BY AKPOTOHWO OGECHUKWU
Adultery is one of the biblical reasons for divorce. But do you also know that this law was given by Moses to the Israelites because of the hardness of their hearts? Do we need a reminder that every act of adultery is unacceptable in the eyes of God irrespective of the sex involved? In some African traditions, a cheating wife will land her husband six feet down mother earth. Many men have lost their lives as a result of infidelity on the part of their wives. Is this law balanced since the law is supposedly an axe that should cut either ways?
Every act of infidelity should be openly discouraged as it is a sin against humanity. While the women are at the receiving ends, the men are as free as the bird to launch into any woman of their choice. This, no doubt, is one major cause of breakage of homes.
Over the years, traditions have made women to keep mum over the illicit activities of their husbands with numerous daughters of eve. In these present times, such traditions should no long hold sway as we are more enlightened through Christianity, education and civilisation.
Marriage is the joining of just a man and a woman and not a man and many women. Logically, it is not an easy task to cope with one human being how much more two. A quick question to the men who cheat on their wives with reckless abandon is “how do you do it”? Do you sell your conscience while doing it? Have you ever stopped to think how hurt your wife will be when she finds out that you are a snake under a green grass?
Husbands have been enjoined to love their wives as themselves. Maybe you need a reminder that you and your wife are one body and whatever you do to her, you do yourself. Cheating on your wife presupposes cheating on yourself.
There are no doubts that innumerable and incurable sexually transmitted diseases are out there. Some of them are more dangerous than the dreaded HIV/AIDS. Some are not even curable. If maybe you hate your own body, maybe you should love your wife’s body.
Cheating on your wife is not only injustice to her but to you and your unborn generation. To the average man to whom it seems impossible to eat only one food as some people are quick and proud to say that “men are polygamous in nature”; you need to count your teeth with your tongue. Biting more than one can chew is always disastrous
The truth is that not every woman wants to hurt her husband. Although some women are dare devils and will do anything to destroy any man that will dare to cheat on her. It is hoped that you are not unlucky to fall into the unwelcoming hands of such a woman. If your wife is aware that you are cheating and she knows that your tradition spells doom for you if she cheats on you, do you think she may not go overboard and tear you apart?
If you are a self acclaimed Christian but engaged in backyard match with women, do you think your hypocrisy, lies and deceit will hold water for long? You may think you are no longer held down by tradition and that you serve a God who is abundant in mercy, do you think you will escape the wrath of the devil when he is finished with you and want a new toy to toy with? God may have allowed you go unscathed from your numerous adulterous escapades but do not forget that HE is a consuming fire.
A change is therefore needed from the side of both man and wife. This will go a long way to restore sanity to homes in particular and the society in general. If you believe you are under a spell and cannot cope with one woman or one man then you need to go for help. We no longer live in ancient times when the world needs to be populated; hence polygamy was allowed. Now the world is in search of stringent measures to control birth and bring the world’s population under control. So you no longer should be in need of many women in your life. One wife is one too many.
