Question:
Aside from the obvious, what lessons are to be learned from
the Lance Armstrong saga?
Answer: I suggest that it is
precisely the obvious that we should consider. The obvious
was not apparent to Lance Armstrong. He no doubt felt justified because
the cycling world is rife with doping, but many wrongs never can make a
right. Let’s consider lying because the serious consequences of lying
are poorly understood. I think it’s true to say that if no
one lied, crime would be practically eliminated, or at least greatly
reduced. Why? For the simple reason that if truth-telling were
universal, every criminal would own up to crime. It was not until he
was faced with undeniable evidence that Armstrong owned up, and even
then, his apology did not feel whole and entire.
Moral theology has traditionally attempted to categorize virtues and
vices, the attributes to cultivate and the habits to avoid. While the
Bahá’í sacred writings contain no such catalogue, truth-telling is
definitely high on the list of virtues and values. Here is the positive
affirmation of truthfulness from the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
(1844-1921), the son and successor of the Prophet-Founder, Bahá’u’lláh,
(1817-1892), and the appointed interpreter of his teachings:
“Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Without
truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are
impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in
man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.”
Now here is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s negative judgement of lying: “Consider that
the worst of qualities and most odious of attributes, which is the
foundation of all evil, is lying. No worse or more blameworthy quality
than this can be imagined to exist; it is the destroyer of all human
perfections, and the cause of innumerable vices.”
These statements bear serious reflection. They have much to do with
open-handedness and “transparency,” today’s favourite buzz word that
indicates that the lack of truth-telling and the tangled web it weaves
are pervasive today, not just in politics with its hidden agendas, but
in all human affairs. How can clarity, progress and justice ever be
established without truthfulness?
Despite repeated disappointments, we still and should expect
politicians, clerics and athletes to be honest—no more but no less
honest than everyone else. -
Jack
McLean
