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Adultery: No
Longer Shameful?
What does habitual and rampant adultery tell us about a person and a nation?
by Melvin Rhodes
Sordid scandals among the elite of
society have dominated the news lately in several countries. It seems that extramarital
relationships and political power go together. Some politicians abuse their position
by taking sexual advantage of others. However, their supposed victims are not always
blameless. To be able to boast of a relationship with a famous figure appeals to
their vanity.
As King Solomon was inspired to write 3,000 years ago, "there is nothing new
under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Solomon was an authority on having multiple
bed partners; the Bible tells us that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1Kings 11:3).
Solomon might have excused himself by claiming that he was only following the lead
of other monarchs in the Middle East at the time for whom multiple wives and concubines
were a sign of status and prestige. But he should have known better. After all, he
had access to the true God. The Bible also tells us that Solomon's pursuit of many
women of various religions led to idolatry and "turned away his heart"
from God.
More recently King Charles II of Great Britain (1660-85) was publicly known as a
philanderer. He left illegitimate heirs, but no children to take the throne. Charles
had apparently been influenced by the French court of Louis XIV. Like most European
monarchs at the time, "Louis lived an atheist and died a Catholic" (Durant,
The Age of Louis XIV). Religion was not taken seriously, and deathbed repentances
were common.
In contrast, Queen Victoria (1837-1901) was a pillar of rectitude. She was a committed
family woman, remaining faithful to Prince Albert and not even remarrying after his
death. But her son and successor earned a dubious reputation.
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