Letters to the Editor
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Color me skeptical
To be perfectly honest, I really don't know whether or not Mr. Dowd is sincere or not. No one but he himself does. But I do have more than a healthy dose of skepticism in regards to his recent epiphany.
The root of my skepticism is related to one of the core principles of the Christian faith: the entire act of asking for forgiveness. I do not intend to open a religious discussion here nor to slander Christianity. In addition I think admitting mistakes and asking for forgiveness are healthy things and should be encouraged irregardless of any religious implications. Where my skepticism comes into play is when the act of introspection and the subsequent asking for forgiveness become institutionalized. It's the stereotypical "good Christian" who goes to church on Sunday, singing all the songs and reading all the passages, but during the rest of the week they are anything but "good Christians". I don't even think it's a conscious act in most cases, but simply evidence that most people's sense of personal accountability can often be very shortsighted and quite biased. This is perhaps an overused stereotype but I personally feel it pretty accurately captures how a great many of us approach anything that does not directly effect us. We only confront our failures when we absolutely have to because they are now affecting us personally or we've been caught. While perhaps a bit cynical, the fact that he is having these revelations after such personal hardships can certainly be seen as an example of this.
As I said above, realizing mistakes and asking for forgiveness from those you've hurt is an important part of the healing process (whether you are a Christian or not). But if nothing is actually learned from the experience than what value is there in the introspective journey? What value is there in any apology? What use is there in offering or withholding forgiveness? The process is supposed to heal in both directions. But if a person isn't sincere or if they subconsciously think that they don't need to think about their actions because the realization-forgiveness path will always be there for them, then what is any of it really worth?