Backfire and redemption

Ah HA!, screamed the bottom feeders in anticipation of the "outing" of a newly discovered and outspoken conservative. CPAC honoree and Marine reservist Cpl. Matt Sanchez had a gay-porn film career in his past, and leftist goons were smacking their lips in anticipation of ruining this man's life and career. They thought we would drop him like a hot potato when they threw that in our teeth.

It hasn't worked out quite like they thought. Bryan has more on Sanchez, redemption, and the Christian roots of forgiveness, and a link to Sanchez's own very forthright story in Salon. Do read that, if you haven't already. (So far the comments are admirably supportive of Cpl. Sanchez as well.)

I don't think the Left understands the idea of redemption well, or that they believe anyone believes it. After all, for the cultural left, redemption isn't necessary. Change isn't necessary. Everyone is perfect just the way they are and we have to accept them. I once heard a sermon to this effect in the (Episcopal Church, USA's) National Cathedral in DC. The Suffragan Bishop--which I think is like a vice-bishop--capped off her sermon with a sort of altar call. This was years ago, but I still remember her saying "Come as you are. God wants you just as you are. You don't have to change."

God wants you just as you are, yes. And He loves you just as you are. But He will change you, if you let Him.

So: redemption. It's real. It is, despite the beliefs of new-wave religions, important. It is one of those concepts that is inextricably linked between orthodox Bible-believing Christianity and political conservatism, of the American variety. America has always been a land of new beginnings, especially for immigrants and those striking out on the frontier, leaving their old mistakes behind and beginning a new life--being, in a secular sense, born again. The parallel with Christian theology, I would insist, is no accident.

By all indications, Sanchez has pulled himself out of a bad situation and is now doing his best to steer people away from making the mistakes he did. I'm not sure whether he did so in a religious context or not, but his story is an admirable one and he seems to have handled it about as well as he could have.

The indications were there, if the Left were willing to see it. Consider Star Parker, a former welfare mother who realized the perils of her situation and who now works as a conservative political commentator. Being a conservative or even politically involved isn't an element of her redemption, of course--I merely bring that part up as another example of conservatives accepting someone who made bad choices in her past and has moved beyond them. Chuck Colson is another; from a convicted criminal and political hack who went to jail for crimes related to Watergate, he emerged the founder of Prison Fellowship MInistries.

When news of Colson's conversion to Christianity leaked to the press in 1973, the Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody."

Colson would agree. He admits he was guilty of political "dirty tricks" and willing to do almost anything for the cause of his president and his party.

As for the smug knowledge that the right would simply disown Sanchez out of "homophobia", it's not that easy at all. Even the evangelical conservatives at WorldMagBlog thought as much; magazine founder Marvin Olasky linked approvingly to a Michael Medved column about the Ann Coulter flap, asking

What sense does it make for a featured speaker at a conservative conference to deliver gratuitous insult and offense to that stalwart minority of homosexuals who still choose to cast their lot with Republicans, despite the party’s impassioned (and appropriate) opposition to gay marriage?

Medved's point is that, politically, conservatives can "either invite doubters and moderates to join with us in new efforts to affirm American values, or we can push them away because they fail to measure up to our own standards of indignation and ideological purity." I agree, and so, apparently does the leadership of World Magazine. That doesn't mean it's universal across political conservatives, but intolerance certainly isn't exclusive to social conservatives--moderates and libertarians can be equally purist and obnoxious.

But I digress. Redemption is a Christian doctrine, and an American doctrine, and a conservative doctrine as well: making the best of what you have instead of insisting on perfection. Perfection is a myth. Perfection is the enemy of the good. All men, and all institutions, and all human doctrines, are deeply flawed and twisted, but we must do the best we can with them.

To understand American conservatives, even those who aren't themselves Christian, you need to understand Christianity--not as it appears in vicious stereotypes and smears on left-wing blogs, but as it is really preached and practiced and understood. As I am fond of pointing out, a lively Christian faith is actually a great defense for American liberty, and a firewall against ideological zeal and extremism. And as seen in the response to the revelations about Cpl. Sanchez, it keeps us human.

As for those who outed him and had this blow up in their face, I pray they look at Chuck Colson's example and take it to heart. There's more to being human than just scoring political points.