In the article "Evangelical Ousted Amid Gay Sex Scandal" By KIM NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer posted yesterday about Rev. Ted Haggard's dismissal as leader of the church he founded, Kim Nguyen quotes a church member saying that the congregation had hoped the allegations "were all lies."
"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." (emphasis, italics all mine)
I hate these kinds of statements. They seem to justify our culture's view of Christians. That when we get caught doing something naughty, we blame it on the very convenient mean guy with horns and a tail who dresses in a red spandex bodysuit and carries a pitchfork.
Ted Haggard is not a victim of the devil as much as he is a victim of his own sinful nature. It's about time we as Christians admit this. "The Devil Made Me Do It" was a funny 70's catch phrase and that's about it. How do we expect the Gospel message to be received when the foundational truth that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" continues to be skewed by quotes implying that all of our poor choices are Satan's and not ours?
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