Moral Standards

Falling from grace is what some would call it, while others may announce their difficulties as back-sliding. In the Biblical Book of Romans, scripture declares that we all fall short of the glory of God. Carrie Prejean, the Christian Miss USA contestant that was willing to proclaim marriage is between a man and a woman after Perez Hilton asked her opinion on the matter, also posed for photographs that were, well, less than Christian. Bristol Palin, the daughter of Sarah Palin, is pregnant and unwed - after being taught abstinence by her parents. Prominent Christians like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and Ted Haggard have found themselves the center of media attention for sex and money scandals. And when these things happen, the segment of the media hoping for such falls from grace, shifts into high gear to expose it - which is the only gear they know, I fear.

As far as those that find enjoyment in these examples of back-slides are concerned, all of these Christians are hypocrites - - and the accusers are not.

None of these people with moral standards ever claimed to be perfect. In fact, we are a flawed species. I am in no way condoning irresponsible behavior. What these people did was wrong, and they are paying the consequences for their actions. I am, however, simply pointing out that whenever these folks who claim they have God-given moral standards allow their flaws to be proof of their imperfections, the people criticizing them act as if they are somehow superior to the fallen.

Without standards, how can you be flawed?

The fact that Christians, human beings that are just as flawed as non-Christians, continue to try to maintain their standards, is a part of what makes them commendable humans. Being imperfect members of the human race, we are destined to fail every once in a while, no matter how stringent our standards are.

Hypocrisy, sometimes is a strong word to use. I don't support hypocrisy, but I suppose we are all hypocrites to some degree many times during our lives. But what is worse than hypocrites are those out there that are just plain wretches. The dirt balls that never had standards in the first place, therefore can claim they have never violated any standards, are the worst because they are wretched on a constant basis, and nobody calls them on it because they have no standards to violate in the first place.

The press never writes about the failings of the wretched. They would rather focus on people who claim to have standards, and like all humans, occasionally fail.

I would rather be a person with proclaimed standards that spends my life trying to live by those standards, and occasionally failing because I am human. Then, after the failure, brushing myself off, learning from the mistake, repenting from the bad behavior, and then continuing on along my journey to reach my standards (in my case given to me by God), even though I will probably fail again at one point or another. I would rather be that person that tries, than the scum that won't even admit (or realize) that they are scum in the first place.

At least, if someone has standards, they have something to aspire to.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

By Douglas V. Gibbs