Follow the link...for the rest of the hiddeous story:

DENVER – Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard's former church disclosed Friday that the gay sex scandal that caused his downfall extends to a young male church volunteer who reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard — a revelation that comes as Haggard tries to repair his public image.

Brady Boyd, who succeeded Haggard as senior pastor of the 10,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, told The Associated Press that the man came forward to church officials in late 2006 shortly after a Denver male prostitute claimed to have had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.
Boyd said an "overwhelming pool of evidence" pointed to an "inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship" that "went on for a long period of time ... it wasn't a one-time act." Boyd said the man was in his early 20s at the time. He said he was certain the man was of legal age when it began.

Reached Friday night, Haggard declined to comment and said all interviews would have to be arranged through a publicist for HBO, which is airing a documentary about him this month.

Boyd said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly.
Boyd said a Colorado Springs TV station reached him Thursday to say the young man was planning to provide a detailed report of his relationship with Haggard to the station. Boyd said the church preferred to keep the matter private, but it was the man's decision to go public.

The disclosure comes as Haggard, 52, is about to give a series of high-profile interviews to promote the cable documentary about his time in exile. He is scheduled to appear on CNN's Larry King Live on Thursday, the date of the documentary's premiere, and already has taped "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

http://news.yahoo.com/...

So! The church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly...does this strike anybody as unethical, dishonest and immoral?  Exactly what kind of values is the New Life Church espousing to its religious community?  Bribery and deception are OK as long as it saves your ass from further scrutiny and embarrassment by the media?

The new head of the church, Brady Boyd who succeeded Haggard goes on to lie about the agreement reached between the church and the "young volunteer" whom Haggard sexually involved himself with by issuing this statement;

Anticipating criticism of the settlement with the former church volunteer, Boyd said Friday that it was in the best interests of all involved. He would not name the volunteer or the settlement amount.

"It wasn't at all a settlement to make him be quiet or not tell his story," Boyd said. "Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance — certainly not hush money. I know what's what everyone will want to say because that's the most salacious thing to say, but that's not at all what it was."

Now keep in mind that the condition of the agreement by the church with the young man was that as originally specified by Rev Boyd:

Boyd said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly.

So you have one Reverend of the church who scolds the congregation about the evils of Gays and drugs while secretly partaking in both and initially lying about it, then you have the replacement Reverend lying openly and contradicting his own words about trying to cover-up a sexual event by the ousted Reverend with a very young male member of the church.

I won't even delve into the subject of Ted Haggard "resurrecting" himself. That's just a whole other diary. But isn't it time that the members of the New Life Church just admit that they belong to a church that is filled with moral hypocrisy, lies, cover-ups and indecency? Isn't it time they disolved that church? Isn't it time that churches stop railing against people that don't hold their ideas of family values when the leaders of their churches can't abide by what they preach? Isn't it time for Churches to get out of government?

This is why I rue the thought of organized religion.
Republican family values....indeed!