The Spirit Is Willing, But The Flesh...Is In The Spin Room

This Ted Haggard thing is a pretty juicy story. One of the most influential evangelical pastors in the country getting caught dabbling in gay sex and crystal meth - that's tragedy of Biblical (or at least Shakespearean) proportions.

The spin that he and his handlers came up with this afternoon is smart as far as selling it to other Christians. He denied the gay sex, but of the crystal meth he said:

"I bought it for myself but never used it. I was tempted, but I never used it."

Brilliant! You see - Pastor Haggard was tempted but he never actually sinned. He bought crystal meth more than once, but he didn't do anything with it. He got a massage from a gay prostitute, but he didn't have sex with him. He's in the clear! Afterall, the Bible says:

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of Life, which the LORD hath promised to them that love Him." (James 1:12)

See - Haggard faced the temptation of gay sex and drugs, and now he's sporting a nifty Crown of Life! Good on him! Let's throw a parade!

Of course, the Bible also says this:

"To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)

Uh oh. But hey - maybe, possibly, perhaps, perchance Pastor Haggard didn't know buying crystal meth and paying a gay prostitute for massages/sex was "not good." That's good spin, right?

Well the Bible also says:

"Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." (Proverbs 26:5)

Man - sometimes a drug-using, homosexual evangelical pastor just can't catch a break.