Adultery - Adultery has three elements that define whether it exists in a relationship.

It used to be that the definition of adultery was pretty straightforward. If you had intercourse with another person outside of your marriage, you had committed adultery. The boundaries were simple to define and interpret.

These days, determining adultery isn t so easy. Internet chat rooms and grand jury testimony have led people to believe that they maintain some sort of technical virginity by not actually indulging in sexual intercourse. Take the example of online lovers. Some would argue that having an Internet affair isn t adultery because there is no physical contact.

Psychologists maintain that physical intercourse is not a requirement of adultery. Adultery doesn t require contact. There can be an affair without any kind of touching at all.

Since actual sex isn t a requirement for adultery, what is?

There are three elements that determine if a relationship is actually adultery. These are:

Secrecy. Having any kind of relationship with someone of the opposite sex without telling your spouse is one of the elements of an adulterous relationship.

Emotional intimacy. This second element of adultery comes into play when someone starts confiding things to another person that they wouldn t discuss with their spouse. Often, this takes the form of complaining about the marriage.

Sexual chemistry. Any kind of sexual conversation can heighten sexual tension. Having those kind of conversations outside of your marriage isn t innocent at all. It is adultery.

A cyber-romance, or any kind of romance outside of the marriage, is unequivocal adultery. The pain and betrayal a spouse feels upon discovery of such a relationship would be just as deep and severe as if the affair had been sexual. Adultery is adultery, plain and simple.