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?

Until our church gets off the ground I’ve had to raise half of our financial support.  Unfortunately it hasn’t been quite enough.  So I began searching outside opportunities to make money.

One thing I’ve learned is that people lie.  Now I realize that comes as no surprise since the devil lied in the Garden of Eden.  Abraham lied as did Jacob and King David.  Look, I’ve lied.  But why do we do that?  

I applied for one place that would have been ideal for me.  The man said he would call me on the following Monday.  He didn’t call so I called him.  I called him everyday for a week before I got the hint. Why did he lie?  Just tell me the truth, I can handle it.

Now what I do is call on people who are twice confirmed before I drive out to see them.  I drove a long way to see this gentleman and was there on time.  When I arrived he wasn’t there and when I got him on the phone he said he never made the appointment.  Yet, when I called the office, they played me a tape recording of this man agreeing to meet with me.  

Why do we lie?  Wouldn’t it be easier just to say I can’t meet with you?  Wouldn’t be easier to tell people the painful truth rather than lie and make it worse later?  If you can’t trust someone’s word, what can you trust?

Ever since the Mitchell Report came out a few months ago we have seen numerous ways of responding to the charges made in the report.  The report claims that many baseball players have used illegal performance enhancing drugs improve their playing and make their career last longer.  

Most of those named in the report acknowledged that they did use the drugs.  Some apologized. Others have kept quiet.  But Roger Clemens has gone on the attack to clear his good name.  I want to believe Roger.  I was never a Red Sox, Blue Jay or Yankee fan but I admired the way he played the game.

When Roger was named in the Mitchell Report there were many people who said he should come out swinging.  And swinging he has.  He has gone on 60 Minutes, made a You Tube video, held press conferences and testified before Congress that he did not use performance enhancing drugs.  He came across to me as believable.  But here is the problem.  His best buddy Andy Pettitte who was named in the Mitchell report and was trained by Brian McNamee.  Pettitte admitted that he used HGH.  But Roger flatly denies that he has taken drugs or any performance enhancements.  So what is it?

Then Roger files an anti-defamation suit against Brian McNamee.  Now team McNamee are pulling out all of the stops.  They are saying that Roger Clemens had a long time affair with Mindy McCready, a country music singer who has had her own illegal drug problems.  Truth is stranger than fiction.  You couldn’t write a more juicy story in Hollywood.

Here is the problem for me.  If Roger had admitted he took the performance enhancements would this have just blown over?  What if he had just kept his mouth shut?  Instead he makes a big deal and I think it is making him look worse.

What does this mean for us?  I usually can tell when my kids get defensive about something, they probably are guilty. When they calmly deny something, they usually are telling the truth, but when they get vocal, they are “usually” guilty.  It is probably the same for me.  How many times to we angrily argue with the police when we get pulled over for speeding (hypothetically, of course)?  I’ve found myself getting defensive with my wife and my kids and usually it is when I’m wrong.  I’m ashamed to admit that but it is true.

So what do we do?  I think the Bible gives us the best advice.  We should share our sins with one another.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Had Roger just said, yes I took the HGH and steroids this story would have probably passed.

Sometimes it is best to keep our mouths shut.

Proverbs 18:2

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

Proverbs 10:10

He who winks maliciously causes grief,  and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

Proverbs 17:28

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Had Roger just kept quiet the rest of the junk about his personal life would probably stayed out of the news.  This whole incident is sad because he is married and has children who are probably hurting.  

What do you think? 

Proverbs 6:16-19

16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

 17 ………………….

 18 ………….

 19 a false witness who pours out lies (NIV)

Now to refresh why we are talking about these sins is because there are accusations (some are justified) that Christians only focus on a few sins. The truth is we shouldn’t dwell on any sins but our focus should be on Jesus. But for argument’s sake I thought we could look at The Big 7 that the Lord hates!

A false is a noun phrase from the Hebrew phrase “sheqer” which means lie, deception, disappointment, or falsehood.  Witness is from the noun “`ed” which means witness, testimony, evidence (of things) and(of people). Pours out is from the verb “puwach” which means to breathe, blast or blow.  From what I see the NIV didn’t translate this well.  Pours out is much different than breath or blow.  Lies comes from the noun “kazab” which means a lie, untruth, falsehood, and deceptive thing.

I think it is interesting that lying is mentioned twice in this list.  I guess it is talking about someone who just is deceptive.  I would think that gossip would fall into this sin because gossip is giving false testimony or falsehoods about people.  Think about it when a person gossips they are only giving one side of a story.  The person who is being gossiped about doesn’t get a chance to defend their character.  In my opinion this is the worst sin that affects the body of Christ.  Why would a non-believer want to become a follower of Jesus if His followers are constantly bearing false witness against each other.

What do you think?

[NC Buy]

- Five-time champion John “Johnny Liar” Graham, 69, has been crowned again the “world’s biggest liar” after claiming to have stumbled upon a German World War II submarine invading Whitehaven, the first town in Britain to switch from analogue to digital television.

The Germans wanted to capture digital television decoders, Graham claimed during the annual competition of tall tales held at the Bridge Inn in Britain’s Lake District national park.

He also told BBC radio “a true story” of how he caught a cod that was 2.7 meters long

Read about it here.

[From me]

Could you put this on a resume?  But then again, how could you believe him.  George O’Leary would be proud!