E.J. Dionne, in his latest column in the Washington Post, voiced his disappointment in Indiana Congressman Mark Souder, who resigned from Congress after an affair with a staffer, but his message speaks to the situation in South Carolina also: moral failings have nothing to do with ideology. Liberal or conservative, human beings mess up from time to time. Forgiveness and redemption are two things every one of us will be in need of at one time or another in our lives.
“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” It’s a scriptural passage that no doubt appeals to Mark Souder. But it would be lovely if conservative Christians remembered Jesus’ words not only when needing a lifeline but also when they are tempted to give speeches or send out mailers excoriating their political foes as permissive anti-family libertines. How many more scandals will it take for people who call themselves Christian to rediscover the virtues of humility and solidarity?
Dionne’s question remains an excellent one that everyone — right, left, or center — should ponder.
