Wedding photo of Charles and Kathleen Whitman (1962), Source eBay, Author unknown (Public Domain).
The Bible describes marital fidelity as a sacred commitment involving love, respect, and faithfulness between spouses [1].
A Divine Covenant
The Bible views marriage as a divinely instituted covenant where a husband and wife become “one flesh” (Gen. 2: 24) [2]. Fidelity is central to this covenant, so sexual immorality or adultery is explicitly condemned (Heb. 13: 4). The Seventh Commandment, of course, forbids adultery (Ex. 20: 14).
A Loving Bond
However, marital fidelity extends beyond avoiding adultery. It encompasses honesty, loyalty, and a deep respect. The Bible instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loves His church (Eph. 5:25), and wives to respect their husbands (Eph. 5: 33). Such love is not just a feeling, but an unwavering bond [3].
Sexual Fulfillment
Surprisingly, the Bible specifically addresses sexual fidelity within marriage, emphasizing that spouses should fulfill each other’s conjugal rights to prevent temptation and maintain intimacy (1 Cor. 7: 3-5). Lustful intent constitutes adultery in the heart (Matt. 5: 28).
Sexual Revolution
We may today think this old fashioned.
After all, the sexual revolution of the 1960s changed attitudes and behavior related to sexuality throughout the Western World [4]. Nearly 2 in 5 children in the United States – some 1 million children – are now born out of wedlock each year [5A][6]. More than 2 in 3 Black children are born outside marriage [7]. This is part of a global trend, with out of wedlock births exceeding 50% in many countries [5B].
Poverty and Out of Wedlock Births
Unfortunately, research consistently shows that children born out of wedlock face poverty risks approximately 5 times higher than those born to married parents [8]. This is because single parents often have lower household incomes, fewer resources, and less access to economic stability.
Studies find that never-married mothers work less outside the home, earn less when they do work outside the home, and experience slower income growth compared to married or divorced mothers [9]. This limits their ability to lift their children out of poverty.
Growing up in poverty can have a profound and lasting impact on children’s self-esteem [10]. Children living in poverty often face stressors like chronic food insecurity, unstable housing, and limited access to healthcare, all of which can ultimately lead to anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues [11].
Modeling
Moreover, children raised in single parent households do not see fidelity modeled. They do not see women treated with respect, hence the term “baby mamas” for unmarried mothers who no longer have even the status of girlfriends. It is not a great leap to domestic violence.
Abuse Risk
Studies show that children in single-parent households are at greater risk of abuse and neglect as compared to those living with married biological parents, and at greater risk of witnessing domestic violence [12][13].
History
There may be still another lesson to be drawn here.
The ethnologist and social anthropologist JD Unwin found a correlation between marital fidelity and cultural achievement across the 80 tribes and 6 major civilizations he studied, covering a period of 5000 years [14]. The people groups who became increasingly liberal toward sexual morality eventually vanished.
Having embraced so called “sexual freedom” in the name of progress, we may well have doomed ourselves to the ash heap of history, regardless of our technological achievements.
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[1] OpenBible, “Marital Fidelity”, https://www.openbible.info/topics/marital_fidelity.
[2] BibleHub, “The Seriousness of Marital Fidelity”, https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_seriousness_of_marital_fidelity.htm.
[3] BibleRepository, “35 Important Bible Verses about Fidelity to Relationships (Explained)” by “Pastor David”, 5/12/26, https://biblerepository.com/bible-verses-about-fidelity-to-relationships/.
[4] Wikpedia, “Sexual revolution”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_revolution#:~:text=The%20sexual%20revolution%2C%20also%20known%20as%20the%20sexual,late%201950s%20to%20the%20early%201970s.%20%5B1%5D%20.
[5A and 5B] World Population Review, “Out of Wedlock Births by Country 2026”, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/out-of-wedlock-births-by-country.
[6] Institute for Family Studies, “America’s Unmarried Birth Rate Puts 1 Million Kids at Risk A Year” by Nicholas Zill, 6/3/26, https://ifstudies.org/blog/americas-unmarried-birth-rate-puts-1-million-kids-at-risk-a-year.
[7] World Data, “Unmarried Birthrate by Race in US: Statistics and Facts”, 10/29/25, https://theworlddata.com/unmarried-birth-rate-by-race/.
[8] American Enterprise Institute (AEI), “Dynamics of Families after a Non-Marital Birth” by Angela Rachidi, 1/8/24, https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/dynamics-of-families-after-a-nonmarital-birth/.
[9] Institute for Family Studies, “The Poverty of Single Mothers Is Persistent” by Nicholas Wolfinger and Matthew McKeever, 5/6/25, https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-poverty-of-single-mothers-is-persistent.
[10] Academia, “Recognition, Poverty and Self-Respect” by Jonathan Seglow, 7/21/20, https://www.academia.edu/67998406/Recognition_Poverty_and_Self_Respect.
[11] PS 169 Baychester Academy, “How poverty influences social-emotional learning” by “Rick”, 8/26/24, https://baychesteracademy.org/how-poverty-influences-social-emotional-learning/.
[12] Hope 4 Hurting Kids, “Risks of Child Abuse and Neglect Based on Family Structure” (adapted from an article originally published on Divorce Ministry 4 Kids 9/28/11), https://hope4hurtingkids.com/trauma-tragedy/abuse/risks-of-child-abuse-and-neglect-based-on-family-structure/.
[13] Institute for Family Studies, “Kids of Single Parents More Likely to Witness Domestic Violence” by Nicholas Zill, 1/6/15, https://ifstudies.org/blog/children-in-single-parent-families-are-more-likely-to-witness-domestic-violence/.
[14] Wikipedia, “JD Unwin”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Unwin.
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