Righteous Wrongs

The recent resignation of Florida GOP Congressman Foley for sending sexually suggestive communications to minors is an embarrassment to Republicans. The “party of values” turns out to have no corner on the virtue market at all. Indeed, this seedy episode adds yet another chapter to the growing epic of Republican ethics scandals, proving the age-old adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Along the same lines, PBS is running an extraordinary documentary by renowned journalist Bill Moyers on the lobbying scandals affecting Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Grover Nordquist, Ralph Reed, and others.

The show details just how morally bankrupt, arrogant, deceptive and greedy this gang of suited thugs were. It’s an object lesson in how our system of government can be corrupted by people who use religious rhetoric to manipulate and control others.

Both the Foley Fiasco and the Abramoff/DeLay Debacle demonstrate a sound principle of human conduct:

The more emphatically pious, religious, faithful and moral a person or party claims to be, the more likely they are to be hiding dysfunction, intolerance, bigotry, greed, anger, insecurity, confusion, repression, hypocrisy and/or sleaze.

When a person or party screams “WE ARE THE MOST VIRTUOUS,” they are almost certainly not.

Remember the infamous homophobia study? The most avowed gay-hating test subjects were the ones most aroused by homosexual images! It’s the same principle.

Extreme or absolute rhetoric, whether religious or cultural or otherwise, has been used to manipulate people through the ages. And our current crop of “Christian Right” politicians have done a great job recently of revealing who they really are. Neither Christian nor right.

- JT Compton