This past week, conservative Republican, Mark Souder resigned when the affair with his staff member became public. He becomes the most recent tragedy in the story of the Religious Right and the crusade for family values. The situation is ironic, because Souder was someone who fought against sex education in favor of abstinence only education, anti gay rights, and a type of “moral police.” Last week, George Rekers, who helped start the Family Research Council, which has been very anti-gay (in regards to civil rights for homosexuals), was found with a young male prostitute he had met over the internet. Of course, a couple of years ago, there was the famous case of Ted Haggard, who also was one who crusaded for moral values, and then was found to have been with a male prostitute with whom he used crystal meth. Another example could be Newt Gingrich, who was having an affair on his wife while railing against and seeking impeachment of Bill Clinton.
What do all these stories have in common? These were all men who were very judgmental and ended up doing the exact thing they were so proudly and vehemently condemning. What causes this? I suppose this is something that is still a mystery. However, I think there a couple possible explanations.
The first could always be that they are using their judgmental moral language to hide something about themselves. As Shakespeare so famously stated, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” We tend to hate and fight against the thing we most dislike within ourselves. Instead of being honest with ourselves, we as humans have a tendency to lash out at others who share the same characteristics.
However, I don’t think that all these actions were simply a result of a defense mechanism. In some strange way, we seemed to be drawn at times to the things we fight against the strongest. Some people call it the idea of attraction, what you think about and focus on you will bring to yourself-whether that is positive or negative. Perhaps, what we choose to focus on in others, good or bad, becomes what is seen in us. For example, If we focus on the anger and hate in others, perhaps we become angry and hateful inside. If we focus on the good of others, we become a little more whole.
Finally, there are the words of wisdom from Jesus, who stated, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” I have always been somewhat confused for what this means. Though there are many different layers to this verse, I think one could mean-by the sins from which you judge others you too will be judged. In some way, we are attracted more and more to what we condemn in others.
Having said this, I want to make sure that I do not put myself on a pedestal above any of these men. The same pride that brought them down, can easily bring my heart down as well. Perhaps, if we want to end the vicious circle of judging and being judged, we should learn to let go of our anger that is caused by the hypocrisy and seek a way to find love and compassion for all-even the hypocrites among us. Because in the end,we all possess a little of this vice as well.
