I guess it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that a Christian pastor thinks adultery matters, but what does surprise me is that the pastor's comments were published by ABC News.
Jake Tapper's "Political Punch" at ABC News features an excerpt from an interview with Rick Warren today, the pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and author of the best-selling The Purpose-Driven Life.
Warren, who is generally apolitical, but definitely more on the left side of the political spectrum than the right based on the causes he tends to pursue, is certainly on the same page as I am about interrelationship between marital fidelity and political credibility:
TAPPER: As a political observer and a Christian leader you must have had a personal response to the revelations about John Edwards’ personal life when he admitted he cheated on his wife. What do you think in a time like that? When you hear John Edwards tell Bob Woodruff that he’s right with his wife and he’s right with Jesus and he’s moved on, does that resonate with you or do you think, “That’s not enough, John?”
WARREN: You know, Jake there’s a difference is between forgiveness and trust. And I don’t think people understood this even as far back as, say, the Clinton scandals and things like that. The Bible teaches us that forgiveness must be instant and that we are to forgive people instantly when they sin because of three reasons: first, we’ve been forgiven by God; second, resentment makes you miserable; and third you’re going to need more forgiveness in the future.
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who’ve trespassed against us.” So forgiveness has to be immediate but trust has to be rebuilt. Forgiveness is by grace. Trust is by works. And so if a woman’s husband is beating her and he comes back to the door and says, “Will, you forgive me?” She has to forgive him. “Yes, I forgive you.” “Will you let me back into the house?” “No, that’s another matter.”
You have to earn that trust. All leadership is built on trust. It’s built on credibility. If you don’t have credibility, if you don’t have authenticity, if you don’t have trust, you’re not a leader even if you have the title. And the moment you lose the trust of the American public you’re no longer the leader. You may still have the title but you’re not it. It takes years to build trust and you can lose it instantly -- and it takes even longer to rebuild.
John Edwards and others like him have lost the trust of America because they lied, and fundamentally beneath every affair it’s dishonesty, its deceit, its deception. They’re lying to God. They’re lying to themselves. They’re lying to their wives and they’re lying to the public. How do you trust someone who’s constantly lying? You can’t. That’s why it is a myth to say their personal life doesn’t matter. It does matter -- all of leadership is built on credibility.
Warren also emphasizes that trust can be rebuilt over time, and I agree with that. What is wrong in public life these days, however, is Insta-Forgiveness and willful disregard of adultery on the assumption that a politician's dishonesty in his personal life has no relevance to his credibility in public. That is just foolish.
Related:
Rick (not Rich) nailed it on the head.
in general, people look for the easy way through life. The idea if having to earn anything repulses the immature adolescent to the core; trust not the least.
B. Hussein and John McCain will be at Rick's church tomorrow evening for a Q&A. coincidentally, that church is about 3 miles from my office and typically has a weekend attendance of around 30,000. My boss, who teaches a Sunday School class at Saddleback will be in attendance... no bone for Gawfer though.
Anyway, it should be an opportunity to hear some substantive answers to the issues that define the character of the man. The reason this is so important is because when the pressure comes (and it will), the character of the man is what sustains him. Weak character is an opportunity; no, an invitation for disaster.
Posted by: gawfer | August 15, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Gawfer, thanks for catching the typo (now fixed) and for your insightful thoughts.
Posted by: Gina Cobb | August 15, 2008 at 07:23 PM