Adultery in the mind. Adultery occurs when a person engaged in sacred matrimony has relationships with a person other than his or her spouse. This is a breach of the monogamy pact, which denotes as a betrayal of the oath made to the church, to the witnesses, and, above all, to his partner himself.
Religions such as Christianity and Catholicism strongly reject adultery, this being an act disobedient to the law of God. At this point, we can ask ourselves at what point can we consider that a person has committed adultery, is it strictly considered adultery when extramarital relations are consummated?
Is it possible to commit adultery with thought?
Many people might answer no, arguing that adultery is purely an act and not a thought in essence. At this stage, we could lead to a discussion about the margins that allow us to know when a person commits adultery or not.
To make a reference on this subject, we can turn to the Bible, where, in Matthew 5:27-30, we can make the following reading:
” 27 You heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery. 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 Therefore, if your right eye is an occasion to fall, take it out, and cast it out of you; For it is better for you that one of your limbs be lost, and not that your whole body be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand is an occasion to fall, cut it off, and throw it out of you; for it is better for you that one of your limbs should be lost, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.“
Starting from this reading, we will understand that adultery is born and conscious in the mind itself, so the clear act of maintaining this type of thought, traces sin. Any person who covets another as he should with his partner, can be considered as an adulteress.
We could say that adultery begins with a thought and ends with the adulterous act. Hence, we can conceive that people who commit such an act do so from the moment they consent to these ideas with their minds.
Is it wrong to think of someone other than our partner?
Everything will depend on the actions behind each thought. A person who has sworn his love to his partner in sacred marriage, should learn to undo these kinds of ideas and stop consenting to them. We assume that a person who decides to marry another must keep his covenant forever, unless he decides to formally separate from his partner.
It is understandable that a person can have impure thoughts, because his true responsibility lies in what he decides to do with the impulses of his body and mind itself. For, even in thought, everyone must take responsibility for what he ultimately decides.
Another point to consider is the agreements that each couple considers, although in the law of God, any practice that traces adultery, whether in thought in action itself, will be immediately repudiated.
The Commandments of God’s Law
Another review we can make to support this analysis refers us to the reading of the commandments of God’s law. In this regard, its 9th commandment states that:
‘You shall not indulge impure thoughts or desires’
A person who obeys God’s law should not consent to impure thoughts or desires. Desiring another person is, in this sense, a sin in God’s eyes. Every couple who comes to have this type of thought, must reflect and correct the course of their ideas.
On the other hand, the 6th commandment tells us:
‘Thou shalt not commit impure acts‘
Impure thoughts are, under the reading of this commandment, an act rejected in God’s law. Every person who even considers the idea of adultery is sinning before God and the church. Therefore, adultery is a negative act from its mere consideration.
The couple’s agreements
We have begun to read a lot these days about various terms such as polyamory or open relationships. Meanwhile, we know that the couple can define their margins and their agreements respectively. However, the case of Catholic or Christian marriages is not the same case in this regard.
Outside this context -of the Christian and Catholic religions-, the agreements of the couple are elementary to understand how it will delimit its limits. With this, we may find that some relationships are able to receive a third party in their sex-sentimental exchanges.
In these types of scenarios, we can notice that adultery does not figure in the same way it would on the map of a Catholic marriage. They are, in this sense, the agreements of the couple, which will allow them to know when an act could be considered as adultery, or in simpler words, a violation of their agreements.
Conclusion
Adultery can occur in the mind, as part of the thoughts that a person may experience. The task, at this point, is to reflect on what has been experienced and understand whether or not these thoughts converge with their principles.. If it is a person who obeys God’s law, he must, as soon as possible, annul all these thoughts..
There may be adultery in the mind, although this will depend, first, on the principles that the person has regarding the subject.. Some cases may not have problems with having these types of thoughts, understanding that we can feel attraction to someone., but that there is a big gap between what you feel and what you do.
In either case, adultery in the mind is a treated conception, of which we can find multiple interpretations about it.
The important thing, in all possible scenarios, is to understand what is the margin that represents our interests, and on this, learn to relate to the partner we select for us respectively.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adultery
Read more: What is adultery in the Bible?; Adultery in Florida; What is committing adultery?; What is adultery; Differences between concubinage and adultery; Adultery in Puerto Rico; Is adultery a crime in Florida?; Types of Adultery in Islam