In the media accounts of Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley's
resignation from the House over allegations of sexually explicit e-mails
between himself and House pages, one frequently encounters the word
"disgraced" modifying Foley's name and "scandal" to describe his behavior.
These are moral words, created for the purpose of labeling aberrant (and
abhorrent) behavior. To show how far we have drifted from any sociological,
not to mention theological moorings, consider these definitions from
dictionary.com: "aberrant: departing from the right, normal, or usual
course"; abhorrent: "causing repugnance; detestable; loathsome."
Right? Normal? Detestable? People who mock such notions ask, "According to
whom?" Public schools, popular culture and editorialists at major newspapers
have hammered into us this aversion to trans-generational morality. They
proclaim that one person's concept and definition of "right" is as valid as
another person's and to assert that there is only one right, one normal and
one course is to be "judgmental" or "bigoted," attitudes modernity considers
a worse "sin" than the behavior that used to be called sinful.
Our sophisticated age demands we not recoil at aberrant behavior, or call it
abhorrent. The anti-moral wrecking ball has caused enough damage to our
foundations that what remains of a structure is no longer recognizable. NBC
edits positive references to God before broadcasting "Veggie Tales," but
refuses to edit Madonna's blasphemous depiction of herself on a cross. These
decisions are made by the network's "standards and practices" office, which
mocks the words because clearly there remain few standards to which
practices may be conformed.
Behavior once thought shameful is now paraded openly and promoted proudly to
sell books. Former New Jersey Democratic Governor James McGreevey tours the
talk show circuit. His presence dares anyone to question the legitimacy of
his dumping two wives and having sex with men. He apologizes for his
extramarital sexual relations and for putting people on the state payroll
that didn't belong there, but he has no intention of changing his behavior.
Bill Clinton has recovered from sex with an intern in the White House and
impeachment. He doesn't suffer for having practiced aberrant behavior. Few
see him as having disgraced himself. Clinton takes in six figures on the
lecture circuit and enjoys rock star status wherever he goes.
Former Congressman Gerry Studds (D-MA) may have started this decline (or did
he merely reflect declining morality?). Studds had an affair in the early
'80s with a 17-year-old male page. Studds was censured by the House, but
famously turned his back to the Speaker in an act of disrespect and
rejection of the judgment by his colleagues. He refused to resign and was
re-elected to several more terms. A homosexual organization donated $10,000
to his campaign.
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