Posted on 07/02/2009 1:31:17 PM PDT by meandog
The wife of embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford called his affair with an Argentine woman "inexcusable" but said Thursday she is willing to forgive him.
Jenny Sanford's e-mailed statement was her first public comment since her husband told The Associated Press earlier this week that his mistress is his soul mate but he is trying to fall back in love with his wife.
"My forgiveness is essential for us both to move on with our lives, with peace, in whatever direction that may take us," Jenny Sanford said in the statement. "Mark has stated that his intent and determination is to save our marriage, and to make amends to the people of South Carolina. I hope he can make good on those intentions, and for the sake of our boys."
She said it is up to South Carolina voters and elected officials to decide whether they can "give Mark another chance."
Sanford returned last week from a secret trip to Argentina to see his mistress, Maria Belen Chapur. His staff had told the public he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, and he later apologized for misleading them.
Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press then that she learned of the affair in January when she discovered a letter Sanford had written to Chapur. She said he had repeatedly asked permission to go Argentina to see Chapur, but she denied it.
Spokesman Joel Sawyer said Thursday that Mark Sanford plans to spend the holiday weekend with his wife and sons in Florida, where his in-laws live.
"He remains committed and determined to repair the damage he has done in his marriage and to building back the trust of the people of South Carolina," Sawyer said.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
While I don't disagree with you, I would like to point out that he first has to seek forgiveness by being sorry for his deeds...he just said yesterday essentially that he was in love with another woman. Taking him back now would just be enabling his sin of adultery.
Well, that should be nice relaxing trip for ol' Mark!
It used to be that conservatives were big on personal responsibility and yet here on a conservative forum, in a discussion about a nominally conservative governor, we're looking for external causes, explanations and excuses for why his behavior was anything other than miserable.
Then she hasn't actually forgiven him.
Well, perhaps I'm misreading it...it sounded to me that she was a bit too eager to let him off the hook before he was completely "cured" of the sin of betraying her with his love for another woman (stated, essentially, just yesterday)/
oh well...it’s her life. If she chooses to stay with this loser after he has admittedly cheated on her so many times...and raise her sons in this same environment...then so be it.
Oh he’s an idiot.
I’m guessing she’s a calculating woman.
It's going to be a real boot camp of reconciliation with many changes all round.
Sanford's type of infidelity doesn't occur in a vacuum and, as an old friend of mine (who's a shrink) used to say, there are no innocent parties in a marriage.
That's right its always the guys fault never the wife's fault for marriage problems.There victims always.
He must have an enormous schwanzstucker.
No, trust and forgiveness are two different things. Forgiveness is an act of love and one can forgive even those who are crucifying you. Forgiveness does not deny that the forgiven person has done/is doing wrong.
Reconciliation cannot take place until the offender honestly admits he did wrong and asks to be forgiven. But you can forgive even your enemy before your enemy asks for forgiveness. He remains your enemy but a forgiven enemy. Jesus did that on the cross.
The enemy ceases to be enemy only when he admits he injured you and is truly sorry, contrite.
Even then, you cannot immediately trust someone who was your enemy. He is forgiven and is no longer your enemy but he has to earn back trust and it can take a long, long time.
But forgiveness can be unilateral—otherwise, how could Christ have forgiven those who were crucifying him?
Forgiveness can be unilateral but reconciliation, enemy-ceasing and regaining trustworthiness must be bi-lateral.
Who in their right mind would stay with someone who said that? She's crazy if she stays with him. He'll only be a constant reminder of the affair and public humiliation. So sad.
I’m beginning to think she’s as certifiably insane as he is.
Can there be genuine forgiveness if the forgiving party cannot or will not put themselves back in the position of vulnerability?
Forgiveness doesn’t mean fogetting but refusing to trust indicates a lack of forgiveness.
She's not being "Christ-like" she's being an enabler. Christ could only forgive those who were truly sorry...he told the adulterous woman "go AND SIN NO MORE!" Sanford said just yesterday that his heart was with another woman, his "soul-mate," he called her. One can not forgive one who doesn't seek forgiveness first. Better for them to remain apart and for him to work on restoring the marriage, and in so doing a penance, before taking him back.
OH PLEASE..SANFORDS..PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree, but maybe she’s under pressure from her kids.
I believe we are saying the same thing...forgiveness is a two-way street. But one cannot forgive someone until forgiveness is sought and paid for by contrition and the demonstrable effort to change ways.
The enemy ceases to be enemy only when he admits he injured you and is truly sorry, contrite.
Right, and you've just proved my point as well as your own!
...But forgiveness can be unilateral—otherwise, how could Christ have forgiven those who were crucifying him?
He wasn't forgiving them...he was instead sacrificing Himself before the whole world for its eternity and for its collective sins but ONLY IF WE SOUGHT IT FROM GOD! He was begging God to hear our pleas forgiveness when we ask it. This is borne out, IMHO, by his forgiveness of one thief who asked it, but not of the other on the day of his crucifixion...
LOL! Excellent point! They’ve told us about everything else - maybe they’ll share some anedcotes about their “vacation.” :)
Time for Jenny to wake up and smell the coffee. Now she is playing the part of his mother, not his wife. It’s over for them and he is the culprit. She needs to move on with her life.
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