Tuesday 7 November, 2006

Hypocrisy

I was pleased by the revelation that Pastor Ted Haggard was a hypocrite and, despite campaigning against gay marriage, had been having regular sex with men. But of course, the way the church and media are running with it seems to focus on the enormity of his sin, rather than his hypocrisy. Instead of normalizing the fact men have sex with each other, events like these seem to give haters material with which to demonize gay men even more. I suppose hate finds fuel where ever it needs to to keep itself going. 'In Pastor Haggard's letter to his parishioners, he said: "There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life. For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach."' Which I interpret as an admission his entire life as an evangelical minister has been constructed to evade self knowledge. I find it very sad that he couldn't turn a bit of his reputed compassion as a minister on himself and been out and proud.

Update: Senator Stephen Conroy also displays his credentials as a hypocrite by being a social conservative, except when it suits.