During the recent scandals of the Senators, the Toronto mayor and similar cases before these, the one common response from the people who were directly involved was initially denial. It seems that there is a certain pattern of human response to a personal scandal, which is continual denial until overwhelming evidence requires eventual admission. So far none of them, not even a single person, admitted the facts at first and said that it was their fault. Even after accepting the scandals as their own misbehaviour or mistake, they still try to pretend that they were one of the victims or unlucky people among those who have been doing and involved in similar situations.
Sometimes we all wonder why is it so difficult for someone to say, "Yes, I did it. I am sorry. I will take a full responsibility for it!" when such sensational scandals are exploding as public issues. The people involved are smart, well educated, hard workers and had a lot of good and valuable experiences before they achieved their positions, which most people would never have in their entire life. These people have already achieved a lot of their personal goals and become famous, popular and responsible people. So when these public figures, celebrities and extraordinary people do not behave themselves as the rest of us, the unpopular and ordinary people expect them to, then we all wonder what is wrong with them? Why could they not be honest from the start?
It is true that we, human beings, called "homo sapiens", are the only beings among all the other kinds of living things that are able to say something differently from what we have thought and known, and to act differently from what we have said and promised. And we, people, are able to change and become different people from what we used to be. Every mom tells her kids that lying is wrong and you don't tell a lie. We all have grown up saying, "Honesty is the best policy." Then why do people keep on lying? I am not talking about white lies, inevitable or excusable lies, or small and minor lies that do not hurt others or damage social welfare and capital, rather sometimes make our lives easy. I am talking about a big, serious and public lie that swallows up both personal and public life.
Everyone knows that lying is wrong. Then why do people, especially smart and famous ones, keep on lying? Some keep on telling lies, nothing but lies and whole lies even they know it is wrong to lie. This human problem, the inner conflict, to choose between good and evil in our mind is the universal problem of the whole of humanity. St. Paul stated this human problem a long time ago, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that I do it, but sin that dwells within me" (Romans 7:19-20).
So still we have the freedom of choice to choose what we want to do and have to do or the other side. In this point we feel that we all are far short of being true and perfect human beings, achieving what is theologically termed 'righteousness'. So we are all sinners. The good news is that God has granted all people freedom to choose until death. Even while in the wrong choice, there is the human freedom to choose to accept it and repent, turn around from it and begin a new life. It applies to everyone and anyone, even those politicians as well.
