What gods call gallantry, humans call adultery

Men resemble the gods in nothing so much as in doing good to their fellow creatures.

- Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.)

Nobility of spirit or action; courage; courtliness or elegance in manner; a polite, stately and refined behaviour; and, chivalrous attention toward women: anyone or all of these characteristics depict a gallantry.

God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems and is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism. God is most often conceived of as the supernatural creator and overseer of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the many different conceptions of God. The most common among these include omniscience (infinite knowledge); omnipotence (unlimited power); omnipresence (present everywhere); omnibenevolence (perfect goodness); divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence.

Conceptions of God vary widely. Theologians and philosophers have studied countless conceptions of God since the dawn of civilisation. The Abrahamic conceptions of God include the monotheistic definition of God in Judaism, the trinitarian view of Christians, and the Islamic concept of God. The dharmic religions differ in their view of the divine: views of God in Hinduism vary by region, sect, and caste, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic to atheistic. Divinity was recognized by the Buddha, particularly sakra and Brahma. However, according to Buddhism, other sentient beings, including gods, can at best only play a supportive role in one’s personal path to salvation. Conceptions of God held by individual believers vary so widely that there is no clear consensus on the nature of God.

Many arguments which attempt to prove or disprove the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, and other thinkers for many centuries.

Chivalrous attention

There are many philosophical issues concerning the existence of God. However, irrespective of whether God exists or not; as of year 2000, approximately 53% of the world’s population identifies with one of the three primary Abrahamic religions: 33% Christian, 20% Islam, 1% Judaism; and, of the rest, 6% with Buddhism, 13% with Hinduism, 6% with traditional Chinese religion, 7% with various other religions, and less than 15% as non-religious. Most of these religious beliefs involve a god or gods.

Now that we have somewhat familiarised ourselves with the idea of God, let us take a look at their personal life. Most of them; to go by existing accounts, while perhaps doling out goodies and punishments to all and sundry life forms; and, perhaps being busy creating and fashioning newer worlds and newer beings; have found ample time to pay chivalrous attention to the females from heaven and earth. If one looks at the Hindu, Greek, Roman and pre-Christian Gods; most are famously active chasing after women. Many think nothing of polygyny and have, more often than not, more than one wife; or chase after as many females of the species as their libido demands.

The latter Gods have, to a great extent, remodelled themselves according to the principles of earthly Roman Dutch Law and have tended to remain monogamous, perhaps to please their believers “though God alone knows what they are up to in their spare time in their heaven, astral world or wherever their abode may be. Since they are supposed to be present everywhere at the same time (omnipresent), it may not be wrong to surmise that there could be all kinds of going on, all over the place. It seems, for the Gods, gallantry and adultery are synonymous.

I am bewildered as to what is good for the Gods is not so good for the humans who believe and trust in him, and conceivably wish to be like him with all the attendant benefits. Is it that, in the relationship between Gods and humans, there exists a hierarchical system as I have seen in many households: what is good for the madam is not good for the maid.

Polygamous

Man by nature is polygamous. That society has enacted laws to regulate this inborn tendency in the males of the species to cast his seed as widely as possible, is due to the fact that men are undependable to love, cherish and care for the women they ravish.

The tendency is to move on to another delight; another charm; another enchantress,” thus forsaking the former.

Though we have moved towards a world in which women today are, and can be, to a greater extent, independent of men for their sustenance, happiness and well being; these laws were enacted at a time when women were called to be the master of the home and thus be confined to the house. Women were also called the weaker sex by men who wished to dominate them for his own benefit.

The fact that such laws were in conflict with the laws of nature; and, through legislation, tried to force men to alter their natural tendencies, their libido, is what brought about the term adultery.When women become frailty, and men become men; it is called adultery. In the early Roman Law, the jus tori belonged to the husband. It was therefore not a crime against the wife or a husband to have sex with a slave or an unmarried woman. It is well known that the Roman husband often took advantage of his legal immunity.

Thus, I believe, it was Verus, the imperial colleague of Marcus Aurelius, who said to his reproaching wife: “Uxor enim dignitatis nomen est, non voluptatis”’ “Wife connotes rank, not sexual pleasure,” or more literally, “Wife is the name of dignity, not bliss.”

The Greeks too believed in, and imbibed the nature given tendencies of men.

The recognised licence of the Greek husband may be seen in the following passage of the Oration against Neaera, the author of which is uncertain, though it has been attributed to Demosthenes: “We keep mistresses for our pleasures, concubines for constant attendance, and wives to bear us legitimate children and to be our faithful housekeepers.

Chastity

Yet, because of the wrong done to the husband only, the Athenian lawgiver Solon allowed any man to kill an adulterer whom he had taken in the act” (Plutarch, Solon).

It certainly is most unfair for a man to require from a wife the chastity he does not himself practise; and, perhaps wiser counsel prevailed to bring about the law of adultery in its present form. Further, the ability to rise above the animalistic instincts, how much so ever it may be an inborn trait in men was considered a worthy attribute of an evolved man.

As such, unchastity; unfaithfulness; any lewdness of act or thought, as in violation of the divine commandment; a marriage not approved by law or by ecclesiastical authority in the Christian community; sexual intercourse of two persons, either of whom is married to a third person; are all considered adulterous. And, it is said that the gods too have issued commandments such as: “you shall not commit adultery” and “you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.” If this is so, how come the gods do not follow their own dictum.

It certainly cannot be because “what gods call gallantry, humans call adultery.”

I would say that, it is because of: “What men call gallantry, and gods adultery, is much more common where the climate’s sultry.”

See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking, keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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