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Wednesday, 18 October 2006 11:32 |
 | | Roland Martin |
CHICAGO ÇƒÓ If a Democratic member of Congress, who later admitted to being gay, resigned his post because he sent sexually explicit instant messages to teenage boys who worked on Capitol Hill, I would expect the firebrands on the religious right to come out in full force.
Yet when Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley resigned once the messages were made public, all was quiet on the religious right front.
So when did being a moral leader only apply to the indiscretions of one party?
The Foley scandal began on Sept. 29, yet it took four days for James Dobsonës Focus on the Family to say anything about it. But the press release really wasnët about Foley; it was really a call to protect the seat of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who has come under intense scrutiny for his failure to investigate Foley much sooner.
I
remember being inundated with e-mails from Concerned Women for America
blasting Democrats for blocking Christian judges, yet why werenët they
advocating Jesus-like values of Foley? An online column by Jan LaRue,
the groupës chief counsel, attacked Democrats. In fact, the headline
said it all: "Political Potshots Predominant in Foley Sex Scandal."
The American
Family Association, which is about "promoting traditional family
values," didnët have one organizational press release on its Web site
remarking about the Foley issue. I suppose they arenët interested in
protecting teenagers who work in the halls of Congress from a man
lusting after American children.
Former
Congressman Tony Perkins, who now heads the Family Research Council,
finally opened his mouth on the issue, but spent more time slamming
homosexuals rather than the weak leadership shown by his former House
leadership.
I did a Google news search and found not one comment from the Rev. Jerry Falwell on this issue.
The Rev. Pat
Robertson? MediaMattters.org quoted him saying on the Oct. 5 edition of
" The 700 Club" on his Christian Broadcasting Network: "The news is the
Republicans have formed a circular firing squad, and theyëre firing
away. Itës just insane, this atavistic spirit to find blame just before
an election. Theyëd be better to say, ǃÚWell, this manës gay, he does
what gay people do, and so donët worry about it.ë I donët know what
else to do. Or they can say, ǃÚWe abhor this kind of conduct, but itës
one person.ë And certainly, the Christian people ÇƒÓ the church people ǃÓ
understand forgiveness, they understand sin, and this isnët going to,
quote, turn off a lot of voters because of that. But the more they make
out of it and the more they begin to have recriminations, the worse
itës going to be for them, it seems like to me. But anyhow, I donët run
the congressional leadership in Washington. They have their own agenda."
Boy, talk about a weak statement!
Why am I
incensed by this? Because these organizations claim to be focused on
the morality of America, but they are clearly nothing more than
idealogues who are more interested in providing cover to Republicans
rather than speaking truth to power ÇƒÓ no matter who is in control.
The biblical
basis for this are figures such as Nathan and Samuel. While David slept
with Bathsheba, her husband, Uriah the Hittite, sent to the frontlines
during a battle, was killed. It was the prophet Nathan who told King
David that he was wrong for his actions and would pay dearly for them.
When King Saul lost his mind, it was the prophet Samuel who stood up to him and told him about his wicked ways.
This is the
action moral leaders are supposed to take. They arenët about walking
softly when a Republican screws up and his party tries to suppress the
issue. They go after them the same way they did President Bill
Clintonës moral indiscretion.
I was offended
by the Concerned Women for America standing up for "Christian judges"
when all they were doing was demanding Republican Christian judges.
They didnët give a flip about the Christian judges appointed by Clinton.
Many people like
myself are tired of individuals using God for partisan purposes. If
people are faith are really concerned about values, then we should
speak up when itës necessary and not politically convenient.
ï
Roland S. Martin, editor of The Chicago Defender newspaper, is author of "Speak, Brother! A Black Manës View of America."
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