Is scandal just 'his business'?

Others say that his request for forgiveness should be enough to end discussion of what happened.

Still others proclaim: "It's only adultery, so what does it matter?"

The Evangelist asked several educators and clergy in the Albany Diocese to react to such statements, which have been made in defense of Mr. Clinton regarding his illicit acts with Ms. Lewinsky.

* What the President did is his private business.

"In this case, there's the legal and moral question of the possibility of perjury," he explained. "In an oath, you summon God to witness to the truth of what you're saying, and I believe that the sexual material has become relevant legally and morally because of certain statements that he made while under oath."

Rev. David Berberian, a judge on the diocesan Tribunal,

disagrees with those who say that Clinton's sexual relationship with Lewinsky is a private issue.

"I think his own colleagues don't buy that. Certainly, you expect some sort of behavior that's going to be acceptable. This certainly isn't," he said. "Marriage commitments aren't private things. You committed yourself to that woman and not to anyone else that happens to come along."

* Mr. Clinton's contrition and request for forgiveness should end discussion of the situation.

"One of the things that we as Christians have been noted for and have preached all the time is that we are people of forgiveness," he continued. "What is he going to do in terms of rectifying his life and turning it around and being a person of values who is going to try to do the best he can?"

Prof. Dwyer questioned the legitimacy of Clinton's contrition and wondered whether admitting that he sinned was true penitence or simple politics.

"I think that these pleas for forgiveness are patent ploys to appear clothed in the sackcloth and ashes of a penitent or to blunt criticism," he said. "We ask forgiveness of God and those whom we have directly wounded by our conduct. Beyond that, he ought to maintain silence."

Clinton's apology for his actions didn't seem genuine, based upon his pattern of lies and deception, Father Berberian said.

"He is incapable of doing anything that is not politically motivated. The only reason his asking for forgiveness is getting stronger is because he's reading the political impact there," he said.

* It's only adultery. What's does it matter?

"We'd better start rehabilitating the notion of sin. Only when we talk about the reality of sin can we talk about the possibility of forgiveness," Prof. Dwyer said. "If we trivialize adultery, we trivialize sex; and if we trivialize sex, we trivialize ourselves."

* What would Jesus do?

"Jesus would make no political judgment whatsoever. He made none in His lifetime, and there's no indication He'd make one today," he said. "We have to be utterly and totally sincere about our acknowledging our sinfulness before God and before our neighbor."

(09-24-98) [[In-content Ad]]