Setting Standards
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is on television apologizing for having had an extramarital affair. Like some others who have “fallen” in the public eye, he trotted out God during his press conference. Just as I was about to dismiss him for cloaking such a down-and-dirty deed with such upright language, he stopped himself and said he knew he had also hurt people of faith. He had already been through a list of folks he had let down: his wife and kids, his staff, the people of South Carolina. And then Governor Sanford added that he had long been a person of faith, and he knew people would ask how a Christian could do something like this, cheat on his wife.
Christians make mistakes just like people of other faiths do, just like non-religious folks do. In some ways—the human ones—we are not so different one from another. I do think we often hold people of faith to a higher standard. I understand why we do this, but I’m not sure it’s fair. Or is it? If people profess to follow one set of tenets, and we find out they have violated those principles in a flagrant way, do we have the right to be disappointed in others? In ourselves?
Toward the end of the press conference, Governor Sanford said, “What I did was wrong, end of story” (C-SPAN 2, 6/24/09). Which brings up another question. What about forgiveness?
Comments
I feel for Sanford. What a dope. He had everything going for him, and he deliberately, consciously, step by step, did "that thing" ... made "that choice" ... the one that changes - at its very core - the partner connection. He has singlehandedly and forever altered the melody to which his family dances. It is now in a minor key.
His wife gave a profound statement today, strong and clear. She is a woman who is no fool, but her pain is obvious; fresh and deep.
And the whole thing about Christians is that the scornful among us use it as a bat to beat up Christians when they show up human. We're all humans. We all fail, have feet of clay. But those who claim to "stand for something greater" and who "stand out above the rest" had better either walk their talk with every step, or start packing for a move from the glass house they're in. Because sooner or later the rocks will fly.
Bless her, bless the children, and bless him ... in all his utter humanity.
CeceD
I hate this story. Such a tragedy. He's not just a dope....he's a jerk....big time.
My problem is not with Christians or other religions or religious people. My problem is politicians who use their supposed "faith" as a weapon, who cudgel those who dont' believe precisely as they do, who enforce religious intolerance and even at times, hatred, who insist that *their* narrowly-and-precisely-defined God has a place in the center of government (but mine and many others do not), who profess "family values" while making shady financial deals, getting in bed with lobbyists who are wrecking the planet, and other shenanigans.
I think it would be easier to not hold "people of faith" to a different standard, if they did not seem to do so, themselves. Politicians, especially, make it a conscious political ploy to use code-speak and posturing in an effort to prove themselves superior, to have "moral values", and so forth. As long as they themselves invoke a special superior status based on what they present as "faith" - then absolutely, I think we should hold them to the same different standard that they proclaim. I put "faith" in quotes, only because in the case of politicians, especially, I believe "faith" is often nothing more than a charade, designed to garner votes and financial support. There are some politicians who claim "faith" as one of their "values" - but their voting record and their actions often seem to indicate an opposite, more self-serving or self-glorifying creed. (And I guess that's a whole nother can of worms - what is "faith" anyway, and how would/should it be expressed or manifest in public or political life?)
I have less of a problem with what SC's governor did (although it is reprehensible) - the greater issue here is how he abdicated his responsibility as governor for an extra-marital fling. I believe even politicians can be forgiven for their "humaness" - and it is no wonder that perhaps the stresses of their job may make them more frail or susceptible to delusions of invincibiilty, power-as-secrecy, power-as-sexual-prowess - but to abdicate their civic responsibility in such a flagrant way is, IMO, unforgivable. That, for me, is the real reason he should step down or be impeached. If he had "just" been meeting someone after work in a hotel in Charleston - yes, that's horrible and unforgivable from a marital point of view - but if somehow he still managed to govern effectively, as an outsider (and not his wife) I could cut him a little slack. I can think of more than one politician on both sides of the political spectrum who has been caught with his pants down - but in most cases, it seems to have been a moral lapse and a personal matter - not political.
I do think it nearly equally reprehensible that the media pounces on such things and trots out the dirty, disgusting laundry, for all to see. I guess that's just the world we live in. Marital infidelity between a couple I do not know personally, and have no knowledge of, does not need to be brought into my home on the evening news. That's between Him and Her. But the poor judgment shown by simply "disappearing" proves to me that he is incapable of governing effectively, that he places satisfaction of his personal whims above service to his state, and in fact, undoubtedly violates not just the vows he shared with his wife, but the oath (sworn on a Bible, no doubt) he took when he assumed the office of governor.
Wow, I love women who speak their minds! Thank you for reading, and for commenting. I've heard a bit of what Mrs. Sanford has to say, and she strikes me as a woman who is no wilting lily. Several of the "pundits" on television talk shows this morning mentioned that Governor Sanford was quick to speak out against Bill Clinton when his affair with Monica Lewinsky became public. Hmm. Cast the first stone, anyone?
ALW
Wow. This really made me think because I was definitely ready to cast the first stone. Not because he is a man of faith, but because his actions went against what he had continually and repeatedly pronounced as wrong. And he did hurt a lot of people. And because I wish the people in power would hold themselves to a higher standard. The whole thing is just disappointing in a lot of ways. I think forgiving him as a person might be one thing while forgiving him as governor might be another . . .
Jossle - Thanks for hitting it on the head. You said in so few words what took me far too many paragraphs. Yes. Forgiveness as a man is different than forgiveness as a governor/public official.
Brave of you to post this topic, to start, Spirit. You kinda can't get much more controversial than mixing sex, religion and politics! Whee!