I want to defend the proposition that, in its own way, the Tiger Woods scandal is as important as Kandahar and the Catholic Church. Leaving aside the question of whether we should shower condemnation on Woods ”” a hard question that I don’t purport to have a compelling answer to ”” one thing I feel sure of is that this Tiger Woods thing matters.
Why? Because it embodies some other things that matter. For example:
1) Monogamous marriage matters….
2) Monogamous marriage matters especially in parts of society where it is weakest….
3) Role models matter….
4) Role models matter for adults, kind of….
5) Moral sanction matters….
Read it carefully and read it all.
I have scrupulously avoided this topic because it sickens me, among many other reasons. But it does matter. Comments on this thread will be carefully watched, however. This is not an opportunity to get off topic, please. This is a chance to interact with a column and its specific arguments–KSH.
A little-discussed, but important tangent to the Woods debacle is this: There is ample evidence, anecdotal and otherwise, that most males (and not just human ones) are born with a hard-wired biological orientation towards promiscuity.
The essence of personal maturity and indeed civilisation itself, however, depends to no small degree on the ability of males to overcome that orientation in order to form the stable family units that are the building blocks of any healthy society.
Monogamous marriages, especially the really joyful ones, are all the evidence needed that it is quite possible (and generally beneficial) to overcome deeply seated orientations — even “biologically determined” ones — to build stable, monogamous, heterosexual families.
I seem to recall something like that in the Bible or somewhere …
I think a huge and often over looked reason for the breakdown of the family lies with the rise in pornography. My article for New Directions tackles it:
http://www.trushare.com/0174 november 2009/15 trawling_the_net_lifting_the_lid.htm
http://www.trushare.com/0174 november 2009/15 trawling_the_net_lifting_the_lid.htm
you need to copy and paste all the above into your address bar
In Tiger’s recent interview, he had a statement which I think should be committed to memory and pondered by us all”
“I had some ways of thinking that were not correct.”
Tiger ISN’T my role model. I change the channel every time he comes on. If he makes the cut at the Masters, I won’t even watch the tournament. This is all about the PGA and how much money they will make. If you don’t love Tiger, they won’t make as much. If you are even paying attention to this ridiculous nonsense, you are the willing victim of an advertising and public relations campaign/blitz. Now, would you like to know what I really think?
This article makes valid points about why Tiger’s behavior matters, and those points can be transferred to any one of us – because we are all role models to children and to other adults – I know when I learned a friend of mine had gotten divorced, I thought to myself, well, if he can do that and survive, I guess we all can (I’m not divorced, thank the Lord and the patience and grace of my wife). I wish the author had gone on to make the point that what each of us does, matters, just like what Tiger had done and does matters.
One additional point – everyone is so afraid these days of being called a hypocrit and worrying about judging someone else. We all judge others, and ourselves, all the time; it’s part of who we are. Is it hypocritical for a person who has had an affair to say that Tiger’s extravagant number of affairs is wrong and way beyond civilization’s and our society’s expectations of a mature married male? I think not. We need to quit worrying so much about that sort of thing and call something what it is – abominable, outrageous, off-the-charts. I mean, think about it – these many, many sorted affairs of Tiger’s were occurring in his first few years of marriage and while his wife was pregnant with his two children. This wasn’t a mid-life crisis of sports car, loud clothes, and a one time affair. And consequences beyond 5 months hiatus from a chosen, privileged profession need to occur. Think if this had been a CEO of a major publicly traded corp. or any conservative politician, or anyone not a celebrity with a special ability, like his. Why does he get a pass on all of this stuff, because he can swing a golf club better than anyone ever has? But yet, I hear everyday, “all I care about is his golf, not the rest of this stuff.” Well Nike, hear this, I ain’t buying anymore of your products. There’s a major consequence for you!
Besides the commercial aspect for Tiger, his mostly former sponsors, and the PGA, this has hit hard because we are short of heroes these days. No doubt there are heroes in our military operations ongoing, but they don’t get press attention. Our political life offers a competing set of figures we either love or loathe depending upon what we think of their politics. Tiger and his sponsors presented us an image of someone to emulate, an image which was false.
To reverse this, Tiger will have to genuinely remake himself. I hope he can; I am dubious about it. As Brit Hume pointed out, Tiger does not have the forgiveness and regeneration which Christian faith gives. As a Buddhist, he’s shackled with the bad karma he made and the requirement that he work his way out of it. Is he perfectible by his own efforts? My mind and my faith both think not.
Hmmm
Did I vote for Tiger Woods for public office? No.
Is he a member of the clergy in my church? No.
Is my name Mrs. Woods? No.
Have I been having inappropriate relations with Mr. Woods? No.
Conclusion: It’s none of my D@&í business and I do wish the media would learn that there are things that are none of their business either.
I absolutely refuse to comment on this matter further.
I am astonished by the number of self-righteous experts and pundits who claim to know the heart and soul of Tiger Woods. We are all sinners, most of us dont have the most grievous ones plastered all over every salacious publication for months on end. ( I for one would not like my own bad judgements in behaviour to be on the front page.) I have also heard many media “experts” profess to know that he is nothing more than a lying charlatan trying to get his brand moving again. Anyone who has watched someone repent and try to turn their life around knows it is a difficult and challenging process. Whether or not Mr Woods means what he says in admitting and taking responsibility will become very obvious as time goes by, by his actions now and in the future. In the meantime, enough of the priggish comments and vapid judgements. God will judge him, we dont need to. As for golf, it is the way he makes his living, although as a public figure he has a self-admitted responsibility to provide positive guidance, not what he has demonstrated in the past. Let’s hope he can succeed in his stated goals.
I don’t understand how it is “priggish” or “vapid” to merely comment that one will change the channel every time Tiger comes on and that one will not watch tournaments that Tiger is in.
It’s merely a statement of how one will respond, via actions, to what one believes about Tiger’s behavior.
I don’t, in fact, see any priggish or vapid comments on this thread, although maybe I’ve missed one or two.
Are you saying that it’s “priggish” to disapprove of Tiger’s behavior and move on to value others who are good at sports?
How is that priggish?
To put the shoe on another foot, I was long an admirer of Sanford’s policies and beliefs about limited Constitutional government. In fact I still am. But I don’t watch him anymore. He shouldn’t be governor, and I’m sorry that he is. Further, I’ve moved on to discover other folks who have good beliefs about limited Constitutional government. None of that is “priggish” — it’s merely matter of fact and values based and action oriented.