Over the last two months, it seems you can’t go anywhere without coming across some news about the Tiger Woods scandal. Despite the fact that his deeds and behavior tend to be typical of celebrity athletes, the world continues to be shocked by his repeated extramarital affairs. Why?

I have a theory of my own. It may not be the right theory, but I’m going to share it with you anyway. It’s golf. Golf has long been considered an upper-class sport. Despite the dramatic humor raised in Adam Sandler’s film, Happy Gilmore, about an obnoxious hockey-turned-golf player, golf tends to be a laid-back sport, that despite its large fan-following, doesn’t attract raucous fans and weekend tailgaters.

Tiger Woods changed the face of golf when he stormed onto the green back in 1992, a sixteen year old boy who knew exactly who he was and where he was going.

He enjoyed a great amount of success, winning more then seventy PGA tournaments, as well as a variety of other competitive titles during his seventeen year career. His innovative style and drive put him in the spotlight, revolutionizing the sport of golf in a way no other golfer ever had, but being the spotlight eventually sheds light in areas of a person’s life they may not want to share with the public.

Despite being married to a beautiful former Swedish model, with whom he fathered two children during their five years of marriage, Tiger Woods is still human. I’m not a she-woman man-hater in any way, shape or form, but men in the types of career positions that require travel and exposure to the spotlight tend to cheat. Not only do they spend long weeks, sometimes even months away from their home and family, but they are also exposed to temptation. While I’d like to say it is excusable, maybe these men shouldn’t get married if they aren’t really ready to settle down and be family men.

By now you’re probably asking yourself where this is going. Well, Fox News political analyst Brit Hume noted Sunday that the only way Tiger Woods, who is a known Buddhist, could recover as a person from his misdeeds would be by turning to Christianity. This, from a political analyst… I’m a little confused, but everyone’s entitled to their own viewpoint. Maybe by joining a spiritual community, Woods could learn forgiveness, but the spiritual teachings of the Buddha also teach forgiveness. Buddhism also teaches about karma: the result of consequence brought on by one’s actions, and you can guarantee that Woods is already reaping the consequences of his infidelity a thousandfold. He’s lost his wife, his family, tarnished his reputation, alienated sponsors and subjected himself to an onslaught of media criticism that would make most normal people weep like babies.

What religion and golf have to do with one another is debatable, and whether or not Tiger Woods decides to embrace Christianity is really his business, but I personally think he can recover as an individual no matter what religious affiliations he makes. And maybe, just maybe, if we stepped back from the celebrity spotlight to focus on our own lives long enough, we might gain greater understanding about ourselves as individuals long enough to realize we’re all human. We all make mistakes, and forgiveness is a human concept designed to help us hold on to the connections in our lives.

If it makes any difference at all, I forgive you Tiger.