Religion & Law

Steve's post on "repentance", and the insightful thoughts of Susan Guthrie to which he linked, came to mind when I read this article about the State of Minnesota's recent resolution apologizing to Minnesotans with mental and developmental disabilities for their past treatment by the State -- forced sterilizations and lobotomies, forced labor, and institutionalization.  It took 13 years of advocacy by a disability rights organization to get this apology passed.  It finally passed only after a section "devoted to the practices of physicians and medical professionals was removed."  And when Governor Pawlenty signed it, he accompanied it with an explanatory letter in which he said, "However, it is important to note this resolution also negatively paints with a very broad brush the actions of State employees who, in most cases, took actions based in good faith and the scientific understanding  at that time."  That qualification was apparently in response to concerns raised by the leadership of state employee unions that any admission of wrongdoing might open the door to state accountability for this behavior.

This struck me as a rather sad example the way in which fear (of lawsuits) pervades our culture, affecting our willingness to apologize, to ask for forgiveness, in a manner that displays true regret and sincere repentance.