Whether or not Herschel Walker, candidate for the Georgia Senate seat and staunch opponent of abortion, actually funded an abortion may not matter that much. For all that it looks like hypocrisy, there’s at least one report that a church of evangelicals gave Walker a standing ovation in the wake of the report.
And that leads to a subject I’ve mentioned before, that of redemption. In my view, it’s one of the great favorite themes of Americans, and justly so, as it indicates a faith in humanity’s ability to recognize mistakes, to change one’s beliefs and one’s actions as a consequence of that recognition. To improve one’s moral clarity, and the harmony between belief and action, is always worthy of admiration.
But redemption requires more than a simple assertion. I would remind the earnest students of the evangelical tradition that redemption is traditionally accompanied by moral progress on more than one front, as well as an expression of remorse.
Has Mr. Walker achieved that?
By all reports, he has not. His mendacity concerning law enforcement has continued, along with his activities in the private sector.
I suggest that, regardless of his abortion beliefs vs his actions, his overall behavior pattern, and the gibberish he often spouts on issues of governance, disqualifies him from the position to which he aspires.
Applause for correcting a moral position, even one I don’t agree with, is fine. Rewarding him, despite his other moral failings, and a long history of family failings, in the absence of any demonstrated genius, or even competence, in the arena of governance, is quite another.
Beware assuming the enemy of your enemies is your friend. Folks, we’re all Americans here, and we should be selecting those best qualified, not the worst in a fit of misplaced anger and hatred. The election of Walker would merely demonstrate the moral degradation of American politics today.
