Mega Mistake

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you all ready know about this one, but we had to write this quiz anyway. When will those who say they are messengers of Christ knock off the self-righteous act and actually behave like true Christians?

It’s written that “pride cometh before the fall,” and well, those are words we can’t argue with because once again, a self-proclaimed man of God has done something decidedly un-Christ-like.

1). Case in point, members of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, a mega-church with a membership of some 14,000 faithful, were shocked recently when they found out that their senior pastor and founder of the church, Ted Haggard, was in very hot water. Haggard, who is also the president of the National Association of Evangelicals — a group representing 30 million Christians — has taken a sudden leave of absence because:

A. Allegations came out that for three years he had been having sex with a male prostitute.
B. He had been embezzling money from the church to pay for his escalating gambling habit.
C. He was a heroin user and had been using his suite of offices at the church to sell drugs.
D. He was getting divorced and marrying a former exotic dancer.

2). To make matters worse, Pastor Haggard admitted to which of the following? (Hint, there’s more than one correct choice!)

A. Lusting for a woman other than his wife
B. Buying methamphetamine
C. Receiving a massage from a male prostitute
D. Being politically liberal

3). And things have only been going from really, really bad to far worse for Haggard over the weekend. He just resigned as president of the influential National Association of Evangelicals and he was:

A. Dismissed as leader of the megachurch he founded.
B. Dumped by his wife who is filing for divorce.
C. Served papers that he’s being investigated by the IRS for tax evasion.
D. Beaten up by three of his former congregants in the church parking lot.

ANSWERS:
1. A. The male prostitute, Mike Jones, told the Associated Press that over the course of three years, he and Haggard had sex dozens of times. But Haggard, who has been an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, denied having sex with him.

2. B and C. The evangelist has admitted that he bought methamphetamine (but maintains he never used it) and received a massage from Jones.

3. A. After the New Life Chuch’s independent investigative board determined the influential evangelist had committed “sexually immoral conduct” Haggard was fired. “Our investigation and Pastor Haggard’s public statements have proven without a doubt that he has committed sexually immoral conduct,” read a statement from the Overseer Board of New Life Church.

Church member Christine Rayes said the congregation had hoped the allegations were false, but now they have to face the future. “We all have to move forward now,” she said. “This doesn't make what Ted accomplished here any less. The farther up you are, the more you are a target for Satan.”