Immorality in Marital disorders

Immorality includes much more than infidelity and adultery. It also includes such common enemies of partnership as dishonesty, untruthfulness, cruelty, mental as well as physical, extreme meanness and many other similar kinds of attitude and behavior. One of the essential obligations of people in any kind of partnership, even in business partnership, is that they should “play the game.” This is equally true, though much less enforceable, in the marriage partnership, and although adultery is one of the most common grounds for divorce, many of the other kinds of immorality may be strong factors in marital disorder and breakdown. The situation is made more difficult by the fact that almost any kind of immorality is apt to lead to reactions on the part of the offended partner that may also extend to immorality.

While there seems no reason why any wife or husband should have to put up with unlimited injury and insult, the fallibility of all human beings would seem to warrant a reasonable tolerance of both sides and a willingness to forgive in the realization of the fact that none of us is so without sin as to be fit to cast stones. Failure to forgive in this same sense may do as much harm to a marriage partnership as many other kinds of immorality.

Perhaps it is worth reminding ourselves that although marriage is quite dependent on the quality of love that exists between the partners there are times and situations in which it is difficult if not impossible to love, at least in the “feeling” sense of the relationship. But fidelity, being a matter of the will, is possible to anyone with mature disciplined self-control, even though at times it may be difficult.

To stand firmly together through the difficult times, even though it may seem to be “flying blind,” and at the same time seeking help and giving it time to work, may be the real salvation of a marital disorder.

Tags: Counseling