Monopoly on Contrition
From the department of there-ain’t-no-atheists-in-foxholes, these observations on forgiveness. Let’s start with how the Catholic church is so ready to forgive. Especially their priests for raping children – my god, 200 deaf boys in one parish – and the top management who let it happen, at least for decades. They also allow their customers to stop by the confessional and admit their transgressions, most of which are repeats and unlikely to cease.
The punishment is rarely enough to deter the sinners. That’s why confession is such a busy practice. If you’ve been bad all your life and then at the last moment decide to double-down, you can repent on your death bed and in the vast majority of cases be absolved for everything wrong you did, meaning your whole life. Who knows if that works?
Skipping blithely out of the church, we find a similar system in public life, and mostly the results are the same. They hold a tearful news conference, sometimes the wife by their side. Or maybe their publicist – everyone should have one – announces solemnly that her widely-beloved client has checked herself into a pricey rehab facility. They rarely mention that this is the umpeenth check-in.
The statements these people make are so familiar there must be a website where the stuff is produced like a Mad Lib or Sister Woowoo’s Tarot readings. Here’s one that makes the point. "I regret to say that last night I was involved in a very serious and irresponsible incident." That’s from a DUI’d official who said he would get himself to the alcoholics nunnery and "recommit myself to my family and work."
Puh-leeze. This stuff is so trite – I’m quitting my job to be able to spend more time with my family – that it has lost all meaning. The apologies don’t seem real, and yet most of the spouters all get to pass Go without going to Jail.
©2010 SetonnoteS
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