Religious Right in God's Seat

Dimension: Religion

The last I recall from my Catholic elementary school religion classes is that in the final analysis when I die it will just be me and God reviewing my life and tallying up the score. No other person or institution will be present or in on the conversation. After I die I imagine myself kneeling before God during my orientation to the after life. She is very close to me--there is no space between us. She, who is love, showers me with love (herself) and then I know I am in heaven.

So, I am pretty confused about how religion and moral judgment on personal matters are even a part of the political discussion on Governor Sanford's affair. Sure it is great soap opera material having a governor go AWOL for days--being compelled to be with his Argentinian lover (that is some magnetism), but we are getting entirely too much information about his affair and way too much judgment about it for my taste. If he lied and was unfaithful to the people of South Carolina or if there is behavioral evidence for the effect on this affair on his ability to govern, then they should vote him out. If he lied and was unfaithful to his wife then she gets to cast her vote if he is in or out of her life. In my mind, these are two separate issues. I know having an affair speaks to character but character is the result of so much more than one set of behaviors. I am not saying that affairs are okay or even private matters because affairs do have a ripple effect. My point is that we need a more robust and substantive criteria for defining character. The last I checked, no one is perfect.

Call me minding my own values and not sitting in the judgment seat of God but I am counting on God to tally up the entire score card for me--She and no one else.