Should Adultery be illegal - Research Proposal Example

Introduction “It takes years for armies of robust men to conquer and establish a kingdom, but the charm of a woman bring down the labor and toil of men within a blink of an eye” (Kingdon, 1995, p79). This is famous saying from the Ibo community in Nigeria that warns married men from falling into temptation of engaging in adulterous affairs with women. Adultery is one of the major challenges facing the marriage institution today and according to Dobson (2001), it is the chief contributing factor of marital conflicts and the increasing rates of divorce especially in the developed countries.

The constitution of the United States provides every person with the right of pursuing happiness, but adultery should be illegal. Although adults are consenting individuals and should be permitted to sleep with whomever they choose, adultery should be illegal because it is a violation of a legal contract and a cause for divorce. Adults are consenting adults and are permitted to sleep with whomever they choose to unless he/she is a minor. Currently, the American society comprises of different sexual relationships including heterosexual and homosexual associations, and although homosexual marriages remain largely illegal in several states, others in the US have legalized the practice.

Legalizing same sex marriage is a clear indication of the respect that the law accords individuals in the choice of a marital partner, if both partners are adults (Ethridge and Stephen, 2004). Even though adults are consenting and permitted to sleep with whomever they want to, adultery should be illegal because it is a major cause for fault base divorce. According to Arterburn, Fred, and Yorkey (2000), one or both parties in a marital union dissolve most of their heterosexual marriages in United States on allegations of adultery.

This leads to psychological, economical and social suffering to all concerned parties, including children. According to White (2002), infidelity in marriage usually results to marital discord and this is a major factor that causes fault base divorce in United States. The most important reason why adultery should be illegal is that it results to a breach of legal contract between the married couples. According to Roderick (1991), dissolution of marriage results to severance of an agreement between couples on their promise to live together until death of both or one party.

The breach of legal contract causes various economic and social problems that destabilize the lives of the affected people. Conclusion Although adults are consenting adults and should be allowed to sleep, with whomever they want to, adultery should be illegal because it causes fault base divorce and breaching of legal contract. These are major causes of social instability in society and every married person should be aware that the negative consequences of engaging in adultery overweigh the benefits.

References Arterburn, S., Fred, S., and Yorkey, M. (2000). Every man’s battle: winning the war on sexual temptations one victory at a time. Austin: WaterBrook Press. Dobson, J. (2001). Love for a lifetime: Building a marriage that will go the distance. New Jersey: Multnomah Publishers. Ethridge, S. and Stephen, A.(2004). Every young woman’s battle: Guarding your mind, heart and body in a sex saturated world. London: Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kingdon, R. (1995). Adultery and divorce in Calvin’s Geneva: Harvard historical studies , vol 118.

New York: Harvard university press. Roderick, P. (1991). Untying the knot: A short history of divorce. Cambridge, UK: CUP White, E.(2002). Testimonies on sexual behavior, adultery and divorce. London: Pacific Press Publishing.