Religious Scholar

Congressman Anthony Weiner apparently committed no crime by posting lewd photos of himself on Twitter.  The real problem is not the behavior, stupid and juvenile as it was, but rather the absolute, arrogant duplicity of his public denial.

When we saw him on CNN interviewed by Wolf Blitzer last week, Weiner came off as an honest guy victimized by a social-media prank. Everything about his demeanor, behavior, words, inflection screamed out, “This is the truth! I’m not the guy who did this.”  The only loose thread in this closely knit cover-up was Weiner’s refusal to state outright that he was not the man in the photo. Blitzer deserves major points as a TV newsman for not letting go of this tiny clue, invisible to most viewers who sympathized with this beleaguered legislator.

Weiner’s behavior demonstrates flagrant disregard of the truth. In fact, he may not have the vaguest idea what the truth is. Truth is not a web of excuses for deeds we wish we hadn’t done, but a readiness to accept consequences for our actions.

We now have the impression that Weiner came out with the truth at a press conference this week only because he thought he might be caught. The juvenility of his Twitter escapades pales in comparison with the childishness of this reaction. “Uh, oh, I’m gonna get caught, better tell Mom and Dad now. Maybe they’ll have some sympathy for me if I come clean!”

Like it or not, the moral attitudes of most of the world are governed by principles laid down by major religious and ethical traditions. Truthfulness is at the heart of these traditions’ moral teaching. It is a narrow pathway to a more responsible life, not a handy expediency we can twist to our own advantage.

If we cannot believe a Congressman’s flawless assertion of his innocence before an audience of millions, who can we believe?  Certainly, Congressman Weiner has done more damage than to upload a naughty photo on the Internet.  His crafty performance on national television has stripped us of our ability to distinguish between truth-telling and deceit, a line that was sometimes unclear to begin with. Truth’s halo has been tarnished, and it will take us quite a bit of polishing until it's recognizable again.