The public fascination with sex goes back to the Garden of Eden. It has been an issue in virtually every presidential campaign, and at the root of most great British scandals as well. Why?
Because sex outside of marriage is inherently titillating; and there is endless public fascination with the subject—and always has been. America is no more obsessed with sex scandals than the Greeks and Romans were.
From the Christian perspective, sex outside of marriage does violate God’s commands. It is a sin that Christians should go to great length to avoid. Sex out of marriage may seem glamorous and adventuresome; but the fact is somebody is always hurt.
For those who do transgress, the church has means for restoring that person to a right relationship with God. It is called genuine repentance, mending of ones ways, and a commitment to live righteously. This is serious business when the church deals properly with sinful behavior.
Is infidelity a public matter? It had always been considered to have public consequences until the Clinton era when many began to say otherwise. This is a modern form of dualism, where we see our bodies as instruments of pleasure. We can do with them as we will. But this denies one of the cardinal truths of the Christian understanding of the unity of body, soul, and spirit.
Voters would have every right to question whether a politician who cheats on his wife or her husband would cheat on his or her constituents. Private behavior inevitably has public consequences.
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