party or dance in the street when he resigned. I was truly sad.”
“Nothing makes me more upset than people of faith who support church policies against homosexuals and other alleged sinners who have themselves acted on homosexual feelings of their own.”
“All this time, this man had been coming to me every month to get naked and explore his homosexuality, and now I found out that he was one of the most powerful evangelicals in the world and that he wanted to keep people like me _ and people like `Art’ _ from being treated fairly.”
“At times, I really wished I could talk to Ted, and at other times, I feared hearing his voice. I really wanted to know how he was doing, but in the same breath, I wanted to rake him over the coals for not telling me who he was and for putting me through all the hell I’d been through.”
KRE END RNS200 words
See mainbar, RNS-JONES-HAGGARD, transmitted June 7.