Who would’ve thought Bill Clinton and a Lutheran pastor would be struck by the same sword. In fact, the situation has potential for the makings of a bad joke. The president, a pastor and their two illegitimate lovers walk into a bar…

Actually, President Clinton and Rev. Steve Sabin of Ames share more than just space on the front page of the Des Moines Register. Both men are leaders of people. Both men are expected to live respectable, upstanding lives, tell the truth and live by the law of God and man. Most importantly, both men are being accused of sexual misconduct.

President Clinton’s alleged extramarital escapades with intern Monica Lewinsky have littered the pages of our newspapers and magazines for the past few weeks.

Rev. Sabin, an openly gay pastor at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Ames, got some ink when he was ousted because of his long term, monogamous relationship with another man. According to the rules of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, heterosexual ministers are allowed to marry, but gay ministers are denied that privilege.

Yet another common point between the two cases is evident. Despite the accusations that his 24-year-old former intern performed sexual favors for him and allegations of an indecent history with Gennifer Flowers, Clinton’s approval ratings are soaring higher than the American eagle. According to a poll in the February 6 issue of the Des Moines Register, 64 percent of Iowans think he is doing a fine job as president of our country.

If all the ballyhoo turns out to be true, and he is indeed guilty of having an affair, 71 percent of Iowans say it doesn’t affect his ability to lead.

The Rev. Sabin is also being raised on the shoulders of his congregation for support. In the Feb. 4 Des Moines Register, church council member Marty Kelly estimated that 90 percent of the church members plan to stand by their man. The church will consider the pulpit to be vacant, said Doug Mose of the Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministers in Washington, D.C., and the congregation’s behavior could result in loss of financial support from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Despite encouraging support from his parishioners, Sabin will no longer be listed on the Lutheran clergy roster as of April 15.

What’s the difference between the two cases? Besides the obvious, that is. Most people have noted that one relationship is homosexual, while the other is heterosexual (or “others” — probably the most accurate term for our president, Mr. Discreet).

One is monogamous and long term, while the other falls into the short-lived, home-wrecking rendezvous category. One relationship was formed knowing that it was against the laws of the church. The other was formed crossing not only the church law, but mocking his vow to “honor and obey.”

Apparently, it’s acceptable for a minister to be a homosexual, just not a practicing one. In a way, it’s like the army — don’t ask, don’t tell. Meanwhile, the American public hardly blinks an eyelash at married men and women practicing the act of love on people in addition to the ones they have married.

One man told the truth. And the other? Well, I doubt we’ll ever really know the truth about the shenanigans of President Clinton. I’m not sure if I even want to be aware of all the deeds he’s done, dastardly or otherwise.

The issue of truth is what I find most upsetting. Out of the two situations, who comes out the winner? The good guy is always supposed to win, isn’t he? Whenever we read stories in elementary school, it was consistently the character who told the truth, accepted the challenge, or treated the downtrodden kindly that was rewarded in the end.

Steve Sabin told the truth. Now he has a little more than two months to tell of the truth, the way and the light before he’s out of a job and out of his church.

The moral of the story? I wish we still had them.

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Joanne Roepke is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Aurora.