Cheating and Infidelity

by Paul J. Hannig, Ph.D.

Question: Are cheating and infidelity part of our human nature?

Answer: No! But, freedom of choice is part of our higher nature. The awareness of sin is part of our metaphorical, spiritual DNA inheritance. So, is choice between honoring and dishonoring one another? Temptation is culturally imprinted. Every aspect of human interaction is confronted with temptation. If you don't believe me, watch a Bud Lite beer commercial. These television ads are loaded with sexual fertility dancing rituals in order to get you to drink their beer. The goal is to seduce you into buying their product and they use the temptation of sexuality in order to entice you. But, you still have a choice as to whether you bite the apple of sexual temptation or not.

Question: What does that have to do with infidelity?

Answer: In order for you to exercise your freedom of choice, you need to understand and practice self and other honoring types of decision making. Choice is part of the divine gift. When the will is weakened by temptation, you can strengthen that will through the power of prayer and divine support. Prayer and supplication strengthens the gift of freedom through higher decision making. Prayer and meditation also serves to protect you from your own Lower level, animal, evil inclinations.

The mystical sefirot of yesod, the second chakra and the sacrament of communion all function to help you develop a spiritual, emotional, interpersonal and mental foundation of values for your life. There is a reason for invoking divine power to help us cope with the temptation of sexual infidelity. Sex is a cornerstone and a foundation Building block for constructing and maintaining highly functional, passionate spiritual relationships. This function is supported by a pair bonding gene. There is no gene for infidelity. Therefore, cheating on a loved one is a choice based upon the sometimes overwhelming energy of yesod and the second chakra.

The genital instincts are predominant in animal species. They also play a very powerful role in our early evolutionary development. As we built higher cortical centers, we became somewhat capable of controlling and directing our Lower chakra, yesod energies. That doesn't mean that second chakra, yesod functioning and energies are bad. They serve us well in terms of procreation, survival of the species, pair bonding and positioning ourselves into the Next Generation. Somehow, we have most successfully accomplished this challenge by using our higher cortical functions for directing these powerful sexual instincts. Consider how chaotic existence would be if we did not have certain controls over second chakra lustful inclinations. Spirituality helps us to defend and protect the integrity of our most precious relationships and provides us with a very adequate system for perpetuating our kind. This can most adequately be accomplished by struggling through and developing a very solid value system that allows us to experience intense pleasure while honoring one another. Dealing with the freedom of choice concerning temptation, also provides us with the strength of character and stability of relationships that affords us the gift of honoring ourselves.

Question: So, you are saying that temptation is part of our nature?

Answer: Yes! Temptation is part of God's desire for imparting to us, the freedom of choice. This freedom differentiates us from some of the automaton features of the angelic realm. We earn our right to higher consciousness by dealing with and struggling with all sorts of temptation, including sexual. Soul mating, higher consciousness and stability are some of the gifts that God bestows to each of us according to our capability of struggling with various temptations.

Question: What are some of the consequences of giving in to the temptation of cheating?

Answer: Usually there is an attack against your own soul. This shows up in the form of dishonesty, false accusation, shame, guilt and of course: Pain! Every sinful choice builds up a karmic or spiritual debt that has to be repaid, repented and brought back into balance. That's where salvation comes in.