'I'm Not Perfect'

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Ken Weliever
10/14/12 - Sin

Have you seen former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on his media tour promoting his new book? "Total Recall: My Unbelievable True Life Story" is mainly about his success as a world-champion bodybuilder, a Hollywood box-office heavyweight, and two-term Governor of California.

One chapter, called "The Secret," is devoted to his affair with their housekeeper that produced an out-of-wedlock son, who was five years old when he ran for Governor.

I saw a little bit of his 60 Minute interview with Lesley Stahl, who raked him over the coals for his infidelity. Schwarzenegger said "I think it was the stupidest thing I have ever done in the whole relationship." Then he added "It was terrible. I inflicted tremendous pain on Maria and unbelievable pain on the kids."

Later in the interview there was this exchange when Stahl questioned him about an affair he had with Brigitte Nielsen while filming the 1985 movie "Red Sonja."

Stahl: You write in the book that you had an affair with the actress in that movie. You cheated on Maria. And you were in your relationship. And you don't even write that you felt bad about it. You just write it.

Schwarzenegger: Actually, you know, I did feel bad about it. But, I mean, all of my various different things, they were mistakes. And this is, you know, my failure. My screw-ups.

Stahl: Was that the only affair?

Schwarzenegger: No. I had others. But I mean, ah, but you know, it's something that's obviously between Maria and me.

Stahl: She knew?

Schwarzenegger: Yeah.

Stahl: So it's a recurring issue with you.

Schwarzenegger: I'm not perfect.

Now think about Schwarzenegger's responses to his trysts. "Stupid." "Mistakes." "Screw-ups." "Feel bad." "Failure." And then the classic understatement of all, "I'm not perfect."

Conservative columnist Cal Thomas was right when he wrote, "(Schwarzenegger) calls those affairs a "mistake." That's too easy. A mistake is a wrong answer on a math test. Arnold's behavior is better defined by the ancient word "fornication" which means: 'voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.'"

I am reminded of Dr. Karl Menninger's question which was the title of his best-selling book, Whatever Became of Sin? Our culture avoids that word at all costs. Our society embraces tolerance, relativism and individualism. So, anything goes. Nothing is wrong. There are no standards to live by. Thus the most egregious acts are nothing more than "mistakes." Because, "I'm not perfect." Obviously Maria Shriver felt Arnold's behavior was it bit more than a "stupid mistake."

Of course, when something like this happens our liberal culture writes it off as "boorish behavior" and "men behaving badly." No one dares to call it what it really is.

The Bible calls the former Governor's actions immoral and it described by words like adultery, uncleanness, and lewdness (Gal. 5:19-21). They are called "works of the flesh" that will keep one from inheriting heaven. The Bible calls sexual immorality sin.

Oh, and I also agree with Cal Thomas who said that Schwarzenegger's book, Total Recall, ought to be retitled Total Reprobate. And I'm not buying it.