Examiner.com

Yet another chapter unfolds in the life of former Senator John Edwards who had admitted an affair with Rielle Hunter, a woman who worked briefly with his campaign during his bid for president. He reportedly paid her $114,000 for making videos about his campaign and traveled extensively with his staff. He admitted the affair; but vehemently denied that the child she bore was his. This played out in the tabloids for months while his wife of many years, (and the mother of his children), Elizabeth Edwards, was enduring treatments for what seems to be terminal breast cancer.

John Edwards unsuccessfully ran for president in 2008. He was a former Senator from South Carolina. Another elected official from South Carolina, Governor Mark Sanford was also recently caught in deception, lies, and adultery with a woman from Argentina. His wife has filed for divorce. Sexual sin knows no particular party in politics.

Along with fighting for her life battling cancer, it seems that Elizabeth Edwards has also been battling for her marriage. In a recent interview, it was reported that John would stay with and support Elizabeth through what may be the final months or years of her life.

What is it with public officials who think they can engage in adulterous affairs and it not be brought to light? There have been many attempts to hide affairs by many men who have held high office including John F. Kennedy. He was reported to be a womanizer and even to have had an affair with Marilyn Monroe. Ted Kennedy was also in the news for being involved with the association and death of a young staff member. We all know about Bill Clinton and his intern.

Does wealth, privilege, and power make them feel invincible to the point where they no longer regard integrity, honesty, and fidelity as important character traits to be admired not only in the common man; but particularly for a person in leadership positions in our country? Is this just another indication that morals are no longer something to consider as important to those who represent our nation; not to mention the role models they are to be for the next generation.

And like most people when caught in the throes of bad decisions and deceptions, they say that words cannot make a difference to those whom they have hurt and injured. And saying they are sorry does make little difference. It is reported that Tiger Woods is receiving counseling because of sexual addiction.

Sex is a powerful thing and when it becomes a drive rather than an expression of love between a married man and woman, it can become volatile. The affairs and indiscretions not only hurt all parties involved; but most assuredly hurt any children involved.

"It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me," Edwards said. "To all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry."

The baby girl was born in February 2008 and she was named Quinn; but Edwards continually denied he was the father saying the affair was over before Ms. Hunter became pregnant.

"I am Quinn's father," his statement said. "I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace.

"I have been providing financial support for Quinn and have reached an agreement with her mother to continue providing support in the future."

It was previously reported that Edwards had plans to marry Ms. Hunter after his wife Elizabeth died.

Adultery in high places seems to be fashionable; but committing adultery is nothing new in history. From the Bible we learn of the affair of David and Bathsheba. David was the king and she was the wife of one of his soldiers. David looked upon her loveliness and lusted for her in his heart and summoned for her to come to him. When she was found to be pregnant, David found himself in a similar situation as many modern day leaders; but he chose an even harder path to cover up his sins.

David sent for her husband from the battlefield in order that he might sleep with her and thus think the baby was his – but it backfired. Uriah was such a faithful soldier that he refused the comfort of wife and home while his fellow soldiers were fighting. So when that did not work, David sent him to the front lines with specific orders that he was to be abandoned and left to the enemy to kill him.

God created man and woman that they might be lovers, companions, and helpers to one another and parents to their offspring. But knowing the strong desires they were created with – and given a free choice to choose right or wrong; God also gave Ten Commandments by which men and women were to live.

Adultery is but one such broken commandment which is affecting our nation; not only in the ranks of the powerful and wealthy; but in the homes of America all across the nation. We recently heard of a man in the military who not only had an affair with a female soldier who was determined to be pregnant; but he murdered her; put her body in a hole in his back yard, attempted to burn her body and then fled the country. Adultery and sexual sins can have a far more reaching consequence than the mere pleasure of sex.

God did not give the commandments to make us subservient to Him for the sake of being slaves; but He gave them that we might have life and have it abundantly; and that we would be spared the consequences of making bad choices.

The many aspects of adultery are not just the act of betrayal to one’s spouse; but it is an act of betrayal to oneself and the other person involved as well. Where there are children, the betrayal is even more devastating – in the Edward’s case; both his and Elizabeth’s children (and now this innocent one born out of wedlock) has been denied by her own father for nearly two years of her life.

While these indiscretions happen daily across our nation, we somehow hold our leaders to a higher standard as people who are to lead the way; and yet they are but human as they say. It seems that “being human” is a catch phrase that absolves us all from the shame of sinful actions.

Many of our leaders, even here in Atlanta, have had affairs that were mostly rumored; and then swept under the carpet; but the purpose of this article is not to go through history and name names; but to name sin and its consequences that is far more reaching than the immediate circle.

I guess we can be thankful that John Edwards did not become president with his school boy good lucks, his silver tongue of a lawyer, and apparent disregard for his own upbringing which must have devastated his parents. Would we have had to provide with our tax money for his “two” families?

When a nation like Rome became so sexually deviate, we know what happened there. As is the ruler, so goes the nation. God has brought harsh judgment on nations in the past for failing to be obedient to His commandments. Will He have to go back and apologize to them or will He be bound by His character and nature to allow the same to happen to America?

Men have always seemed to be less affected by the fallout of affairs and held less responsible for children born out of wedlock (I do not use the term illegitimate as there are no illegitimate children; only illegitimate parents.) Men can spread their seed and create a new life and leave never to be a part of the child’s life; but the woman is faced with killing the baby in the womb by abortion; or giving birth to the child and putting it up for adoption; or attempt to raise the child on her own which can be quite difficult when she is not wealthy.

There seems to be a consensus that children born in lust rather than in love will have a harder time in life just because of the nature of their conception. Hollywood has so glamorized living together without the bonds of marriage (and having children not protected by the bonds of that marriage), that they have become the role models and examples to the country rather than the church or the teaching of God’s Word. While we see their glowing faces on the camera, the untold stories behind closed doors for these individuals is no different than those living in the ghetto or in the homes of people like Tiger Woods.

Many times affairs have ended up not only in the death for an unborn child; but death of one more adults involved in love triangles. There was once something called the “unwritten law,” where by society practically condoned a man for killing anyone caught having sex with his wife.

Women in the Bible were stoned when caught in adultery. This is happening in some world cultures even today. Why? Because women for some reason have been held accountable for saying “yes,” when they could have said “no.” Perhaps God made them the keeper of not only the home; but of the keeper of purity.

Men today seem to be the innocent bystander given their penchant for sexual prowess. God created man and woman to have a desire for one another; but within the bounds of marriage – and when that attraction becomes a sport or hobby or a form of recreation, then is it a misuse of the reason God created male and female as He did.

And there are just natural consequences for that behavior. God does not have to strike someone blind as punishment – these acts just seem to bring their own retribution.

With every movie, TV show and soap opera, and every pair of jeans for sell using sex as a sales tool and with the refusal of the schools to teach young people abstinence only, each new generation (since the sixties) has become more and more deviant.

There is a made for TV movie coming out this weekend about a pregnancy pact between 17 or so high school girls who decide that they all will become pregnant at the same time. What stupidity – did they ever once give a thought to the children they would be producing?

This puts in mind the sex scandal here in a Rockdale County High School a few years ago where a sexually transmitted disease became so rampant among the teens that there was a documentary made about the deviate sexual activities that were so wide spread through the school. In interviews, young girls told of their exploits with absolutely no shame.

For years our children have been duped in public school into believing there is no God, there is no right and wrong, there are no absolutes; and they should be progressive free thinkers rather than responsible moral, God respecting people. The walls of the foundation of this nation are crumbling before our very eyes as we see these results of these teachings.

Our schools have become war zones and purveyors of violence and it has been (and will be) the students who pay the ultimate price for such teaching. It is so sad to see parents dress little girls like hoochie coochies; and even more sad that young teens feel that their only self worth is in their looks, their sex appeal, and their need to be attractive to the opposite sex to the place where it dominates their lives.

Even grade and middle school girls dress today in such a way as to bring attention to themselves and by the time they are in high school, many dress in ways that would only have been found in girlie magazines in generations past. This is not a good thing. Throw in some alcohol and drugs and you’ve got the beginning of spiraling depression, self degradation, and self loathing when God created women to be His most beautiful of all His creation. When women sought equality with man, some feel that she had to come down off the pedestal that God created for her in order to become less not more.

We, as parents, should be ashamed for fostering these hurtful aspects in our young girls’ lives. We see near infants posing in suggestive photos which some think is so cute – not so cute when one day that same child is posing for Playboy or dancing around a pole.

The lives of countless teens have been ruined because of their lack of faith in God and moral teachings in the home, the school, and to some extent even in the church, i.e. abortions, STD’s, broken hearts and lives and children born into world of poverty or in the Edward’s case disgrace for this child for the rest of her life. Not only are the lives of the couple and the child changed forever; but those around them especially in that today so many grandparents are having to raise their grandchildren; when they should be able to enjoy retirement years. And in the case of John Edwards a divided family rather than a whole one.

While it is better to live by the creed, “Look before you leap – and leap into the Word of God for rules to live by,” there is a balm in Gilead – there is hope, there is forgiveness, there is recovery, there is redemption and there is life after major mistakes. David was an adulterer and he was also a murderer – but through his redemption, he became what the Bible says. “A man after God’s own heart.”

From David’s mistakes came much sorrow – the death of his newborn son – and the death of yet another grown son – he was betrayed and had people seeking to end his life; but through it all, he became such an inspiration to the world. To follow through his writings of the Psalms, which even today are regarded as some of the most beautiful of all poetry, we see lessons in capsule form to help us see what downfall, depression, fear, anger, and then praise can bring to our lives.

Our nation needs more than change – it needs healing – healing that only God can provide to willing participants. Our nation needs leaders who are moral, ethical, and honest. These are more desired than any other thing they can bring to their party and to our country. These must begin in the home, honored in the school, and preached in the church. We, as citizens, should demand this of our leaders and also apply it in our own lives.