Adultery is “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person (married or not) other than his or her spouse.” One of the temptations could be adultery.
Pre-marital sex is when a couple that are not married that have sex. Extra-marital sex is if you are married and have sex with someone else outside of your marriage. Christians would say that extra-marital sex is worse because you had made vows to each other in front of God, one extra-marital sex has taken place, these vows have now been broken.
If a Christian found that their partner had cheated on them, he or she might turn to the Bible for guidance. He or she may turn to the Bible because in Matthew 5 v 27 – 32 it’s piece of advice/passage to guide you is “You have heard that was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that anyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her in his heart.” This means that even if you look at a person with lust, then you committed adultery in your mind by fantasizing, when you should be committed to your husband/wife.
John 8 tells of a woman who has committed adultery and is about to be stoned. Jesus forgave her because we shouldn’t judge people; no one is perfect.
Christians look to Jesus as their guise. Jesus taught Christians that divorce is only acceptable in the case of adultery. This teaching might make Christians work harder at their marriage and realise that there is only one acceptable Christian reason for divorce.
Another situation where a Christian might consider a divorce may be abuse because no one should have to put up with it. Jesus wouldn't want anyone to have to live with being abused.
One example of Jesus teaching about love, forgiveness and giving second chances in the Bible is the passage about the woman who was about to be stoned because she had committed adultery. Jesus forgave her and gave her a second chance. The Catholic Church teaches that a marriage is a sacrament. A marriage between two partners who are baptized can be dissolved if there is a just reason e.g. impotence or the inability to assume the obligations of marriage. But Catholics still believe that it is very wrong and in conflict with your beliefs if you wanted a divorce.
The options available such as the Bible, Christian couples and RELATE all make a difference to a Christian couple facing difficulties as they tell them that they are not alone and that help is available.
