Integrity Matters In Private Life and In Public Leadership

By Norman Frankin

There are times when compromise is good, particularly when it leads to something greater; for example peace between Israel and Palestine. Both parties in conflict concede some long held demands and the pathway to coexistence is opened. This is an over simplification to say the least, but I want to emphasize that sometimes compromise is good.

It’s when we compromise on moral values that we find ourselves on the slippery slope to questionable character. Conservative evangelicals have maneuvered themselves into this characterization by selectively criticizing and endorsing politicians with less than honorable values.

Their influence and visibility in a nation that boasts of Christian principles guiding the national leadership has set the tone of hypocrisy and incivility in every department of government and church.

We have been on the slippery slope of moral compromise from the beginning: we hold these truths to be self evident, all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights. We slid into the pages of history with gaslighted narratives.

In this modern era, with the fusion of religion and politics, evangelical endorsements of candidates compromise their moral values, and a Christian politician is a misnomer.

In the 90s, conservative evangelicals were outraged over President Clinton’s integrity. Clinton, one of the most intelligent Commander-In-Chiefs in the modern era, was flawed with an overactive libido. Evangelicals, such as Al Mohler, Franklin Graham, and other conservative voices, insisted that a president’s most important trait was moral character.

Although Mohler withheld his endorsement of Trump in 2016, criticized him and cast his opposition to him in the same vein as that of Clinton, he endorsed him in 2020. What changed about Trump’s character? President Bill Clinton acknowledged his mistakes and repented of his sinful aggressions.

The Rev. Franklin Graham, who said recently that he loves Trump because this president has “a concern about Christian values,” in 1998, berated Clinton, saying that a president’s private behavior can’t be separated from his public behavior, character matters.

The Congress of the United States, has for two weeks, been without a Speaker of the House. The Republican majority congressional body is controlled by conservative extremist of questionable character and misplaced loyalties.

The vacated office is a result of the efforts by Congressman Matt Gaetz to set up a power grab. Gaetz had been under investigation for sex trafficking of minors; he has been cleared, but a staff member has pled guilty.

Gaetz led the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who compromised his integrity to get the Speaker’s gavel. After 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy promised to deliver the entire transcript of the January 6 Committee hearings to Tucker Calson, a Fox Network personality. A bedfellow of neither character nor integrity.

The country is in a critical state, and vulnerable to the control of extremists. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is in the running to be the next Speaker of the House. We question whether Rep. Jordan has any character. We know him to be an obstructionist and a denier. He ignored the subpoena to testify before the J6 Committee, and a litany of other obstructionist aggressions. He asserts that he can bring the parties together and put the country first. It’s unlikely.

Character, integrity, the value of truth are lacking in this candidate, lacking in the evangelical world, lacking in the nation that stands quite as the stage is set for a extremist congressional reign.

Character does matter.