Haggard "comes clean"

In spite of the sheer joy and vindication that comes from the exposure and subsequent downfall of the Rev. Ted Haggard and other hypocrites, there comes a certain sense of compassion for those who feel the need to throw an entire group of people under the bus to maintain their lies and related false sense of self.

I note this observation as Haggard continues to "comes clean" ahead of the release of Alexandra Pelosi's documentary "The Trials of Ted Haggard." The former head of the National Association of Evangelicals' breathtaking downfall because of his crystal methamphetamine use and sex with a male prostitute remains a sort of vindication for those within the movement for LGBT rights who continue to seek to expose these hypocrites. And Grant Haas' accusations only adds fuel to this feeling.

Compassion and love are among the basic tenants of Christian ideals as I have come to understand them. Haggard's hypocrisy towards homosexuals remains an ultimate sin for which many within the movement for LGBT rights cannot forgive him. Pelosi's documentary arguably affords the disgraced evangelical yet another opportunity to "come clean" and even apologize. Those he hurt and threw under the proverbial bus, however, will almost certainly remain highly skeptical.