The outpouring over the Prime Minister’s ‘mea culpa’ for the\u00a0home insulation debacle (does no-one in government anticipate the effects of the doctrine of sin?) is particularly noteworthy during Lent. The question being asked: Is the Prime Minister’s apology sincere or calculated political ‘spin’?<\/p>\n
Sadly, ‘spin’ seems to be the\u00a0conclusion\u00a0from the media articles that I have read. See Culpa won’t cut\u00a0it<\/a>,\u00a0and Does mea culpa cover it?<\/a> and\u00a0Labor figures perplexed by Rudd’s mea culpa<\/a> which concludes,<\/p>\n Whatever the rights or wrongs of Mr Rudd’s public sackcloth and ashes tour, some commentators have started talking about what the Government has done, rather than what is left undone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n How hard it is to separate sincerity from spin in public life.\u00a0Neither is it easy in\u00a0the relationships in our private life. The diversity of reactions to the Prime Minister’s apology\u00a0is not dissimilar to the\u00a0reactions to Tiger Woods’ apology, see Lent: Tiger Woods and Mary MacKillop<\/a>.<\/p>\n The challenge in restoring a relationship is\u00a0to be truly sorry\/remorseful, to restore that which is possible\u00a0and to change the unacceptable behaviour. See Putting apology into practice<\/a>.<\/p>\n The starting point for true restoration of relationship lies in\u00a0our heartfelt lament before our Creator, as\u00a0expressed during this season of Lent in A Prayer Book for Australia<\/em>, Broughton Books, 1995, page 451, in\u00a0the prayer which we pray on Ash Wednesday and during Lent,<\/p>\n The outpouring over the Prime Minister’s ‘mea culpa’ for the\u00a0home insulation debacle (does no-one in government anticipate the effects of the doctrine of sin?) is particularly noteworthy during Lent. The question being asked: Is the Prime Minister’s apology sincere or … Continue reading \nAlmighty and everlasting God,<\/address>\nyou hate nothing that you have made,<\/address>\nand you forgive the sins of all who are penitent:<\/address>\ncreate and make in us new and contrite hearts,<\/address>\nthat we, worthily lamenting our sins,<\/address>\nand acknowledging our wretchedness,<\/address>\nmay obtain of you, the God of all mercy,<\/address>\nperfect remission and forgiveness;<\/address>\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord.\u00a0 Amen.<\/address>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"