Apologies Offered, Rejected on Political, Cultural Scene: Is that Really Best Conservatives, Christians Can Do?
It seems ’tis the season of apologies extended … and apologies rejected. In the past several weeks, the public has been served high-profile mea culpas from a bevy of in-the-spotlight personalities and institutions. Each of these contrite overtures has been rebuffed out-of-hand by a too-sizable share of many who really ought to know better.
Consider Michael Tait, former front man of Christian bands D.C. Talk and the Newsboys. Lately, the fifty-nine-year-old has come clean on assorted sordid accusations lodged against him:
Recent reports of my reckless and destructive behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity are sadly, largely true. … I am ashamed … make no excuses … I will simply call it what God calls it—sin.
Tait’s post is about as full-throated an expression of godly grief as you’ll find in contemporary annals. Read the whole statement here. It lands even more heart-rendingly.
Well, at least for some people it does.
Lots reacted with hoots and howls of derision, having none of it. It was unseemly cynicism on unabashed display … from some, mind you, who ostensibly would boldly identify themselves as Bible-believers.
You’re truly sick. … Straight up sore loser. … none in sports is safe with you around!!!!!” … bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.
The twenty-eight-year-old came under appropriately withering criticism for this tack and, days after the original June 6 post, she wrote on X once more, clarifying she had reacted out of “frustration”, leading to a “heated exchange”. She specifically added: “[I]t didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.”
Cue the reflexive “she doesn’t mean it” sniping from oodles of keyboard warriors.
No, she hasn’t altered her wrong-headed pro-trans/sports advocacy … but she has ostensibly admitted her catty swipes at Gaines were out-of-bound. Nowadays? I’d register that a plus.
This feels A LOT more like a PR-crafted damage control message than an actual sincere apology … I’m all for apologies and I am all about gracious contrition. …but I’m not alone in saying I don’t see that here.
Translation: I’m all for apologies and gracious contrition … but not really.
Shouldn’t the civilized among us — the supposedly Jesus-loving among us! — be encouraging the sort of humility Biles exhibits in this instance instead of dissing it? Cheering on civil disagreement versus dumping on those who attempt to make amends after they gack it?
Into this early summer “My Bad!”-a-thon roared erstwhile Donald Trump advisor Elon Musk. The tech billionaire churned June 4th’s political seas by denouncing DJT’s “big beautiful budget” for what he regards as its unconscionable spending and deficient cuts. A “disgusting abomination,” he railed. “Shame on those who voted for it.”
A malodorous tit-for-tat ensued — no surprise –between the South African-born entrepreneur and his former Oval Office pal. Musk promptly deleted some of the particularly acidulous tweets and avowed, “I regret some of my posts about President [Trump] last week. They went too far.”
Across conservative ranks, his laconic backtrack was generally met with more indulgence than one might expect … perhaps because MAGA’s widespread adoration of Musk had been nearly unrivalled. Even so, the wunderkind was not without his detractors. So he lied? He’s apologizing only because he fears the wrath of Trump! Sorry, Elon, you’ve crossed a line, blah, blah, blah …
Donald Trump, meantime? The notoriously thin-skinned Chief Exec’s reaction eventually settled on: “We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well — very well, actually.” (Elon met this statement with a heart emoji.)
Some of the President’s still grousing supporters — once more, especially those who’d lay claim to Christian devotion — would benefit from echoing his attitude here.
Which brings us to ABC News’s Terry Moran. June 8th, the sixty-five-year-old network correspondent cut loose with a scathing, unprofessional broadside against Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller; then against the Big Man himself. He smeared them both “world class hater[s]”.
A couple days later, the media giant announced it was opting to “part ways” with its twenty-eight-year veteran, stating it “does not condone subjective personal attacks on others. The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards.”
Conservative ranks had been baying for Moran’s dismissal from the jump — and they got it, along with a straight-shooting denunciation from network bigfeet. Score one for press accountability, right? This is the place where you’d hope fair-minded MAGA-types, especially of the Bible-quoting variety, would en masse proclaim: Good job, ABC. Now, here’s a chance to redeem yourself and prove nothing like this will happen again.
I confess … I’m not holding my breath.
In an interview with Vulture magazine (published mid-June), actor Jason Isaacs felt the need to rehash fellow thespian Mel Gibson’s harrowing but long-past lapses. Although the two starred together in 2000’s The Patriot, Isaac has made clear he isn’t inclined to forgive the Australian superstar despite his abject expressions of regret.
The New York Post relays Gibson, “who infamously went on an antisemitic rant when he was arrested for drunken driving in 2006” approached Issacs after the shameful incident.
Isaacs details:
[Gibson] said, “I was really drunk, man. I was trying to get him to hit me or shoot me or something. I’m having a terrible time.” And he proceeded to unload some very personal things. … He’s not my friend, but — maybe to my eternal shame — I forgave him instantly because he was there making himself vulnerable.
So the Harry Potter/White Lotus player is “eternally” ashamed over extending a dose of magnanimity to an obviously troubled, hurting colleague who was abasing himself? And some nearly twenty years later, he’s still mordantly dredging up these incidents? I’m not sure Mel Gibson is the one who comes across unbecomingly in this narrative.
In short, this is the way NOT to respond when someone seeks reconciliation. Issacs is a political liberal and was raised in a Jewish home but now tags himself an atheist. We conservatives – who routinely style ourselves the class-act on the contemporary landscape – and Christians – who profess faith in a God who died for His enemies — should do better. Must do better.
Conservatives believe human beings are flawed; yet, there’s hope, correct? People can change? Situations presently abound to demonstrate: We mean it.
Authentic, redeemed followers of Jesus Christ understand they’ve been cleansed, accepted by a God Who made the first move. They acknowledge without His aggressive kindness, patience and pro-active mercy … we’re all lost.
Anyone with even a cursory familiarity with the New Testament knows the prayer the Savior enjoined: “And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12/NKJV;); and the harrowing warning He issued: “ [I]f you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25/NKJV) (my emphases)
However one may parse it, those in need of forgiveness and those who’ve been granted it are tasked with being forgivers toward others. This is “How to Please God 101” material. Believers, and those of the political and cultural “Right” – most of whom would, at minimum, concede the tenets of modern conservatism derive significantly from Judeo-Christian principles – ought to walk this out.
And we’ve been handed a fresh, sparkling opportunity to do so:
In 2022, the University of Pennsylvania permitted “trans-woman” Will Thomas (i.e. a biological man) to compete on its female swim team. As part of a settlement in a Trump Administration/Department of Education civil rights case against the school, it has voluntarily agreed to apologize to female athletes “disadvantaged” by Thomas’s preposterous participation; restore all individual Division I records and titles to the aggrieved female competitors he bested; and send a personalized apology letter to same. Furthermore, the Department specifies the Ivy League institution must also publicize it “will not allow males to compete in female athletic programs” and enforce “biology-based” male and female distinctions.
Again, by my lights? Reality 1/Self-delusion 0. A positive turn of events!
Will the majority of my fellow conservatives, my like-minded followers of the God of Mercy, root this on, embrace it, give UPenn some closely monitored but good faith elbowroom to validate its professed turn around? Or will the predictable partisan scoffing and grumping rule the day — while miscellaneous secularists, progressives and rejecters of the God of Mercy look on and roll their eyes?
