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The confessions of a New York governor on his extra-marital affairs are brewing up a cultural battle questioning monogamy in marriage.
Ex-governor Elliot Spitzer recently admitted to committing adultery with not one, as originally reported, but several women.
While the bulk of reports on the scandal has centered on the flawed policy on prostitution, a sizable amount is making the case that while his actions were dishonorable, they were expected as nature would claim.
The New York Times ran an article under the headline "In Most Species, Faithfulness a Fantasy" on Tuesday, attempting to make the case that sexual promiscuity is only natural.
"It’s been done by many other creatures, tens of thousands of other species, by male and female representatives of every taxonomic twig on the great tree of life," the article argues. "Sexual promiscuity is rampant through out nature, and true faithfulness a fond fantasy."
USA Today also revealed its take on the matter, publishing an article that capped off with the perspective of an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Washington who suggests that the act of engaging with multiple partners is "evolutionary human tendency."
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Dr. Bill Maier, vice president and psychologist in residence at Focus on the Family, argued that humans should not be compared to the behavior observed in the reportedly "tens of thousands of other species."
"'The Times' article makes a huge philosophical assumption," he said, according to Focus on the Family Action's CitizenLink, "that human beings are simply another animal species, and therefore it should be no surprise when they engage in behavior common to other members of the animal kingdom."
The "Christian worldview offers a radically different perspective" on the matter of marriage and fidelity, Maier added.
"Humans are made in the very image of God, actually reflecting aspects of His character and nature," he stated.
"Unlike rodents and flatworms, we are capable of rational thought and moral decision-making."
Jim Mueller, founder of Growthtrac Ministries, which ministers to married couples, also expressed qualms with the articles' comparison between humans and animals.
"Sorry. The sexual preferences of the family dog doesn't set the monogamy standard for married men," he told The Christian Post.
"We are held to a higher standard. We are capable of rational decision making and can choose to respect our spouses with the promises we made at the altar," said Mueller, who has been married to his wife for over 30 years.
He concluded that "adultery is a choice."
A recent study by USA Today/Gallup Poll surveying attitudes on marriage and infidelity found that more than half of Americans, or 54 percent, know someone who has an unfaithful spouse.
But there is a significant difference between whether Americans know instances of infidelity and whether they consider it acceptable.
In a different study released earlier this month by Ellison Research, more than 8 in 10 Americans said they believe adultery is a sin. Adultery topped the list of what respondents thought of as sinful behaviors – above racism, drugs, and abortion.
Meanwhile, a 2007 study by Pew Research Center found that 93 percent of Americans believe faithfulness is the key to a successful marriage.
Marriage is a union whereby man and woman serve and honor each other with God at the center, according to Mueller.
"God's plan for marriage is to provide companionship, to prevent sexual immorality, and to provide children with loving parents. It's the glue that holds communities together and builds the next generation," he said.
Mueller also emphasized that marriage is about commitment.
"God is the mastermind of marriage. When a man and woman enter into marriage, it's for a lifetime."
