Public Infidelity

The slaying of New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, past President Bill Clinton, and past Senator John Edwards in the watchful eye of the media was an infringement of their civil liberties. While what should be private personal infidelities are not worthy of public applause, they should not have been used to slander the political careers of these men. Public servants are elected by the people to serve America. Should the term “role model” be applied to them? Is it required a public servant set an example for America with his personal behavior, or is a qualification needed? Is it not possible to make altruistic decisions for America without living the life of Jesus? Jesus was the Son of God. It would be difficult for any mortal man to model the behavior of Jesus, but that is the role of spirituality and religion. God recognizes the fallibility of man, and that was represented by Eve succumbing to the temptation of the snake in the Garden of Eden. Religion and spirituality are meant to be tools used to find moral and ethical strength in the midst of evil temptation. It is interesting the function of religion in America has been skewed in the media, and it almost is inescapable to not think evil plays a role in this erroneous depiction. God loves man and the world, and His intention always has been to care for man. He never has wanted to be enemies with man. Only Satan could set such an example that has crept into American consciousness through the media. Today more than ever it should be crystal clear that evil exists, and it always has. Being aware of evil is a majority of the fight against it. Disguising evil as good is a clever ploy being used in American politics, but the American people are becoming wise. It took the disintegration of our economy and our homes to drive the point home. God expects man to sin, but what He expects through spirituality is for man to be repentant. Man with the conscience God gave him is accountable for his own ethical and moral actions. The separation of church and state allows man to fail in his spiritual life but succeed in his professional life, although it may seem disparate. It could be likely spiritual judgment may effect logic, but it is not a postulate. Philosophy could provide the key to unlocking this complex concept. Human beings vary greatly in nature, and it easily can be recognized men function in differing ways. Some rely on emotion and instinct to make decisions. Other rely on cognitive knowledge or logic. Therefore it is possible a public servant could be effective serving America while being an infidel. Because America is so young, these distinctions have not been common in the history of public service. While America attempts to grow it would be wise to begin to recognize these patterns of behavior. They are well represented in European history and art. It could be said some art uses personal infidelity as its source material, because the well is so deep. Discovering these nuances of human behavior will serve America and make her more able to fend off retaliatory blows from other more forgiving cultures. A quick survey of foreign cultures would bring indispensable knowledge into American philosophy.