‘Family values’ US Republican Governor admits to an affair.
One of the leading lights of the US Republican Party, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, has admitted to an affair and thus ended his hopes of running for the White House in 2012. from abc.net.au/news (story also at Miami Herald)
The Governor told his staff he was going to walk the Appalachian Trail to clear his head. Far from being in his hiking boots, Governor Sanford was with his mistress in Buenos Aires.
Whilst having an affair is bad enough (Despite what some people think it’s never just about you and your partner. An affair can affect everyone around you; the lies and deception to your partner, family, friends and colleagues will effect the way everyone thinks of you) it’s made worse, in my opinion, if you make yourself out to be ‘better’ than most people because you follow ‘God’s laws’.
During his press speech Sanford had this to say:
“I’ve let down a lot of people. That’s the bottom line. But I’m here because if you were to look at God’s laws, they’re in every instance designed to protect people from themselves.
“I think that that is the bottom line of God’s law. That it’s not a moral, rigid list of dos and don’ts just for the heck of dos and don’ts; it is indeed to protect us from ourselves.
Apart from the fact that I have many concerns with ‘Gods’ so-called laws (see FAQ 1.) if you are going to profess to following them, and in Sanford’s case quite likely make political decisions based on them, then you better make sure you don’t break any of them. Whilst everyone may at some stage in their life commit some sort of crime, unethical or immoral act; the difference I see, between non-religious people and religious people, is that the non-religious people don’t profess to be ‘holier than thou’ like religious people do.
More to the point why be so hypocritical and run a political platform based on Bible based ‘family values’ when you can’t keep your dick in your pants?
25 June 2009 at 6:15 pm
Because it’s politics, and you tell the people what they want to hear to get yourself elected. And you might not get caught with you dick out of your pants. After all, people rarely set out to get caught, in flagrante delicto or otherwise.
25 June 2009 at 6:57 pm
You are absolutely right. Sanford’s actions certainly made all Christians look bad. It is unfortunate that many of us have come off as “holier than thou.” Maybe if we did a better job of representing ourselves, people would cut us some slack when we make a mistake.
26 June 2009 at 3:17 am
Don’t all politicians do that?
I’m just saying….They don’t have good track records of keeping their dicks in their pants. Seems to me they like to screw everything up, at least here….
8 September 2009 at 10:37 am
I must say I gloated when I heard the Sanford story, I have family in South Carolina, so they also had a good laugh at the hypocrisy of this guy. He’s one of the “Promise Keepers” another bizarre religious outfit who obviously adhere to the do as I say not as I do philosophy, if anyone missed it, his explanation after getting caught is well worth a look it’s hilarious, just an incomprehensible ramble about gods law etc etc nothing about being in Buenos Airies shagging himself silly while on the state payroll!