Common decency. Is it so common? It rather depends on some intake from the Creator, if one examines the issue using the keyword ‘goodness’ in one’s bible. Apparently, some notable biblical characters either displayed this character trait or wrote about it, including Joseph who seemed unflappable in his decency and goodness; you might alternately use the word ‘generous’ or ‘righteousness’ to describe such a person. Joseph’s entire life seemed infused with this, like when he refused to bed Potiphar’s wife and endured prison, consequently. Furthermore, instead of complaining, he did good in prison also; then he did good to manage the kingdom and gave to others when they were in need, most notably to his own brothers, who went to Egypt seeking grain in a famine. (See the image of Joseph, Joseph gave orders to his servants to fill their sacks with wheat: illuminated Bible by Raphaël de Mercatelli, Ghent, late 15th century.) One might also say Joseph displayed compassion (for his brothers), when in fact they deserved justice at his hands, seeing as how they sold him into slavery in their anger and jealousy toward him. (See previous blog entries for God-inspired ethics like justice Christians for Ethics in Politics: Justice [15 Nov 2024] and compassion Christians for Ethics in Politics: compassion [4 Dec 2024]) that are closely related to decency and goodness.) In Joseph’s case, the decency did indeed seem most uncommon, especially when his brothers wilted in fear at first during their reunion, undoubtedly because they expected payback for what they had done to him years earlier. So, let’s look closer at how one comes to adopt this quality, and how it is practiced – or not – in today’s political landscape.
Perhaps you’ve heard the joke about the word ‘politics’ and its etymology (the linguistic roots of a word). Someone might say that this is a compound word, with two parts: poli (or poly), in the original latin = many/several/much; and -tics = blood-sucking creatures. This usually garners many belly laughs or at least smirks, because most people probably believe there is a lot of truth to it, that politics has a lot of dishonest, seedy people not worthy of respect. Unfortunately for me, two examples have pretty quickly leapt to mind from my native state of Ohio – two politicians who lacked decency or goodness. From the 1970s, a congressman named Wayne Hays [from Belmont County, Ohio] who had to resign from office because of a sex scandal in the 1970s… Wayne Hays - Wikipedia); and then, his replacement in Congress, a fellow I won’t name, because I actually knew him personally and interned for him when he was a state senator in the mid-1980s (see the blog entry for 16 August 2024 in which this blogger shared a personal anecdote of indecency/profanity – and its relationship to God’s Third Commandment given to Moses -- heard while in this state senator’s office Christians for Ethics in Politics: profanity.) To be fair, this second Ohio politician later did something good for me that perhaps only he, in his influential position, could have done, which really shows that some people’s proclivity for indecency versus decency is sporadic. That makes Joseph seem all the more special in his choice to be decent so often, especially in his role as governor of a people. Where did he acquire such a notion, this goodness idea? He was practicing what the Apostle Paul would admonish Christians to do centuries later when he wrote to a young man named Titus (2:11-12), that they should shun ‘ungodliness and worldly passions’, and instead live ‘upright’. Paul probably heard the same from one of the prophets named Amos (5:14-15). And this wasn’t just a one-time lesson that Paul learned and spoke of rarely, for he repeatedly advised many others to live this way (Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 15:14; Ephesians 5:9; and 2 Thessalonians 1:11). Peter likewise wrote of this attitude (2 Peter 1:5), along with the Hebrews writer (6:5). The scriptures Peter and Paul read (our Old Testament) counsel God-fearers in this way of life and they would have especially noted that this characteristic emanates with God Himself (Ex. 33:19 especially, but also 2 Chronicles 6:41; Nehemiah 9:25,35; and Ps. 23:6, 27:13, 69:16, 86:17, 109:21, 116:12, 142:7, 145:7).
So, what do we take away from the above? Though some might say decency is a common trait, it does come from the Creator, making it special, and therefore rarely seen with unwavering clarity. Someone who isn’t really connected to God in a significant way can hardly be expected to practice this way of life with any consistency, therefore. It would be worth an interesting survey, to research and see if those who practice politics as their profession while holding to a decency/goodness standard are simultaneously God-fearers. None of us are perfect, including we who take our Christianity seriously. We all need to hold one another accountable, and to respect those who are honestly trying to be ‘good’, while making certain that those who do not are at least held to legal and ethical standards, especially as regards to institutions that are in place to administer this – like courts and ethics bodies. Some of these include those in Congress (United States House Committee on Ethics - Wikipedia and United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics - Wikipedia), or the Code of Conduct recently adopted by the US Supreme Court for its justices (LSB11078). ‘Watch ‘em like a hawk’, someone might say derisively, because ‘none of ‘em can be trusted!’ In contrast, everyone should note, as the year 2024 recently concluded, the death of Jimmy Carter, perhaps the most decent and upright-living man in recent memory to occupy the White House (as 39th president)… Jimmy Carter - Wikipedia. He was someone who became even more well-known for this quality of decency in his post-presidential years because of his work around the world via the Carter Center - Wikipedia, which has promoted human rights and mobilized help for needy and diseased people, as well as advocating for peace and democratic institutions, prompting his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He died at 100 years old on December 29th, 2024, but the Carter Center work continues. He wasn’t the most effective, nor certainly the most popular, of the presidents (he was defeated for re-election in 1980, but see the links for three sites below, which rank the presidents from worst-to-best, or vice versa…Carter comes out in the middle of the pack), but his aim wasn’t necessarily horizontal, was it? The vertical was where Jimmy was pointed, by all accounts we know of, even while he looked around this planet trying to make right greater than might, as some might say. Hopefully, this modern-day Joseph (would Jimmy actually approve of this comparison?) inspired more than a few people to search for and be just a little more like ‘good’ politicians. We sure need more of them today.
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The Most (and Least) Effective US Presidents, According to Historians - 24/7 Wall St.
Presidential Greatness Project
The ranking of presidents... so far - Best presidents list
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See information here on Jimmy Carter photo: File:JimmyCarterPortrait (cropped).jpg - Wikipedia …This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. Note: This only applies to original works of the Federal Government and not to the work of any individual U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, county, municipality, or any other subdivision. This template also does not apply to postage stamp designs published by the United States Postal Service since 1978. (See § 313.6(C)(1) of Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices). It also does not apply to certain US coins; see The US Mint Terms of Use.
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