I've been having an affair for a while now with a woman who is quite religious.  She goes to church and has, to the outside observer, stellar moral values.

I've never really probed her about why or how she sees the affair in this light, but I would be interested in other's opinions about whether churchgoers have any less propensity to stray.

I have always believed that church is for "sinners."  Saints and the pure don't need it.  It would be logical for those who are struggling to understand the burdens of religious belief and who do not have all the answers, or do not live a perfect life, to go to church in an effort to understand more.

Personally, the bible itself is filled with stories of adultery, so it is acknowledged as a "human condition."  I cannot believe that any creator who gave us the capacity to love meant for us to love only one person for the majority of our adult lives.  It seems to go against the purpose of creation, in my personal opinion.

My view is that God wants me to live a full happy productive life. I wasn't living that type of life.

I am now.

God is the only one with the right to judge me, those here on earth are sinning if they are doing God's job for him.

I was raised in the South, in a Baptist church with very strong values.  My father said many, many times "sex is a wonderful thing between two married people", and indeed it is.  But somehow I don't think that he meant two people who were married to other people.  I personally agonize over my affair and have a moral struggle with it.  I know that my "other man" was brought into my life(again) for a reason and I know that I will never willingly leave his side, nor he mine.  But how this works into God's plan, I have no clue.  I am happily married and have a wonderful sex life, two beautiful, small children.  I was not looking for anything more.  I have everything I have ever dreamed of.  I just happen to love two men and have two men who love me and think that I hung the moon and stars.  For that, I am truly blessed.  And yet with that, comes the agony of one of them getting less of me and me less of him.  I think, in God's wisdom, the 10 commandments were meant to keep our hearts out of agony and strife.  To keep us happy and living as close to Eden as possible, in a world of sin.  Religion is a stuffy word and a shackle to most people. I think a relationship with God is more important.  We don't know our future, but He does.  And He promised to work ALL things together for the good.  So that is the hope that I cling to, that everything will work out the way it is supposed to and that there is happiness for everyone involved.