Anyone who lives has some skeletons in their closet. A mistake of the past can tarnish one's image in society and bring shame upon them. Mistakes made by those in the spotlight are magnified more than others.

Maybe now you talk to high school and college students about the dangers of addiction and have enormous standing in your community or on a national level. You use to use drugs in college or overcame a drinking problem after the death of a love one! Most people would conclude these are mistakes. You decide not to disclose this information to the public because of fear of humiliation and it may have an negative effect on the young people you attempt to sway. Look at all the good works you have done. Your efforts have created a safe haven for children, an abstinence group at school, government funding for homeless people, should your personal reputation be tarnished?

Mistakes by those in the spotlight are often followed. It becomes a news story of the day or a made for television movie. What if this mistake happen twenty years ago? An actor who has donated millions of dollars and his time to AIDS research, diabetes, and education, had a child out of wedlock in college, should we focus more on the good he has done? The world often looks at these split second decisions that may haunt people for the rest of their lives. Is this not enough punishment? We lift people up as if they gods and crush them when proven they live just like us. The good in all of us is necessary for us to focus on, otherwise we are negative people with no reason to do good, because of the fear that one day our faults will be known by all.

Philosophy & Religion Articles:

Dealing with Faith

A Religious Response to the Death Penalty

Keeping It Real

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