Who Can Find a Virtuous Man (or Woman)?

The media have flooded us within the past couple of weeks with all kinds of news regarding extramarital affairs of politicians. It was a mere few days ago that Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, was caught in a prostitution ring where he had a woman transported across state lines into Washington, D.C. for sexual purposes. After Spitzer's resignation under a cloud, the Governor resigned only to be replaced by David Paterson who also quickly announced both he and his wife had been involved in several affairs themselves. For weeks now, we have been following the story of the Detroit Mayor whose text messages revealed an affair between him and a former chief of staff, yet both denied it under oath. Now word arrives that Dina McGreevey, wife of the former Governor of New Jersey, is allegedly accused of participating in a three way with her husband and another man. My question is, "Are there no faithful men and women anymore?"

Perhaps I am just old and out of step with the younger generation, but I was brought up to believe that marriage vows are important and a commitment is made at the time of the wedding for life. Of course, being the product of parents who divorced early in my life (one of the key reasons also included adultery on my father's part), I am aware that circumstances sometimes demand a break in that commitment. Real life reflects that around fifty per cent of couples divorce, but I am not sure if any statistics are available to indicate how many couples cheated on one another. I feel confident, however, that the number is very high.

Is there anything we can do as a society to teach our young people going into matrimony of the importance of sexual fidelity? As I glance around, I do not see a trend necessarily involving youth or lack of education; the trend toward infidelity cuts across all class levels. I am perplexed and bewildered and long for a solution to this unsettling trend of society.