I try to be non-political on this blog, but I could not help but notice the recent scandals that are occurring for several Republicans. Now, do not 
get me wrong here. The Democrats have had theirs too (Bill Clinton). Maureen Down from the New York Times wrote a scathing piece about Christian/conservative Republicans. In her article entitled, “Pharisees on the Potomac” she points out that the party of morality has hardly been moral. The hypocrisy of some in the Republication party, she feels, has been obvious, but no one is making waves about it. She points out:
Who can forget the glory years, when the Gipper invoked God but never went to church?…When Newt Gingrich and other conservatives indulged in affairs with young Washington peaches as they pushed to impeach Bill Clinton?
There has always been a push by some Christians to articulate their undying support of the Republican party, but if those Christians dug deeper they will find some embarrassing facts. Down continues the article by mentioning the Christian “C Street house“, where Christian law makers go for support during tough spiritual times:
The religious boardinghouse in Washington where Sanford sought succor from fellow conservatives, where he agonized to pals about his tango with the enticing María, is also back in the news. Affiliated with a secretive Capitol Hill group known as the Fellowship — which also sponsored Bible study and prayer circles attended by Hillary Clinton when she was a senator — the pious dwelling is becoming a tourist attraction, a monument to Republican hypocrisy.
John Ensign, the Promise Keeper who broke all his promises, resides there. As The Washington Post reported, Senator Tom Coburn, who lives there, had an emotional meeting about forgiveness at the house with Doug Hampton, the husband of Ensign’s mistress… Coburn says he would not talk to a court or the Senate ethics committee about the episode because he was counseling Ensign partly as a doctor. (Coburn is an ob-gyn.)
I am all for grace, forgiveness, and acceptance, but it is clear that several conservative law makers and politicians have been very vocal about other politicians lacking morality, but those pointing the fingers are no moralists. As a Christian politician or even Christians who support a particular party, must be very mindful how they attack others base on their own immoral actions. Christians who show their own dying support of a candidate or party, even though there are obvious moral issues, must be careful how they affiliate themselves. Jesus said, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)
Christians must be cautious when they cry afoul over public figure’s moral failing. Conversative Christians have long been staunch supporters of Republican values and try to translate them into “Christian Values”. Christians should take a hard look at the party they support and realize what is going on. As a registered independent, I am not happy with either party sometimes, but I realize we do not have a perfect system. There is nothing wrong with embracing a fallen politician and offering grace, but proclaiming foul against another political party when your own is far from laudable is obviously duplicitous.
Read this for for a blog post on why Republicans are hit harder by scandal than Democratic.
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