I have never met Ashley Madison. I do not even know if it’s
a man or a woman. But I do know that Ashley Madison has helped to increase the
amount of unhappiness in the world.People have been paying money to the website of that name, hoping to have an extra-marital “affair” with somebody. Obviously the data hacked from this website means that many of those who have been cheating will get found out, but it seems to me that for many people, it would only be a matter of time before their spouse finds out anyway. A stray email, a text noticed on a mobile phone, lame excuses for some sudden departure… My impression is that most people get caught out eventually.
In whatever way each person may justify their behaviour to themselves, they are setting out deliberately to break the vows they have made to their wife or husband. Does the guilty party think deeply about the disloyalty they are showing to their partner and what it means for their relationship? Cheating on a marriage suggests that the love between the couple is not quite what it could be. In the Bahá’í writings it says that the couple should be “two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned about the welfare of each other. It they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart.” If you really are concerned about the welfare of your spouse, this would seem to rule out any idea of infidelity. After all, true love implies putting your partner first.
Indeed, if marriage were seen as a spiritual union, as two souls travelling through life together, this might give a more long-lasting perspective than a materialistic viewpoint may give. Again, the Bahá’í writings say: “…true marriage…is this, that husband and wife should be united both physically and spiritually, that they may ever improve the spiritual life of each other, and may enjoy everlasting unity throughout all the worlds of God.”
Any form of successful human relationship requires trust, but particularly between husband and wife. People have a happy and secure basis to their lives if they know they can rely absolutely on their partner. Once this trust is destroyed, the relationship is never the same again. Ashley Madison has encouraged people to cheat on their spouses and has made money out of it. The irony is that people trusted Ashley Madison to keep their details (and affairs) secret. I doubt if anyone will trust Ashley Madison again.
Thank you for addressing this important subject, Paddy. Since family is the basic unit of society, it is clear that it is time for humanity to enter a new phase of maturity. Although the practice of marriage is ancient, it has yet to achieve its highest potential as a stronghold of love where safety and security are provided in spiritual as well as material ways. The learning curve will be steep and treacherous because so many people seem to be choosing old patterns of behavior.
ReplyDeleteIn His Tablet to Ahmad, Baha'u'llah warned that "the wisdom of every command shall be tested." With information technology such as it is today, we are discovering just how imperfect we are as humans. And yet we can see that we are capable of knowing and loving with increasing responsibility to the realization and actualization of the divine nature that is inherent within each of us. We know that our purpose in life is "to acquire virtues", "to know and to worship God", "to promote the oneness of humanity", and "to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization." True marriage provides the basis for accomplishing all of it.
In the pure light of a new Day dawning on the planet, there are fewer and fewer places to hide. There is nowhere else to go but to the higher level of potentiality within us. 'Abdu'l-Baha tells us, "Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all of the worlds of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also become realized."
The good news hidden within the bad news is that, with truthfulness, renewed trust is possible but, in order to access it, a shift in direction is needed. Baha'u'llah says, "He who puts his trust in God, God will suffice him. He who fears God, God will send him relief." Elevating the desires of the lower natures to reveal the potential in our higher nature is the urgency of our times. A new level and expression of love is not only possible, it is inevitable.
Thank you, Soulful Lady.
ReplyDeleteThis blog talks about living a more spiritual life. In January, 2017, I wrote a blog called "Only when we live in the spirit" which touches on the same subject.
ReplyDelete