July 17, 2019
RE: Freedom requires Responsibilities before Rights
My dear friends,
In the world of ancient texts, it is perhaps The Iliad that speaks best to the pitfalls of the subject of adultery. The Greeks must have frowned upon taking of another's wife as one of the greatest crimes.
So much so, that it is the overarching conflict of the epic Greek poem, The Iliad. The taking of Helen, "the face that sailed a thousand ships", sent her husband Agamemnon into a rage. Her further betrothal to Paris caused Agamemnon to organize his Greek friends and eventually sack the City of Troy. As a result, it is not hard to see why there might be a law against taking another man's wife.
In that time, women, especially married women, were considered property. Marriage was a transfer of the woman from being the property of her father, to being the property of her husband. I have no doubt that even as property, one's spouse would be one's most coveted and prized possession.
Today, many of us are fortunate to live in a free society. We have instituted equality, emancipation, and suffrage for all, once they have reached legal adult age. It is clear to understand that interference with the most intimate relationships of others would be a major disruptive issue and possibly result in desperate and extraordinary measures.
It is best to have a stern warning to go along with that. Once freedom is introduced for all people the element of property is removed, and we consider that people can enter into relationships of their own free will. Further, divorce has been formalized to improve the fairness of the process. Emancipation and suffrage have changed the worldview of women and others from the prospect of being property into being free citizens. We still recognize and appreciate the sanctity of marriage as an agreement, which is taken so seriously that this promise is made before friends and family.
In addition, science has come up with safer sex practices, and more people are emancipated and have decided to remain single. Additionally, society has moved to relax many laws surrounding sexual practices. As we understand, freedom is about being given the opportunity to participate in any and all activities, with the ongoing responsibility to do those activities in a safe and responsible way. Sex is an activity that needs such caution, as does the use of drugs, firearms, explosives, and chemicals among many other things.
I am aware that included in the subject of sex there are many other issues. However, I can't cover them all here; those topics are already well covered by others. I pray, "As we continue to learn as a society, that we can establish systems to free ourselves of our taboos through scientific and thoughtful understanding and we can safely engage in adult activities with care and benevolence."
| # | Statement | Reason |
| 1 | Thou shalt not commit adultery |
7th Commandment- Biblical Law of Moses |
| 2 | False = Not True Adultery - Consensual intercourse between two people, at least one of which is married to another or an unemancipated minor child. |
Proposed definition -That preserves all legal rights and options. |
| 3 | Children cannot consent to or participate in adult designated activities such as sex, drugs, alcohol consumption, and the use of firearms, explosives and chemicals. |
Rule - Children cannot consent. |
| 4 | Adultery is not the same as all sex. God knows the difference between different types of sex. And his use of language anticipates Emancipation of women and slaves. |
Speaking to God's knowledge |
| 5 | Emancipation = Being a free person operating with rights | Definition |
| 6 | Why? The largest contention is pregnancy, because an adulterous lust child will become an ongoing long lasting issue. |
Reason - Rule of Staying Power |
| 7 | The chance of damage to a family and an on going feud, is much too high a risk. Not to mention the damage to the resultant child. |
Reason |
| 8 | As with any activity that is intimate, caution and proper safety are required. Pregnancy and diseases can, and often do, occur in casual encounters. |
Safety, good hygiene, and Medicine |
| 9 | It's encourage to love and know one another before considering sex; there is really no hurry. Some might think, "I know what I am doing!", "I'll do what I want." Just be careful, there is no arrogance needed. |
Statement/Recommendation |
| 10 | Monogamy = practice of having one exclusive sexual partner for an extended period of time. |
Definition |
| 11 | Other safe sex practices have emerged that can also greatly reduce Safe sex practice ,modem family planning theory |
Safe sex practice , modem family planning theory |
| 12 | Healthy partners in monogamous relationships significantly reduces the risk of STDs |
Monogamy Theory |
| 13 | Promiscuity and infidelity are major contributors to the downfall of families. | Known issues. Break up statistics as necessary |
| 14 | If you love your family and want to keep it strong, don't commit adultery. | Conclusion |
| 15 | Adultery has led to death and even wars. The Trojan War being the best known war over Adultery |
The Iliad |
| 16 | There are many adult activities that free people engage in which require wisdom. (Responsibility) |
Good advice |
| 17 | People may choose to stay emancipated or commit to a marital relationship and there are many other relationship practices to consider. |
Personal decision |