Adultery Series

Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5:27-30 (Adultery)

Jesus states, "Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery."

Adultery

Matthew 5:27–30 — The New International Version (NIV) 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Sex and the law

Adultery (from Latin adulterium) is extramarital sex considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept exists in many cultures and is similar in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Adultery is viewed by many jurisdictions as offensive to public morals, undermining the marriage relationship.

Historically, many cultures considered adultery a very serious crime, some subject to severe punishment, usually for the woman and sometimes for the man, with penalties including capital punishment, mutilation, or torture. Such punishments have gradually fallen into disfavor, especially in Western countries from the 19th century. In countries where adultery is still a criminal offense, punishments range from fines to caning and capital punishment. Since the 20th century, criminal laws against adultery have become controversial, with most Western countries decriminalizing adultery.

However, even in jurisdictions that have decriminalized adultery, it may still have legal consequences, particularly in jurisdictions with fault-based divorce laws, where adultery almost always constitutes a ground for divorce and may be a factor in property settlement the custody of children, the denial of alimony, etc. Adultery is not a ground for divorce in jurisdictions that have adopted a no-fault divorce model.

International organizations have called for the decriminalization of adultery, especially in the light of several high-profile stoning cases in some countries. The head of the United Nations expert body charged with identifying ways to eliminate laws that discriminate against women or are discriminatory to them in terms of implementation or impact, Kamala Chandrakirana, has stated that: "Adultery must not be classified as a criminal offense at all." A joint statement by the United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice states, "Adultery as a criminal offense violates women's human rights."

Most countries that criminalize adultery are those where the dominant religion is Islam and several Sub-Saharan African Christian-majority countries. In Muslim countries that follow Sharia law for criminal justice, the punishment for adultery may be stoning. In fifteen countries, stoning is authorized as lawful punishment, though in recent times, it has been legally carried out only in Iran and Somalia. However, there are some notable exceptions to this rule, namely the Philippines and several U.S. states. In some jurisdictions, having sexual relations with the King's wife or the wife of his eldest son constitutes treason.

Age of consent

The age of consent is the age at which a person is legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent cannot legally claim that the sexual activity was consensual. Such sexual activity may be considered child sexual abuse or statutory rape. The person below the minimum age is considered the victim, and their sex partner the offender. However, some jurisdictions provide exceptions through "Romeo and Juliet laws" if both participants are underage. One purpose of setting an age of consent is to protect an underage person from sexual advances.

The term age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes. ? Generally, a law will establish the age below which it is illegal to engage in sexual activity with that person. It has sometimes been used with other meanings, such as the age at which a person becomes competent to consent to marriage. However, consent to sexual activity is the meaning now generally understood. It should not be confused with other laws regarding age minimums, including, but not limited to, the age of majority, age of criminal responsibility, voting age, drinking age, and driving age.

Age of consent laws varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, though most jurisdictions set the age of consent in the range of 14 to 18. The laws may also vary by the type of sexual act, the gender of the participants, or other considerations, such as involving a position of trust; some jurisdictions may also make allowances for minors engaged in sexual acts with each other, rather than a single age. Charges and penalties resulting from a breach of these laws may range from a misdemeanor, such as corruption of a minor, to what is popularly called statutory rape.