Casting Stones: Sex, Politics & Religion

I’ve honestly tried not to beat up on Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) too much for multiple reasons. I’m honestly trying not to point out the hypocrisy of many who bought into the deceitful marriage of religion and politics that was consummated by the Republican Party for political gain. There’s nothing wrong with being religious and political, but they do not belong together.

I’ve said before that one political party doesn’t have a lock on morality regardless how they may want you to believe they do. The fact is that the Republican Party has actively used religion to influence political debate for electoral gain for years. This has contributed to the already divided Christian church even more so than it already was.

Now I’m sure I’ve already upset someone by even mentioning the Republican Party. I’m sure someone will find something to disagree with me before hearing me out. It will be a difficult argument to make that the Republican Party has not manipulated a segment of the Christian church for political purposes, but as I said before it is not exclusively one party. The Democrats hands are just as unclean as the Republicans. Just as the Republican Party has influenced more White Conservative Christians, the Democratic Party has influenced more Black Moderate & Liberal Christians. Come crunch time you can bet some Republican will have the opportunity to speak at First Baptist and some Democrat will have the opportunity to speak at Mt. Zion. Someone, please tell me it isn’t so.

The issue is that we’ve bought into it. That’s why they continue to do it.

The reason why I say all of this is for the purpose of stating that too often we confused God & Government. (Hmm, that sounds familiar) I’m not saying that a person who is a politician can not or should not be influenced by their personal religious beliefs, nor am I suggesting that religion has no place. It’s the perversion of it that raises the question of its emphasis.

Mark Sanford is not the first and will not be the last politician to get caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing. The whole thing with these men and women who are caught in sex-related scandals in any industry or profession whether they are a politician, preacher or physician it often comes down to power.

Mark Sanford deserves some criticism, because he was so vocal against Bill Clinton like many Republicans. So perhaps he should have considered the other person before criticizing them. (Hmm, that sounds familiar too.) Now the whole ‘Family Values’ argument utilized by people such as Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) and Mark Sanford to beat Democrats who were got caught up over the head in order to drum up votes sounds a little off-beat today in the light of the hypocrisy. Yes, Democrats have John Edwards and Elliott Spitzer and who can forget Bill Clinton, but you didn’t hear them claiming to be in the party of Jesus either.

I decided awhile ago to leave these manners alone as much as possible, because it could be me. Especially if a certain former supermodel/talk show host becomes interested in me. Y’all can say what ever the Hell y’all want to say, I’m not passing that opportunity up. Whatever, Yes I did it.

Seriously, I’m honestly not too upset with Mark Sanford. Which is a little surprising, because politically I generally oppose Mark Sanford. Politically he could have done handled this better. Plus the hypocrisy of it all is interesting. Besides the political nature of this story I empathize with him as I have with John Edwards. People change and relationships can change. It doesn’t make him a bad man. It’ doesn’t make him a bad Christian. It makes him human.

When the people who are casting stones were to reveal their skeletons will they still cast that stone they’re casting at someone else?