[BBC List] what scandal?

Tue Oct 3 10:46:59 EAST 2006

While I don’t want bbclist to ever promote those who compromise, er,
politicians, one’s view of man’s depravity  can be bolstered by the
following:

October 03, 2006 

Scandal? What Scandal?

By HYPERLINK
"http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/author/cal_thomas/"Cal Thomas

In the media accounts of Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley's
resignation from the House over allegations of sexually explicit e-mails
between himself and House pages, one frequently encounters the word
"disgraced" modifying Foley's name and "scandal" to describe his behavior.

These are moral words, created for the purpose of labeling aberrant (and
abhorrent) behavior. To show how far we have drifted from any sociological,
not to mention theological moorings, consider these definitions from
dictionary.com: "aberrant: departing from the right, normal, or usual
course"; abhorrent: "causing repugnance; detestable; loathsome."

Right? Normal? Detestable? People who mock such notions ask, "According to
whom?" Public schools, popular culture and editorialists at major newspapers
have hammered into us this aversion to trans-generational morality. They
proclaim that one person's concept and definition of "right" is as valid as
another person's and to assert that there is only one right, one normal and
one course is to be "judgmental" or "bigoted," attitudes modernity considers
a worse "sin" than the behavior that used to be called sinful.

Our sophisticated age demands we not recoil at aberrant behavior, or call it
abhorrent. The anti-moral wrecking ball has caused enough damage to our
foundations that what remains of a structure is no longer recognizable. NBC
edits positive references to God before broadcasting "Veggie Tales," but
refuses to edit Madonna's blasphemous depiction of herself on a cross. These
decisions are made by the network's "standards and practices" office, which
mocks the words because clearly there remain few standards to which
practices may be conformed.

Behavior once thought shameful is now paraded openly and promoted proudly to
sell books. Former New Jersey Democratic Governor James McGreevey tours the
talk show circuit. His presence dares anyone to question the legitimacy of
his dumping two wives and having sex with men. He apologizes for his
extramarital sexual relations and for putting people on the state payroll
that didn't belong there, but he has no intention of changing his behavior.

Bill Clinton has recovered from sex with an intern in the White House and
impeachment. He doesn't suffer for having practiced aberrant behavior. Few
see him as having disgraced himself. Clinton takes in six figures on the
lecture circuit and enjoys rock star status wherever he goes.

Former Congressman Gerry Studds (D-MA) may have started this decline (or did
he merely reflect declining morality?). Studds had an affair in the early
'70s with a 17-year-old male page. Studds was censured by the House in 1983,
but famously turned his back to the Speaker in an act of disrespect and
rejection of the judgment by his colleagues. He refused to resign and was
re-elected to several more terms. A homosexual organization donated $10,000
to his campaign.

Rep. Daniel B. Crane, (R-Ill) had an affair more than two decades ago with a
17-year-old female page. After apologizing, he said he hadn't violated his
oath of office, hoped his wife and children would forgive him and announced
plans to run for re-election.

We all have what theologians call a "fallen" nature and no one should judge
himself (or herself) morally superior to others. But that does not mean the
standard for "right" behavior should be eliminated simply because many
appear unwilling to conform to that standard.

In his classic, "The Abolition of Man," C.S. Lewis observed three
generations ago that we are engaged in a type of tragic-comedy: "we continue
to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible... In a sort
of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make
men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at
honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid
the geldings be fruitful."

Scandal? Disgrace? I think not. Foley and others could only be so labeled if
popular culture condemned, rather than promoted, immorality. Oh, sorry,
there I go again, appealing to a discarded standard.

We do laugh at honor and as a result we do find traitors in our midst. We
also mock conventions and then are surprised when some take us seriously and
respond as if there are none. Congressman Foley can look forward to talk
show fame and a lucrative book deal. Welcome to America, 2006!

Charis, 

Mike Abendroth 

'God rides forth conquering in the chariot of His Gospel. . . He conquers
the pride of the heart, and makes the will which stood out as a Fort Royal
against Him, to yield and stoop to His grace; He makes the stony heart
bleed. Oh! it is a mighty call! Why then do some men seem to speak of a
moral persuasion? That God in the conversion of a sinner only morally
persuades and no more? If God in conversion should only morally persuade and
no more, then He does not put forth so much power in saving men as the Devil
does in destroying them.'   Thomas Watson

HYPERLINK "http://www.bbcchurch.org"www.bbcchurch.org 

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