There is something else about the sexcapades - whether heterosexual or
homosexual. The media bombard us with images of Hollywood tarts and other
"alternative lifestyle" practitioners, who behave not only badly, but also
recklessly. Every move they make; every breath they take, we are watching
them. Virtue, like virginity, seems to be a relic of an ancient past, but
these traits are, in fact, a rebuke to our corrupt present. The very
condemnation that fell upon Larry Craig - from fellow senators to the most
liberal editorial pages - affirms a standard that may no longer be practiced
sufficiently in the public square, but still resonates in our private
hearts.
That great theological nag named Paul speaks to this in his letter to the
Romans when he writes of those who ignore God's requirements for humankind:
"Although they know God's righteous decrees that those who do such things
deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also
approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:32)
Does that not fit our present state of mind and cultural condition? Don't
liberal activists and their judicial enablers regularly tell us that to
affirm an immutable standard, especially if it comes from God, violates
church-state separation? But then we quickly hark back to the standard to
hold even United States senators accountable.
In our reaction to Larry Craig's misdeeds, we affirm the standard. We also
seek to be quickly rid of him because he serves as a reminder that the
standard still exists and who among us does not fall short of it at some
level?