How can adultery be a mortal sin when it can beget new life?

[gmcbroom]

Hello,
I have a strange question. Okay as far as I believe I think GOD creates life. Now we open that blessed door for life to enter through making love. That is why it is vital that married people have sex. However, what has happened in the ancient days as well as today is 2 people become attracted to each other. They have unprotected sex and the woman becomes pregnant. This is clearly ordained because God allowed the life to form. This is why abortion isn’t good because we thwart Gods plan. However, the sad fact is that I’ve known atleast 3 women that were married at that time, and the man is usually a close friend or co worker. The husbands all found out and did the honorable thing they divorced. The women then were free to stay with the biological father of the children. And they grew in happiness (atleast from my observations), and the now ex-husbands usually fell into deep depression.
Atlast we arrive at my question. Is adultery truly a Mortal sin since God did allow the creation of life? Further more, This could have been set in motion so that the children could come into being and serve God’s purpose; hidden though it is at the time.Clearly it is a moral issue. Note this did occur in the old testament though somewhat reversed a king was involved I believe. That doesn’t make it right, just factual. I think its easy for people to blame men but women are just as culpable. There was even a private study a few years ago at a hospital where they DNA tested the children and the mother and father. They found that 30% to 40% of the babies born were not related to the father. Its sad but true. So clearly the moral fabric of mankind has shifted and not for the best.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

You say that God creates life. So far so good.

You say that God opens that blessed door for life to enter through making love. Not so fast! God opens that door as the result of a man and a woman loving each other to the point of giving themselves totally to each other—which means until death. It can’t be total for a night or a week, etc. Some people open the door themselves because they lust for each other. This is not love. It’s not even making love. It is lust. God allows us the freedom to sin in order to have the freedom to choose Him and what He wants of us. Because God allows people to steal from one another doesn’t mean that He approves of stealing—anymore than He approves of adultery.

Unprotected sex is a misnomer. What is it that is protected? To protect is to take care of or to guard from harm. Using a contraceptive doesn’t protect anybody. All it does is hide a lustful act, not to mention being an abortifacient. No one is protected from any harm—especially the fetus.

So you speak of a woman who becomes pregnant from and adulterous act and you say that this is ordained by God because God allowed a new life to form. So here we are back at the logic that because God allows theft, He ordains it. Not so!

Abortion is not allowed because it thwarts God’s plan, since it is the taking of
innocent life. The Sixth Commandment condemns adultery because it is the taking
of what rightfully belongs to another. Adultery is a mortal sin because it is principally a sin against justice.

In your story about three women, they all committed adultery, became pregnant and
left their husbands. The husbands had no choice. I don’t see anything honorable in that.

Those women were NOT free to enter into a new marriage. You say that the
women married and grew in happiness. The lie cannot produce lasting happiness. Sooner or later the truth always wins out because it is the only thing that is real. The lie eventually is always seen for what it is not.

You reference to the Old Testament is about King David who committed adultery
and then had the woman’s husband killed. God was not pleased and did not let the
child live.

The moral fabric of mankind hasn’t shifted. Humans have been morally weak since the fall. It’s only God’s grace AND OUR WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE WITH IT that enables us to live according to His will.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.