Crystal Meth, a Male Prostitute, and the Fall of Pastor Ted Haggard
Though he was never elected to any public office, Ted Haggard was the most influential evangelical Christian in the United States from 2004-'05.
His influence didn't just spread across the young impressionable minds of those scary kids from Jesus Camp either. In 2005, journalist Jeff Sharlet reported that Haggard was meeting every Monday with President George W. Bush. Clearly, Haggard had a political agenda. He was an outspoken critic of gay rights, and other things like abortion and the lack of prayer in school -- but the gays really got ol' Ted fired up.
That's why it was so deliciously ironic for anyone not buying his bullsh-t when the guy from Jesus Camp turned out to be a fiend for both gay sex and crystal methamphetamine. Really it doesn't get any better than that.
In November of 2006, hunky male prostitute Mike Jones went to the press with allegations that Pastor Ted had been paying for his services for the past 3 years under the name Art (Arthur is his middle name). Jones says he felt obligated to out Haggard because his influence might have helped pass a same-sex marriage ban in Colorado in 2006.
"I had to expose the hypocrisy," Jones told ABC News. "He is in the position of influence of millions of followers, and he's preaching against gay marriage. But behind everybody's back [he's] doing what he's preached against."
Haggard lost his influence. He was kicked out of his own New Life Church, went into counseling and eventually admitted that most of Jones' allegations were true. Most recently, he told Oprah Winfrey in January, 2009, that he is "heterosexual with issues."
