The Huffington Post recently headlined this provocative statement: “You May Be Surprised How Many Born-Again Christians Use Ashley Madison” (an online company that helps married people arrange affairs).
The company recently surveyed its members, and discovered that 25.1 percent are evangelical (“born-again”) Christians. Catholics came in next, at 22.75 percent, followed by Protestants at 22.7 percent. The article quotes a British sociologist who explains the data: “People who have faith often use it as an outlet for forgiveness, so they’re more likely to cheat and less likely to feel guilty.”
“So Much for Monogamy” is a related Internet essay that is generating buzz today. According to the author, evolutionary science helps explain and justify adultery. She explains the theory: “Males compete for females so they can spread their genes more widely; mating with multiple partners makes this much easier.”
Since only nine percent of mammal species are monogamous, it stands to reason that humans aren’t monogamous by nature, or so we’re told. The writer concludes: “Instead of wagging our fingers at people who stray from their partners, let’s first consider whether we’re really hardwired for monogamy. Maybe it’s simply a cultural ideal—a lofty, unattainable one at that.”
Everybody’s doing it because that’s how we’re made—it’s a compelling case for adultery, polygamy, and pornography. But is there another way to interpret the data? According to Pew Research, evangelicals make up 26.3 percent of the American population; Catholics comprise 23.9 percent; mainline Protestants make up 18.1 percent. These numbers are almost identical to the Ashley Madison survey results. In other words, the survey results reflect the larger population.
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SOURCE: Christian Headlines
Jim Denison | Denison Forum on Truth and Culture
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