Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Gallup poll says adultery "least morally acceptable"

Over 90% say so.

But why is that?  The prohibition against adultery is one of the 10 Commandments, is it not?  Haven't we all become rather secularized?  Why should something like this be the exception?  Well, perhaps they didn't ask about the other nine.

A closer look indicates that this really wasn't that kind of poll.  It wasn't a poll about the 10 Commandments.  Then what to make of this particular finding?

Let's speculate, shall we?  Isn't marriage the most intimate of relationships?  It will affect you personally on the most profound level, does it not?  If you are married, then your wellbeing depends upon this relationship being sound and secure, does it not?

It is a rational evaluation then, since it affect one personally, while the others in the poll not so much.  Rational, but also selfish.  Indeed it is.

People want loyalty from another person because it affects them personally.  This is in keeping with the rest of societal attitudes that whatever goes on outside of one's own skin is of no concern.  Adultery may be seen in this way as no comfort at its disapproval in terms of morality because the rest of societal attitudes don't fall in line with it.  End of speculation.

Is it okay to be extremely selfish, then?  It wasn't asked, but one would wonder what the result of that poll would be.


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