Adultery stories are running rampant in the past few days. In Canada, a Baptist minister is embroiled in an adultery situation and in New York, controversy is erupting concerning an autobiography that details the adulterous behavior of a New York bishop. In Colorado, the Fort Collins area is dealing with rampant adultery and subsequent murder that occurred within the department related to adultery. Shawna Nelson killed her rival, the wife of her paramour, who also worked in law enforcement. Republican politicians are expressing concern that the media became involved in reporting the adulterous actions of Presidential candidate John McCain. McCain has a history of adulterous activities, the recent controversy concerned his relations with a lobbyist. I was always under the impression that if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
The problems are not limited to Christian oriented nations either. In Baharain, a wife is complaining that her husband commits adultery at home, by locking her in a closet and entertaining his girlfriends. In Kuwait, two men and a woman were caught by police armed with search warrants for the behavior. While all these events are occurring, in Boston, efforts are underway to remove any legal penalties or ramifications for adultery. Jokes used to be made that particular behaviors were “banned in Boston”, but it seems that when it comes to adultery which is a world-wide problem, that Boston is wanting to remove any stigma from the behavior. Boston does is not alone in their efforts. Some lawmakers in South Korea are attempting to de-criminalize adultery as well.
Adultery is a form of theft. It involves the stealing of affections and loyalties. The emotions it arouses are strong. I often tell clients that affairs are a matter of life and death. Although they may think that is over dramatic, just look at incidents like the one involve Shawna Nelson above. The likelihood of murder is higher for affair situations than non-affair situations. Historically, up until the last century to century and a half, the act of adultery was a capital crime that carried stiff punishments. In the 21st century some communities, like Boston and South Korea think that it is archaic to have adultery laws, yet the victims of passion killings are proof that the feelings aroused are very real, whether they make adultery a crime or not.
Best Regards,
Jeffrey Murrah
