How does God punish adultery? Adultery in divorce. How is adultery different from fornication

Impurity Demon

Every priest periodically has to answer the same question (usually asked by young people): “Why is bodily, carnal relations between a man and a woman outside of marriage considered a sin? After all, all this is done by mutual agreement, no harm or damage is caused to anyone. Here adultery is another matter: it is treason, the destruction of the family. What's wrong here?"

First, let's remember what sin is. “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). That is a violation of the laws of spiritual life. And the violation of both physical and spiritual laws leads to trouble, to self-destruction. Nothing good can be built on sin, on error. If a serious engineering miscalculation was made during the foundation of the house, the house will not stand idle for a long time; such a house was once built in our holiday village and collapsed a year later.

Holy Scripture calls sexual relations outside of marriage fornication and classifies them among the most serious sins: “Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor malocides (that is, those engaged in masturbation. – P.G.), nor homosexuals ... they will not inherit the kingdom of God ”(1 Cor. 6: 9-10). They will not inherit unless they repent and stop fornication. For those who have fallen into fornication, church canonical rules, for example, Saints Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, are also very strict: they are forbidden to receive communion until they repent and undergo penance. I will keep silent about the timing of penance. Such a modern person simply can not stand it.

Why does the Church view the sin of fornication with such severity, and what is the danger of this sin?

It must be said that carnal, intimate intercourse between a man and a woman has never been forbidden by the Church, on the contrary, it has been blessed, but only in one case - if it is a marriage union. And, by the way, not only married, but simply a prisoner under civil laws. Indeed, even in the first centuries of Christianity, there was a problem when one of the spouses accepted Christianity, while the other (or the other) did not yet. The Apostle Paul did not allow such spouses to divorce, recognizing that this is also a marriage, albeit without the blessing of the Church.

The same apostle writes about matrimonial bodily relations: like a wife to her husband. The wife has no power over her body, but the husband; likewise, the husband has no power over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a time, for the exercise in fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance ”(1 Cor. 7: 3-5).

The Lord blessed the marriage union, blessed the carnal fellowship in it, which serves to procreate. Husband and wife are no longer two, but "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). The presence of marriage is another (albeit not the most important) difference between us and animals. Animals don't get married. A female can copulate with any male, even with her own children when they grow up. People have a marriage - mutual responsibility, obligations to each other and to children.

Bodily relationships are a very powerful experience, and they serve to increase the affection of the spouses. “Your attraction to your husband” (Gen. 3:16) is said about the wife, and this mutual attraction of the spouses also helps to strengthen their union.

But what is blessed in marriage is a sin, a violation of the commandment, if done outside of marriage. The marital union unites a man and a woman into “one flesh” (Eph. 5:31) for mutual love, the birth and upbringing of children. But the Bible also tells us that in fornication people are also united into “one flesh”, but only in sin and lawlessness - for sinful pleasure and irresponsibility: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I, therefore, take the members from Christ, to make them the members of a harlot? Let it not! Or do you not know that he who copulates with a prostitute becomes one body with her? (1 Corinthians 6:15-16).

Indeed, every lawless carnal relationship inflicts a deep wound on the soul and body of a person, and when he wants to marry, it will be very difficult for him to carry this burden and the memory of past sins.

Fornication unites people, but in order to defile their bodies and souls.

Love between a man and a woman is possible only in marriage, where people give each other vows of fidelity and mutual responsibility before God and all people. Neither simple sexual relations, nor cohabitation with one partner in the now fashionable “civil marriage” does not give a person real happiness. Because marriage is not only bodily intimacy, but also spiritual unity, love and confidence beloved person. It is clear that neither promiscuity nor cohabitation without registration can give this. No matter how beautiful words the lovers of “civil marriage” hide behind, their relationship is based on one thing - mutual distrust, insecurity in their feelings, fear of losing “freedom”. Fornicating people rob themselves; instead of taking the open, blessed path, they try to steal happiness from the back door. A priest very experienced in family life once said that those who live out of wedlock are like people who, having put on priestly vestments, dare to serve the liturgy; they want what is not rightfully theirs.

Statistics show that marriages in which there was a period of cohabitation before marriage break up much more often than those where the spouses did not have such experience. And this is understandable and understandable: sin cannot lie in the foundation of a family building. After all, the bodily communication of the spouses is given to them as a reward for their patience and purity. Young people who do not keep themselves until marriage are lax, weak-willed people. If they did not deny themselves anything before marriage, then they will just as easily and freely go “to the left” already in marriage.

Keep your heart

Where does the sin of fornication begin? “Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). That's where passion begins. A person lets it into the heart, delights in it, and there it is not far from bodily sin.

Yes, sin comes from the heart, but somehow it also gets into the heart. It comes from several sources. Fornication, as the holy fathers say, is directly related to the sin that we talked about in the previous article - with the passion of gluttony, bodily satiety and excessive drinking of wine. "Temperance breeds chastity, but gluttony is the mother of fornication." Let us also remember: “Do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery” (Eph. 5:18). Indulgence is a carnal passion, and it can be curbed by accustoming the flesh to abstinence and moderation. Fatty, well-fed, spicy food, drinking plenty of wine - all this makes the blood very hot, causes the game of hormones, excites. This is a well known fact.

Another factor that influences the rampage of the flesh is the lack of sight and other senses. Of course, we do not yet have such a monstrous depravity in which ancient Rome was buried, although we are approaching this. But Rome certainly did not know such propaganda and advertising of this sin. Much has already been said about this in the article on the media. Not only television (at least you can turn off the TV), but the streets of our cities are filled with images of naked bodies. Moreover, shameless billboards sometimes “decorate” the most intense tracks. I think that the accident rate near such posters increases several times. One Moscow priest somehow could not stand it, brought a large staircase and wrote on a huge obscene poster in black paint: “Luzhkov, are you the mayor of Sodom?” Of course, all this is being done to decompose and weaken the nation. Known fact: Hitler distributed pornography and contraceptives in the occupied territories. Moreover, pornography was banned in Germany itself.

Is it possible to protect ourselves from all this filth that literally haunts us at every turn? Difficult, but possible. The Lord does not give trials beyond our strength. And the person who wants to keep his soul and body clean can do it even in Sodom, like the righteous Lot.

First, what needs to be done is to reduce the number of sources of temptation to a minimum. Second: do not fix your attention on irritating objects, do not cling to them. Do not devour seductive pictures with your eyes, but learn to glide over them with your eyes, as if not noticing them.

And third: not only not to show special attention to temptations, but also to change their attitude towards them, to perceive them as something neutral. Let me give you an example to explain my thought. Although I have a fairly serious driving experience, I still suffer from inattention and distraction on the road. On the way, I can stare at something interesting, unusual, and this has let me down more than once. And I worked out a rule, I made a vow to myself: while driving, follow only the traffic situation, signs, instrument readings, and do not fix your eyes on everything else, distracting, as if glancing at objects without stopping for a long time on them. In ordinary, non-automotive life, such a technique also helps to preserve vision. When you meet something unprofitable, defiantly seductive, you cannot help but see it (although it is useful to look away), but you can not look at it, not stop looking. Of course, this requires a certain skill. But then, purely automatically, you begin to weed out what you don’t need to look at.

Another important way to keep yourself from temptations is to change your attitude towards things that tempt you. Things in themselves are neutral; what makes them good or bad is our attitude towards them. For example, a woman can be viewed as an object of desire, or (even if she is not very modestly dressed) as something neutral. St. Theophan the Recluse writes about this: “What if, while living in society, it is impossible not to look at wives? But after all, not just looking at his wife commits adultery, but looking with lust. Watch - look, and keep your heart on a leash. Look through the eyes of children who look at women purely, without evil thoughts.

A being of the opposite sex can be viewed as a sister or mother (brother or father), but not as something that kindles lust in us. After all, very often we ourselves are ready to open the soul of passion. But if it is locked, it will be difficult for a seductive image, the picture to penetrate inside. If a man has a wife, there can be only one woman for him - a spouse. He can only love her as a woman, all the rest have no gender. He must see in other women only human, not feminine. The enemy is very strong, and from an indiscreet look, easy flirting to adultery is one step. It is necessary to keep clean not only sight, but also the mind. Impure, prodigal thoughts, like dirt, stain, defile the soul and heart. It is not for nothing that the Monk Ephraim the Syrian called the demon of fornication "the demon of impurity." We have already talked about how to deal with sinful impure thoughts in one of the previous articles.

Everything that was said above refers to thoughts, feelings, desires - the passion of fornication begins with this. The second thing to keep in mind is our behavior. “Woe to the man through whom the stumbling block comes” (Matt. 18:7). Immodest clothes, ambiguous jokes, ease of dealing with the opposite sex - all this can harm not only us, but also other people. And then "woe to us." Whatever we do, we must always think about whether we are unconsciously driven by any passion, and how our behavior will resonate in the heart of another person.

Woe to the world from temptations

Much of our life depends on relations to one problem or another. Even the obvious temptation can be treated quite neutrally. But if you specifically tune yourself in, warm up the passion in yourself, a small push is enough for the passions to break loose.

In our time, both the media and modern literature, art, even education are trying to inspire us with the idea that sin is the norm, and black is white. The sin of fornication is especially vehemently promoted: “Sexual life is necessary for everyone without exception (in various forms), you simply cannot live without it, without it you will never have happiness, health, nothing at all. If a person has sexual organs, they must necessarily act, etc.” You can talk about this for a very long time, but everything is clear and so. Everything turned upside down: sin, perversions - this is not something that needs to be got rid of, but something without which it is impossible to live. The source of all this is also known. We are offered a monstrous lie, and the "father of lies", as you know, is the devil.

Is it possible, while living in this terrible world of debauchery and sin, to maintain purity?

The Gospel, the New Testament, where fornication is called a mortal sin, was written not only for people of the 1st century. It is written for all times and for us Christians of the 21st century. Where did the first Christians live? In the Roman Empire. And Rome has reached such a level of licentiousness, debauchery, sexual perversions, to which our country, thank God, has not yet reached. And yet, Christians were able to save themselves, their families from the onslaught of impurity. And Christianity, despite the most severe persecution, was able to change this world. The empire became Christian at the beginning of the 4th century.

If we are not talking about the times of the first Christians, but about our recent past, then even 20 years ago, much that today's youth considers ridiculous, ridiculous and outdated was the norm. The norm was to start a family. It was the norm for most girls to keep themselves until marriage. Cohabitation without marriage was condemned by society and was extremely rare. So it was in our country, where family traditions did not die even in the godless Soviet times. And in general, any normal person sooner or later understands that the path of licentiousness, permissiveness, destruction of the family is the path to nowhere. America, exhausted by the fruits of the "sexual revolution", turned towards moral, family values. Since 1996, the United States has introduced a program called Teaching Abstinence. $50 million a year is allocated for its implementation. The purpose of this program is to oppose sexual promiscuity, abortion, illegitimate pregnancy, promoting abstinence and explaining to adolescents that it does not harm the body.

In our country, unfortunately, for the time being, on the contrary, the opinion is being inculcated in every way that abstinence is harmful: “If there are organs, they must work at all costs. If there are desires, they must be satisfied. And that's why we overtook everyone in terms of abortions and the number of abandoned children.

A little about the reproductive organs. They are given to us for reproduction, for the reproduction of offspring. And all animal organisms use them for this. Their non-functioning cannot lead to loss of health. For example, a woman may give birth to one child in her life, or may not give birth at all. At the same time, her uterus will remain unclaimed, but this does not mean that the woman will get sick. The human body has mechanisms of self-regulation.

It all depends on our attitude towards the problem of abstinence. If a person decides that he will not be able to live, if he dies without sexual intercourse, it will really be impossible for him to abstain. And one who is tuned to abstinence, keeping himself from temptations, will be able to bear it.

In marriage, temperance must also be learned. After all, there are fasts, periods of pregnancy, illness can happen. There are people whose professional activities involve long business trips. And so it was always, and the spouses somehow endured, humbled themselves. Many godly mothers had many children and during pregnancy and lactation (which is more than two years) did not have carnal fellowship with her husband.

And now even other doctors advise treating certain diseases (for example, prostatitis) with the help of random relationships. If a man does not have a wife, they advise having a mistress to "heal". What can be said here? Prostatitis is not a new disease. But in our time, immorality and licentiousness have captured all strata of society and class, including doctors. No sin can underlie the cure. Sin does not create, it only destroys. Now there are a lot of modern drugs and methods of treatment of male diseases. Unscrupulous doctors sometimes give just terrible advice. One man lost his only child, who was very seriously ill and died in his arms. This man was extremely worried about his grief. In addition, his wife could no longer bear children. He was treated for a long time, turned to psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and this is what they advised him: “Get yourself a mistress, and let her give birth to your child. Or divorce your wife and marry a young one, and you will have children.” Yes, truly "terrible age, terrible hearts!".

God help!

Flesh-burning warfare is a natural thing, there is no need to be afraid of it. Each person feels certain inclinations, movements in his body. But these movements should not get out of hand. Our hormones, our nature must always be kept on a short leash and in a strict collar, otherwise this dog will break out and may bite us.

If we want to fight the lust of the flesh and ask God for help, the Lord will definitely help us. If there is no struggle with the flesh, there will be no reward for the feat.

A certain presbyter Conon often performed the sacrament of baptism. Whenever he had to anoint with holy oil and baptize women, he fell into great embarrassment and for this reason even wanted to leave the monastery. Then Saint John the Baptist appeared to him and said: "Be firm and endure, and I will deliver you from this battle." Once a Persian girl came to him for baptism. She was so beautiful that the presbyter did not dare to anoint her with holy oil. She waited two days. Meanwhile, Presbyter Conon, taking the mantle, withdrew with the words: "I can no longer stay here." But as soon as he ascended the hill, St. John the Baptist met him and said: "Return to the monastery, and I will deliver you from the battle." Conon angrily answered him: “Be sure, I will never return. You promised me this many times, but you never kept your promise.” Then Saint John opened his garments and made the sign of the cross three times. “Believe me, Conon,” said the Baptist, “I wanted you to receive a reward for this battle, but since you did not want to, I will deliver you, but at the same time you are deprived of the reward for the feat.” Returning to the monastery, the presbyter baptized the Persian, as if not noticing that she was a woman. After that, until his death, he performed baptism without any impure arousal of the flesh.

Carnal lust is not accidentally compared with fire, flame. And the holy fathers unanimously say that it is impossible to give her any food (fuel) through the satiety of the flesh, sight, hearing and other senses, and then it will not be difficult to cope with her. A sudden flame that breaks out can be easily trampled down, but it will only take a few minutes and the whole house will be on fire. Anyone who has ever seen a big fire knows how uncontrollable the fiery element is.

(To be continued.)

Adultery is the physical intimacy of people who are married to others. This passion includes prodigal sensations and desires of someone else's body, impure thoughts and conversations in a vulgar manner. It is not only the betrayer who commits adultery, but also the one with whom this sin is committed: guilt and shame lie on both sides.

Fornication and adultery: what is the difference

The apostles say that all unclean deeds and thoughts should not be mentioned at all in the Holy Scriptures. However, the surrounding debauchery has extremely dulled the sense of morality, so that even people brought up in Christianity have premarital sexual relations and divorces.

• The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy is associated, first of all, with adultery, adultery. Yielding to carnal temptations, a person destroys his own family. Passion can be regarded as betrayal, because a marriage is always a sacred union. Relationships are destroyed, everything that was built in love for each other is on the decline.
• Fornication is different in that people enter into a relationship without being married. A person with all his appearance and behavior shows that he has a strong desire to achieve his goal. The prodigal life forces one to violate moral principles and blinds the mind of the individual, violates the law of chastity.

Adulterous persons provoke a large number of problems and disasters. Sin destroys homes and breeds strife, dries up love and goodwill. Libertines deprive themselves of a huge number of benefits and replace them with diabolical troubles.

Orthodox priests say that there is no one more shameful than a person who commits vile adultery.

On a note! Those suspected of treason live with heavy emotions. It seems to them that the table is filled with poisons, and the house is shrouded in countless evil. Such people do not sleep well, the speeches of good friends and the light of the bright sun are not dear to them. They experience suffering not only when they see the adultery of their spouse, but also when they think about it.

Spouses should be very close to each other, so it becomes painful for them when a husband or wife finds himself in the unclean and unlawful service of another person. People who indulge in fornication are highly condemned by the people and religion. Adultery carries a greater punishment because the spouses entered into a sacred pact and swore allegiance to each other.

About the family in Orthodoxy:

Believer in confession

Punishment for adultery

Fornication is called carnal pleasure without causing any harm to another.

The sin of adultery gives rise to slander (lie) and offense to the lawful union. As a punishment, the church may excommunicate the adulterer from communion with the Holy Mysteries for 15 years. Fornicator is prescribed a seven-year term.

Important! The measure of penance (church punishment) is established depending on the state of the person who committed the sin.

• The people highly condemn any manifestation of infidelity, so the adulterer will feel unpleasant conversations on the side.
• Those who have fallen into fornication cannot receive communion until they repent.
• Punishment comes from one's own conscience, which does not allow one to forget the sin for a long time. Cleansing comes only after the destruction of the memory of this event.
• The consequence of the sin of adultery is the suffering that is born after learning about treason. Spouses have to seek a divorce, because it is even more difficult to save a marriage.
• Any prodigal sin closes the gate to the heavenly abode for the soul.
• Adulterers will suffer “a second death in the lake of hell, full of fire and brimstone.
• In the New Testament, the bodies of each person become members of the body of Christ, therefore, the sinner brings dishonor to the Son of God and dissolves the original unity. Having lost the sacred support, a person surrenders to the power of monstrous demons.
• Fornication and adultery build a metaphysical wall through which prayers and forgiveness seep heavily. If he does not take appropriate measures to heal the soul, there is a possibility of falling away from the Church and God forever.
• They turn away from the adulterer, turn away. He is considered an object of shame and contempt, he brings sadness to his parents and is the subject of unflattering reviews.
• The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy is capable of destroying not only the physical, but also the spiritual shell. They annul the laws of morality, which are independent of the will of man.

On a note! Saint Basil, speaking about adultery, did not distinguish between adultery on the part of a wife and a husband. In both cases the sins became mortal and required full repentance.

This position did not take root in the Christian tradition for a long time, because the wife in ancient times did not have the status of a full member of society.

The meaning of the commandment "do not commit adultery"

Against this sin, the sayings of the Holy Fathers and certain passages from the Gospel have special power.

• He who lustfully looks at a woman commits adultery.
• The children of Israel should not be subjected to this passion, since the heavenly abode does not accept people who are impure in heart.
• Bodies in Orthodoxy are regarded as a temple in which the Holy Spirit lives. It is believed that there is nothing in the material world that would belong to us, therefore it is forbidden and unnatural to sin at a party.
• It is necessary to take care of the cleanliness of your body, because the time will come and every Christian will have to answer for the life he has done.
• Adultery is necessarily judged by the Almighty God, but a pure marriage and an immaculate bed is permitted by God.

Causes of adultery and the sin of fornication in Orthodoxy

The most important factor in falling into this dangerous passion is the mental desire for the pleasure of the flesh and a drunken life. The enemy (sin) finds loopholes in the mind of a Christian, if the latter does not drive away evil and lustful thoughts. The soul, having weakened the control over temptations, approaches an unfortunate and ruinous fall.

• The clergy note that those who have already fallen under the power of another passion become adulterers and fornicators. The root of all lust lies in the acquisition of praise and glory.
• Sinfulness increases when people do not protect their bodies from objects of temptation. Pride and vanity, which are rarely noticed by a person, induce to go to fornication for the sake of satisfying one's own lust.
• The apostles call the cause of fornication (fornication) and adultery satiety. When our body is full, the demon of gluttony leaves and invites the unclean spirit of adultery to come and confuse the mind with dirty thoughts, and the body with outflows.
• The spirit of drowsiness also torments the unfortunate enough, because the lazy and drowsy mind is not capable of fully resisting the harsh demon of fornication.
• Often the help of the Almighty departs from those who ask, because they slander, reproach and condemn their neighbors. Going against the brothers, a person is left alone and is unable to resist the destructive temptations.
• The raid of thought is a swift cause, which is practically imperceptible by consciousness. It instantly excites passion without a word or an image.

How to atone for lascivious sin

Each of the passions is capable of capturing the soul and removing it from communion with the Eternal purity of the Lord. If sins unite, it becomes an addition to get out of a dangerous situation, therefore the task of every Orthodox is to destroy all the seeds of sinfulness.

• The first thing is the cleansing of the secrets of the heart, which will make it possible to see God in the soul. He will give instructions and correct advice that will protect from the influence of the sin of fornication. Not a single thought can hide from the Creator, therefore, the desire for fornication or adultery must be destroyed with great shame in the face of the Almighty.
• The clergy teach the laity to be more attentive to feelings and desires. Demons of lustful sinfulness often appear in the form of a useful and good deed. Impure creatures first darken the mind, and then push in what they need.
• Healing will come when thoughts of the opposite sex cease to arouse passion. To reduce the temptation, it is necessary to reduce the time of communication and remove vicious reflections from oneself. The fire of lust flares up precisely in the movement of thought, and not in the body.
• Since the demonic attack is made on the body and soul, one should resist in two ways. Bodily fasting alone is not enough, a layman should constantly meditate on the Holy Scriptures, and also occupy his hands with work or needlework.
• If a temptation arises before a person, he is obliged to find the cause, internal or external, and eradicate it. Chastity implies simplicity in dress and peace of one's own flesh, which will not allow fornication to arise in the mind.

Prayer help:

The work of every Christian is the extermination of a vicious mood. In this way, the believer brings himself closer to true knowledge, purity and bliss.

• A Christian is obliged to avoid the sin of drunkenness, which will allow him to be more vigilant and not let the demon of fornication lead into temptation. It is necessary to cleanse one's own heart, in which, according to Solomon, dwell the sources of life and death. A person needs to become humble and modest, because passions arise from freedom of communication.
• One of the most important weapons in the struggle is to keep feelings within their limits. The Church teaches to move away from the hustle and bustle and concentrate on achieving the main goal - the purification of the heart and mind. Priests give the following advice: things can be treated neutrally, even if they are capable of causing lust. The attitude of the individual to the environment is important.
• A Christian will save his soul from corruption if he manages to avoid communion with the demon of adultery. The enemy should not contradict, absolute ignoring helps. Opposition will only increase the aggression of the impure demon, which will not rest until it is defeated by humility.
• Another way to get rid of fornication is righteous anger. If a Christian sees signs of growing lust in his soul, he should be angry about it. Sympathy will allow sin to stay inside and return in moments of weakness.
• A Christian should not judge the environment, it is important to have patience and meekness. It is morally forbidden for a person to attribute to others what he does not know for certain. The believer is recommended to work only on his own consciousness, clearing the way to the heavenly abodes.
• Confessions and prayers help in the struggle. Often these methods are the last chance of salvation for a deeply entrenched soul.

Important! Young people today fall prey to the "zeitgeist" and rarely know that the consequences of a prodigal life can lead to serious suffering. However, even the most lost soul has a chance to return to God, since Christianity is the religion of resurrection. History knows a large number of examples of the correction of harlots who became saints, performing a colossal feat.

Spiritual and bodily purity (chastity) is a virtue that is the exact opposite of adultery and fornication. Sinful adultery gives suffering to the family and all its members. Fornication does not offend anyone, but leaves the seed of fornication for a long time.

The Church obliges all Orthodox to eradicate this vicious weakness with the help of prayers, confessions and fasts with all their might. Getting rid of prodigal passions opens the way to the Kingdom of Heaven and purifies the mind.

Watch a video about fornication and adultery

In this article, we will talk with you about an important topic today - adultery. Many people have heard that this kind of sin is considered a punishable crime, baseness, dishonor, pollution of the soul, etc. But if you ask: “Adultery - what is it?”, not everyone can clearly answer. Therefore, in order for your knowledge in this area to become more extensive, below we will try to discuss the mentioned issue in as much detail as possible. However, first, let us remember what deeds the church classifies as sinful.

Deadly sins

The list of violations of religious commandments (namely, such a definition is the concept of "sin") is very extensive, but not all are the main, or mortal, ones. The latter include those vices that give rise to other impartial acts. We will not describe them in detail, since the topic of our conversation is somewhat different, we will limit ourselves to simply listing. So, what does the church mean by the phrase "mortal sins"? The list is represented by seven (in the Eastern Christian tradition - eight) positions:

1. Pride.
2. Envy.
3. Anger.
4. Despondency.
5. Greed.
6. Gluttony.
7. Adultery (fornication).

Here we will talk about the latter in more detail.

Adultery: what is it?

Adultery is a major sin and is included in the 10 commandments. As a rule, it is associated with treason and infidelity. In the old days, the one who committed such a sin was subject to the death penalty, because an act of this kind was regarded as an unholy and diabolical act. Succumbing to love and sexual attraction to the opposite sex, a person violates marital fidelity, destroys the family. In addition, extramarital sexual intercourse between a woman and a man is considered adultery. This issue is especially acute in Muslim countries. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty pronounces the following words: “Do not approach adultery, for it is an abomination and a bad way.” Also under the prohibition of this commandment is divorce, lust and lust in relation to other people's wives and husbands.

What exactly is adultery?

And yet, what do people mean when they talk about such a sin as adultery? What it is? Is it only an extramarital intimate life, a relationship with someone else's companion, or maybe something else? Many today cannot distinguish sin from human relationships that are full of love and further plans for a happy life together. In order for you to understand this issue, here are a few examples that clearly characterize sinful sexual relationships:

1. A single unmarried guy had sexual intercourse with a married lady - this is a vivid example of adultery, which will be punished in the future.
2. A married man has sexual intercourse with a married woman - this also applies to the sin we are considering, for a woman's heart belongs to another.
3. between relatives (brother and sister, niece and uncle, etc.) are also a mortal sin.

In addition to the above, any sexual fantasy in which there is a woman who belonged to another man can be safely attributed to adultery. So, for example, Yeshua said: "... everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Now the unresolved question is what is not adultery, and is it possible to have intercourse with an unmarried woman? Let's dwell on this point in more detail:

1. A relationship between a single unmarried guy and an unmarried girl is not adultery only if the partners plan to enter into a marriage union in the near future. If, after a sexual intercourse, a guy does not dare to offer a hand and heart to a lady, this is called fornication.
2. A man who is already in a marriage relationship, having slept with an unmarried single woman, is obliged to propose to her and call her to his house in the place of his second wife, only in this case the sexual relationship will not be considered adultery, otherwise this kind of intimate relationship is called fornication .

Punishment for adultery

We have more or less sorted out what fornication and adultery are, now it is necessary to talk about the consequences and punishments that anyone who has committed this kind of sin can endure. For the manifested lust for the opposite sex, betrayal, dishonor, or for any other similar sin, an unmarried man deserves one hundred strong lashes, in addition to this, he is expelled from society for exactly a year. This is how adultery is punished in Islam. And, we dare to assure you, these are still flowers. And it does not matter who was convicted of a misconduct - a man or a woman, both will be punished. Although, of course, there is more demand from women. As for adulterers who are married, or were before they committed a sin, they are treated with the most cruelty, throwing stones to their last breath. It is believed that an adulterous person will surely burn in hell, and the only salvation for him is the atonement for sins and sincere repentance.

What exactly do Muslims consider adultery?

Adultery in Islam is considered a terrible crime. Let us note that the commandment dedicated to the sexual baseness of a person has the name "zina" among them. For Muslims, "zina" is copulation with a female without a Sharia agreement. According to them, it is because of this sin that the world today suffers terrible catastrophes and disasters. In addition, the sons of Allah believe that any intimate relationship with a woman who gave her innocence and heart to another man will sooner or later lead to collapse and the end of the world. The Prophet Muhammad also noted that all people who allow themselves to commit adultery are deprived of faith. If faith leaves a person, he weakens and becomes unprotected. Well, the question is: “Adultery. What is it for Muslims? may be considered closed. Let's summarize briefly:

1. Firstly, for Muslims, "zina" is an extramarital intimate relationship with a strange woman.
2. Secondly, it is a longed-for look towards a woman.
3. Thirdly, even a lewd word falls under this category.

The Messenger of Allah said about this sin: “The adultery of the eyes is the sight, the adultery of the tongue is the words.” Allah himself calls on all young people who today have the opportunity to get married to do it as soon as possible, because the only chance to protect yourself from unnecessary looks, lewd words and zina is marriage. If at the moment there is no such possibility, fasting is the only salvation.

What is the price for sweet sin?

Today, Muslims are severely punished for the sin of adultery - hadd. It implies corporal torture. However, such a punishment is possible only if the sinner resides in the territory of Islam, is mentally balanced and not retarded, and is aware of sinful adultery. As you can see, everything is pretty serious. By the way, in the old days the punishment was no less severe. So, if the woman who married was not a virgin, she was stoned to death, and if the husband gave a false accusation, he had no right to divorce her and was obliged to pay her father 100 shekels. Also, the death penalty awaited the man who allowed himself to dishonor the betrothed bride. If a free woman was subjected to violence, only the guilty one was killed, but if the unfortunate woman was a slave, both were punished.

Orthodoxy and adultery

What is adultery in Orthodoxy? First of all, this sin means treason, an intimate relationship between the betrothed with a married person, as well as the sexual intercourse of a free person with the betrothed. Exchanging rings during the wedding, the husband and wife make a vow of their fidelity and love before God, the Cross, the Gospel. Having violated the previously promised, they thereby, as it were, deceive their witnesses. The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy does not imply corporal punishment of the offender, however, it causes condemnation from God. In addition, it is believed that a delinquent person is divided into two halves, as if torn between his wife and mistress, or between his spouse and lover. Many people believe that the separated body dies sooner or later, taking with it all the bonds of marriage. Therefore, we can conclude that a broken promise of fidelity and love for each other will always be considered a sin, which, one way or another, will affect the life of a traitor or traitor. And remember that a marriage made before God cannot be dissolved. Is that one of the spouses will go to another world.

1 Cor. 7:39: "A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wants, only in the Lord."

What are the consequences for a person for adultery?

Like any sin, adultery is fraught with consequences that can play a cruel joke on a person. We propose to analyze this issue in more detail.

1. Many believers believe that a person who commits adultery steals a piece of flesh from his neighbor, thereby committing theft.
2. By committing a sin, a person automatically exists in this world on a par with animals.
3. It is believed that the adulterer is possessed by an unclean spirit, he is equated with the devil, who is not able to cleanse himself from sin. The Bible called this state a deep human abyss.
4. Muslim zina contributes to the destruction of human flesh. Sin destroys the health of the guilty. It is believed that the sinner chooses for himself the path that will eventually lead him to death.
5. A person who commits adultery is deprived of his property. Anyone who lived richly and bathed in luxury before committing a sin will surely become a beggar.
6. Having sinned, a person gives rise to gossip and gossip, incurs shame on himself, which directly harms his reputation. The saying “When a person dies, notoriety continues to live!” is appropriate here.
7. Adultery carries the death penalty. "If anyone commits adultery with a married wife, if anyone commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, let both the adulterer and the adulteress be put to death."
8. Without repenting of their sins, a person destroys the soul. As they say, lust accompanies the sinner and his soul into the flames of hell.
9. The adulterer destroys not only his own soul, but also the soul of the chosen one. In fact, this is one of the most terrible consequences of adultery, because, having sinned, the guilty one drags the partner’s soul to hell.
10. The Lord can be angry with an adulterer and deprive him of reason and reason.
11. In a family where there is adultery, there will never be love and understanding.

Woman and adultery

Once, in order to put Jesus in an awkward position for Him in front of the whole people, the religious leaders brought in a harlot, who would later be called "the woman taken in adultery." According to the law of Moses, she was to be killed by throwing stones at her. The leaders skillfully took advantage of the situation, offering to destroy the fallen female. In fact, their only goal was to tempt Jesus, to catch him on a crooked word in order to have a reason for universal condemnation. But all their efforts were in vain. The only thing that Jesus said was something like this: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." Of course, the square where the crowd had gathered began to clear up, and in the end, only the sinner and Him remained on the street. Since then, everything has changed, the former adulteress repented and promised not to return to her former way of life. The moral is this: it is never too late to repent of your sins, the main thing is to realize in time your desire to righteously exist in our world.

Atone for the sin of adultery

In the Quran, Allah says: “Verily, Allah forgives those who commit an evil deed out of ignorance and soon repent. Allah forgives them. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise!” Many people know how to repent for the many misdeeds committed in life and not repeat them again. But remorse is half the battle. Redemption is coming for him. And here everything is much more complicated. adultery? A lot of people turn with such a question to a spiritual mentor or to a priest in a church. The question is, of course, a difficult one. As mentioned above, adultery is one of the deadly sins that destroys human lives. Nevertheless, as the ministers of the church say, if you sincerely and truly repent with great faith, ask for forgiveness, the Almighty will forgive the sinner and give you a chance for further existence. In order to protect yourself from the temptation of sin in the future, there is one good remedy - prayer from adultery and fornication.

How to protect yourself and your soul?

Each person must answer this question for himself. After all, someone, after reading this article, will treat all of the above with disdain; someone in their life has already encountered adultery more than once, but does not know how to deal with it, and therefore will not try; there are those people who will draw the right conclusions and try to live their lives with dignity. How to protect yourself from temptation? Probably, here you just need faith, faith in yourself and in your life partner. Sincere, pure love, respect and mutual understanding, reason and the ability to control oneself will do their job: you will definitely live a long and happy life full of meaning with your soulmate. And finally, we will advise only one thing: fill your life with good, kind, bright deeds, respect your relatives and loved ones, love your wives, husbands and children, pray for your health and those around you and, most importantly, never commit adultery!

Adultery is a voluntary sexual act of one of the spouses with a person who is not in an official (secular) marriage with him and who is not married to him in the church. In other words, it is a failure to fulfill marital fidelity.

The union of a man and a woman, concluded in compliance with all Christian traditions, is a church sacrament. This means that two loving people (the bride and groom) by mutual agreement promise to love, respect and be faithful to each other.

For this, they receive in the church a blessing and God's grace to give birth to healthy children, to increase the well-being of the family. “The great sacrament of marriage…” is how the apostle called marriage in Orthodoxy. "... And the two will be one flesh ...", as he loved his believers and shed his blood for faith in the Church, so the husband must love his wife, and she must obey him in everything.

Both spouses should bear equal responsibility for the well-being, stability and harmony in the family. Adultery is a moral crime against one's loved ones and, above all, against one's other half. This is considered a great sin according to the Christian commandments “Do not commit adultery (do not commit adultery) – says the seventh commandment of the Old Testament of the Bible.

Ignoring the Biblical laws by a believer leads to a betrayal of his faith, a loss of peace of mind. Sometimes momentary lustful thoughts dull moral feelings, corrupting his good disposition.

The clergy are sure that the body of a believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit living in it. The sin of adultery or fornication kills chastity. From chastity is born love, and from love all other blessings.

What is the difference between fornication and adultery

Fornication is the constant satisfaction of one's physiological needs with different partners. The moral behavior, actions and thoughts of such a lecherous person have nothing to do with Orthodox traditions and religion.

Fornication has a wider meaning in Christianity, but this act is considered a lesser sin (compared to adultery), as it occurs outside of marital status. So it does not violate the seventh commandment of the Old Testament.

A vulgarly dressed woman of frivolous behavior, with her whole appearance trying to attract the attention of unfamiliar men, can be accused of fornication. The desire to be in the center of attention, to catch longed-for looks for the sake of one's own vanity, cynicism and lust.

A man can fall under the status of lecherous due to his frivolous behavior with the opposite sex. The uncontrolled desire for sexual intimacy with different women is also a great sin, depriving the Orthodox of his God's blessing, energy and strength.

Adultery involves breaking many commandments. This is not only adultery, betrayal of a loved one. Priests believe that the eighth commandment is also violated here - do not steal. After all, your body now belongs to your second half, offering yourself for sexual pleasures to another person, you stole from your own wife or husband.

The ninth commandment is also violated - do not bear false witness. Usually the one who changes begins in every possible way to hide it and lie. It is a lie in family relationships that becomes the first reason for divorce.

The Church calls not to communicate and not to eat at the same table with lecherous and adulterers who openly declare this. Such pride and glory is the way to the corruption of soul and body. This doomedly destroys the union of love, deprives children of a parent.

So that lust for another woman is not aroused, the wife should always be attentive to her husband and extinguish the flame of passion, drawing the attention of her husband to her appearance, beauty, affection, humility and love. The husband, in turn, should be extremely sensitive to the goodwill of his wife.

A couple in the sacred union of marriage should not shy away from each other. The only exception is fasting and prayer. Only in this way can one avoid the temptation of Satan from his own intemperance.

What does the one who has fallen into fornication and adultery lose?

• Man not only destroys his family, he puts up a huge wall between himself and God. And this means that in moments of despair it will be difficult for you (and even priests) to offer up a prayer for health, the lives of loved ones, as well as for your own blessing;
• Immorality is the path to oblivion. If a person is controlled only by natural instincts and the need for physical pleasures, then he is not able to give love and make someone happy. Such individuals end up alone, forgotten by devoted relatives and those who once shared with you the bed of depravity;
• The authority and reputation of such sinners becomes very unstable. Such behavior is always condemned and not accepted by a healthy society. In a business environment, they will not conclude a major financial deal with a person who is not stable in family affairs. If he easily betrays loved ones, then he can also simply deceive partners;
• The riotous lifestyle of a family person leads to mental anxiety, nervous breakdowns, mental instability, gives rise to distrust of others, makes it impossible to enjoy simple human joys;
• An unfaithful husband (or wife) begins to get sick more often and may die before their partner. Its early energy wear is affected. The body does not have time to replenish physical and emotional resources, but the doors for such replenishment are simply closed. The habit of living "without brakes" gives rise to early death;
• Adultery can cause a loss of reason, logic and business acumen. And this will cause the loss of the main source of income. For many, this life ends in poverty and lonely old age.

How to avoid punishment and return to the Orthodox faith

The first way to salvation is the realization of one's own sin. Only the deepest repentance and humility can return God's blessing. Fornication is not considered an involuntary, impulsive act. To sin like this requires some calculation and preparation. A lecherous person always has time to come to his senses and stop.

That is why the sin of adultery is terrible, that a person commits it consciously, and not in a state of passion or stress. Counting on their impunity, an unfaithful husband (wife) does not take into account the fact that atonement for their misdeeds can pass on to future offspring.

No one is immune from temptation and temptation, this is especially common among the wealthy segments of the population. But it will not be possible to avoid punishment even in a fabulous state.

Many people, having repented, seek salvation in prayer. To increase your desire to atone for sin, you need to go to church and confess. Presence at the morning service is especially effective, when your thoughts have not absorbed the pressing problems and the hustle and bustle of life.

In such a period of rethinking reality, human values ​​change, or rather, they return to the right track. Repentance helps a person on the path to enlightenment, it can open up new facets of existence for him.

Returning to the family, a person begins to realize what he could lose and how hard it would be for him to be alone. But don't stop at going to church once. Attend Sunday service, give alms, hurry to help those who need your support.

Patronage, charity, patronage of orphans and large families - everything will be important when drawing closer to God. The grace of God will begin to operate the moment you begin to experience joy and happiness from your actions. Immersion in the implementation of good deeds will take time to search for physical pleasures and comforts.

But we should not forget about our own household members. Pay attention to your spouse, remember what conquered you in your half, made your heart beat faster and faster. Why did you decide to connect your life with this person.

For such a perception of the moments of the past, joint walks in the fresh air, sports games, and travel are suitable. Create your own family traditions, rituals. Make your time together more varied and educational.

Traditions and facts of world practice

In the history of the church, cases are mentioned when, for the facts of adultery, priests were deprived of the rank of a clergyman, and ordinary people were excommunicated from attending church, confession and communion for fifteen years.

Adultery in the modern way of life is the very first reason for divorce proceedings. In some countries, for such a fall, they could take their lives, but as a rule, this concerned only women. Such inequality was associated with the fact that the man was not sure of his relationship with blood children.

Not all world cultural traditions condemn extramarital sex. For some, this lifestyle allows for individual freedom in sexual behavior. In Russia, family relationships are regulated by the Family Code of the Russian Federation.

In our country (according to the law) adultery is not a good reason for divorce. The final decision on the dissolution of the marriage is made personally by each of the spouses. But at the same time, the law may exempt one of the spouses from paying alimony for the other, if his unworthy behavior in the family is proven.

In Judaism, according to the Old Testament, it is forbidden for a man to live with an unfaithful wife. And in Christianity, even a longed-for look at someone else's wife will be considered a great sin of adultery and fornication. In Islam, such extramarital affairs could be punished with a hundred lashes. In Muslim countries, even today they can execute a woman for fornication and adultery (although the Koran does not say anything about this).

The ancient, and therefore somewhat mysterious, word "adultery" is called one of the deadly sins.

He is mortal because a person who has received an immortal soul as a gift from God, committing the most serious of existing sins, distances it from the Creator and thereby dooms it to death, to the impossibility of salvation.

What is the actual meaning of the word "adultery", what kind of sin is this? In Orthodoxy it's an extramarital affair, violation of marital fidelity, an analogue of the modern concept of "adultery".

Sin of adultery in Orthodoxy

The marriage union is consecrated by the Lord, He blessed not only the spiritual unity of the spouses, but also the carnal one. On this occasion, it is even said in the Book of Genesis about husband and wife: let them be one flesh. Marriage presupposes mutual responsibility, the existence of duties both towards each other and towards other members of the “cell of society”.

The great teacher of the Church, St. John Chrysostom calls adultery a double and even triple crime. What is the meaning of these words? They testify to the insidious nature of adultery, which “masks” a few more problems:

A man in marriage gives his body to the power of his spouse.

• theft,
• lies and perjury,
• envy,
• lust,
• distrust of the spouse.

The eighth commandment of the Law of God says, "Thou shalt not steal." And the man who commits adultery steals his body from his wife (husband), which from the moment of marriage is the property of the "second half". The Apostle Paul writes about marital relationships in the following way: “The wife has no power over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband has no power over his own body, but the wife does.”

By changing their spouse, adulterers will certainly get entangled in lies, bear false witness about themselves, get out and be cunning.

About envy and lust in relation to someone's wife or property says the 10th commandment: "do not covet ..." everything just mentioned.

And distrust, or rather, even the murder of trust in a spouse, is caused not so much by jealousy as a feeling, but by the principle “once the very stigma is down”, then he sees the other as such.

The result of extramarital affairs most often is divorce, the destruction of the family, the deprivation of children, corruption - not only of the body, but also, which is much more terrible, of the soul.

By the way, adultery, regardless of which of the spouses committed it, is a completely weighty reason for the dissolution of a marriage, and even a church one.

How is it different from fornication

Our immoral age has given rise to many questions. In particular, priests often admit that many of the young parishioners do not at all consider premarital intimate relationships a sin: what, they say, is sinful here - we love each other, everything happens by mutual agreement, without deceiving someone else. After all, adultery is when you cheat on your husband or wife.

To deal with this, it makes sense to remember what sin is in general. Sin is everything that is classified as non-observance, and even violation of the laws of spiritual life, simply speaking, lawlessness. And this threatens with disaster, self-destruction. Nothing lasting in life can be created if the foundation is a mistake, a sin.

It must be understood that the sin in question lies not only in the very fact of treason, but even in impure thoughts, corresponding to the manner of behavior. Here we can already talk about the sin of fornication.

Fornication and Adultery - What's the Difference, What Does the Bible Say? If we have already basically dealt with the first, then the second, in short, is the physical proximity of persons who are not bound by the bonds of legal marriage and indulge in carnal pleasures. Thus, the meaning of this phenomenon is wider. But it would be even more accurate to call fornication a "variety" of fornication.

A person may be single, but his natural physiological needs persistently dictate to achieve his goal in any way, and he tries to disguise his prodigal disposition by “civil marriage”, that is, in other words, cohabitation. And then suddenly he or she sees a more worthy "object" of sexual attention, and the "temporary family" falls apart as easily as it was created.

Marriage, besides a love affair, is also a union of souls.

A truly happy person can only be in marriage, because it is not only bodily, but also spiritual intimacy, unity, love and mutual trust of loved ones.

Speaking of fornication, it is appropriate to recall that this is the "native" sin of prostitutes, homosexuals, lesbians, people who have intimate relationships with close relatives - this type of fornication is called incest, and other sexual perverts.

In another way, fornication can be called immorality, depravity, an extreme degree of human depravity.

To understand how serious this sin is, it is worth recalling the definition of the apostle Paul about a person as a "temple of the Holy Spirit." And if this person lives in fornication passions, corrupts the bodies - his own and his sexual partner, then he defiles this holy temple; as it is now customary to say, commits an act of vandalism in relation to the shrine, i.e. by and large rebels against what God has established for each of us, against His order and harmony.

What is fornication

A broader concept of sexual immorality is what among the deadly sins is called fornication or fornication. What is this sin? This "term" denotes everything, one way or another connected with the manifestations of lust, and therefore this sin is considered the most disgusting.

Lust is multifaceted. We have already spoken about the first two "kinds" called "adultery" and "fornication". It also covers such unnatural vices as:

• incest,
• malakia - which means
• sodomy - "sodomy sin", homosexuality,
• bestiality - the same "sodomy sin", which is sexual contact between a person and an animal.

What are the consequences and punishment

In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul warns fornicators and idolaters, adulterers, malaks and homosexuals that they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Figuratively speaking, this is the death of the soul. So, there is no way out? The words of the apostle can be continued: if they do not bring sincere repentance and do not break with a sinful life.

Centuries ago, adulterers were severely punished.

It must be said that in the times described in the Old Testament, the adulterer was put to death. And the New Testament testifies how the Pharisees were going to stone the woman taken in adultery.

According to modern church canons, fornications that have fallen into sin are also punished very severely. No, they are not executed, but they for a long time absent from communion, which for a believer is almost comparable to a physical execution. And before that, they must repent and suffer penance - this is the name of the church moral and corrective measure for penitent sinners.

It can be expressed by fasts appointed by the spiritual father, prayers, deeds of mercy, a certain number of bows. How the penance will look exactly for the prodigal sin of a particular person, the priest can decide.

However, despite all the strictness, one should always remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is open to everyone. Christianity is called the religion of the resurrection for a reason. Throughout its history, individuals arose who sinned once and led a dissolute life, who, having repented and spiritually healed, were even numbered among the host of saints for their exploits.

St. John Chrysostom spoke very well about the path to salvation, noting that the resurrection, which serves as the beginning of the future for each of us, also consists in when the fornicator becomes chaste, the greedy becomes merciful, and the cruel becomes meek. Sin is thus mortified, and righteousness is raised; the old life has been abolished, and a new, gospel life has begun.

The path from sin to a normal life is not easy. Sincere repentance is the first step. The second - the healing of the soul - is much more difficult. For a long time, undermined spiritual health will need spiritual therapy. The main thing is not to return to sin. Nor should one be discouraged and discouraged, find salvation in prayer.

Prayer for fornication and adultery

“Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His blessings. He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases; delivers your life from the grave, crowns you with mercy and bounties,

Or you can learn this prayer:

“O great saint of Christ, reverend mother Mary! Hear the unworthy prayer of us sinners (names), deliver us, reverend mother, from the passions that fight on our souls, from all sorrow and misfortune, from sudden death and from all evil, at the hour of the separation of the soul from the body, holy saint , every evil thought and evil demons, as if our souls would receive with peace in a place of light Christ the Lord our God, as if from Him the cleansing of sins, and He is the salvation of our souls, He deserves all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and forever and forever and ever."

By the way, this prayer is an appeal to St. Mary of Egypt, who was a harlot in her youth, but then she realized all the baseness of her life and with deeds that truly exceeded human capabilities, prayers and fasting atoned for her sins.

Fornication and others like them capable of pulling a chain of new sins. The consequences of adulterous sins, in addition to lies, can be slander and gossip, bitterness and hatred, murders out of jealousy and abortions - infanticide are not uncommon.

And you can avoid falling into this terrible vice by removing from your character the very tendency to such a sin, avoiding seductive entertainment and idleness, changing your attitude towards temptations. But the most important thing is to remember the Last Judgment and its possible consequences for yourself and call on God's help in the fight against sin.

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