Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Washington Post]

Susan Wise Bauer’s new book, “The Art of the Public Grovel,” traces the growing influence of public confession in America, touching on the roles of the Puritans, televangelists, group therapy and, of course, Oprah Winfrey. Bauer, who teaches American literature at the College of William & Mary, dissects the personal scandals of political figures such as Ted Kennedy,David Vitter and . . . Grover Cleveland?!

Here is what Ms. Bauer says about her book:

In the late 1980s, I was actually a student at Liberty University, which was Jerry Falwell’s university, when Jim Bakker went through his huge public confession — well, he didn’t actually confess, but he was exposed. . . . He said he was a victim of evil forces.

It has fascinated me ever since: Why is it that some public figures are eventually willing to come out and say, “Yes, I sinned — this is what I did” and . . . actually survive afterwards? And why is it that some public figures are unwilling to do this — or do it in a way that makes their situation worse?

Read more here.

[From me]

Sounds like an interesting book. I’ve always wondered why people continue to lie.  Very few people are able to get away with it. It almost always comes back and bites people in the rear.  Americans are usually pretty forgiving people if you are upfront but when you come across as a lying scoundrel–that is another story. 

How about you?  Are you willing to forgive someone who comes clean?  How about someone who lies and gets caught?

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