Arguing that prosecutors should not be digging into what willing adults do behind closed doors, New York Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D) is sponsoring a bill to overturn a 1907 law that makes it illegal for a married person to cheat on his or her spouse.
"We've come a long way since intimate relationships between consenting adults are considered immoral," he reasons.
But Dr. Alex McFarland, co-host of AFR's "Exploring the Word" program, does not think that is a good thing.
"We have fallen a long distance in that we've deviated so far from the objective moral code that was the foundation of our country," he submits. "But while society changes and time goes by, the fact is truth doesn't change, and there's not a one of us that has the wherewithal to declassify what God calls sin."
Outside of the marriage between one man and one woman, God's Word specifies that sexual intimacy is sin. Additionally, the family pays a price when adultery is committed.
"Volumes of research show that children fare better when they are raised in the family of their biological mother and biological father," Dr. McFarland notes.
If a marriage partner feels the urge to violate wedding vows by having an affair, he believes the potential damage that would do to the marriage and to the children should be sufficient motivation for the person considering it to say no.
Adultery bans are still on the books in several states across the U.S., though charges are rare and convictions even rarer. They were traditionally enacted to reduce the number of divorces at a time when a cheating spouse was the only way to secure a legal split. Divorce in the Bible is only considered under the circumstance of sexual immorality.
New York's bill to repeal its ban has already passed the Assembly and is expected to soon pass the Senate before it can move to the governor's office for a signature.
