Saturday Voice - Whatever Happened to Honor?

As most of you know, I was born at the end of World War II. My formative years were the last half of the 1940's and most of the 1950's. My parents and grandparents had endured both the Great Depression and World War II and both events affected them in ways that we can't comprehend today with our relatively easier lives.

I made plenty of mistakes as a young man, but one lesson I learned from my father and grandfather is a man honors his word. If a man says he going to do something and shakes on it, you can consider it done. Only a snake in the grass type of man would consider going back on his word and he was always considered to be beneath contempt.

When I was a kid, I was a Scout (and a Scoutmaster for 8 years as an adult) and our oath always started with, "On my honor I will..."

One of the most important promises any man makes is when he faces his wife-to-be and promises to be faithful to her "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do we part."

I made that promise to Betty on Saturday, July 1, 1967 and, after my decision to accept Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I consider it the most sacred and important promise I have ever made or will make. I love Betty very much, but it is also a matter of honor for me as a man to keep that promise.

The meaning of honor is personal integrity: strong moral character or strength, and adherence to ethical principles. It also has a meaning of reputation: someone's good name or good reputation.

It seems that honor is greatly lacking in our culture today, especially among people in the public arena. I'm not surprised when a singer or movie star dishonors their word and their spouse and renege on the sacred promises they made. It's more disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising, when a leader in our country does the same thing.

The most recent example is the Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford who has admitted to an adulterous affair with a woman in Argentina - breaking his word to his wife, the mother of his four children.

Unfortunately, he's the most recent in a long line. From what little research I did, it seems the first prominent politician to dishonor his word was President Franklin Roosevelt. His successor, Harry Truman, was such an honorable man he was ready to fight a reporter who insulted his daughter (way to go, Harry). President Eisenhower was rumored to have had at least an emotional relationship with his assistant during World War II, but it was never conclusively proven.

The first known for sure dishonorable president was John F. Kennedy. He was known for his romantic relationships, even while president. Nothing was ever said about either Lyndon Johnson or Richard Nixon.

George Bush, Sr., has always seemed to be an honorable man in his marriage. However, he paid a price politically when he promised in his first run for president, "Read my lips. No new taxes." He gave in to political pressure and paid a price in the next election for going against his word.

Bill Clinton is the poster boy for dishonoring his wedding vows. There are so many stories - many proven and many only rumored - that he is almost a caricature. His supporters tried to cover him by saying, "It's only sex," as if everyone does it. No - we don't!

George Bush Jr., also seems to have honored his word to his wife and been faithful to her. We know he has a strong Christian faith and that has probably carried him throughout the years to be faithful to her.

Recent poor examples have been New York Attorney General Spitzer, Senator John Edwards who cheated on his wife who has cancer, Senator John Ensign, and now Governor Sanford. I'm sure there are plenty more that I'm missing. All of these men who have dishonored their wedding vows also made promises to uphold the Constitution of our country or of their State. How can a man be believed in those promises when the takes his marriage promises so lightly?

I just learned this morning that Mark Sanford actually asked his wife, after she learned of his affair, if it was OK for him to go to Argentina to be with his mistress. Of course she said NO! Good for her.

This is not a political issue for me. I don't care if they are Republican, Democrat or Independent.

A man's word matters. Keeping our promises to our wives is a matter of honor.

I pray we can somehow revive this sense of honor in our sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters. Our country and our souls depend on how successful we are in this revival.

My Saturday voice.