True Christianity: The Portable New Century Edition, Volume 1

What makes us chaste is abstaining from wantingto do something that

we could in fact do, because doing it would be sinful.

For example, if a man abstains from adultery and promiscuity

solely out of fear of civil law and its penalties; or out of fear that he will

lose his reputation and respect; or out of fear of sexually transmitted

disease; or out of fear of being harassed by his wife and having no

peace at home; or out of a fear that the other woman’s husband and rel-

atives will avenge themselves on him, or that their servants will whip

him; or out of miserliness; or out of lack of ability caused by disease,

misuse, old age, or some other cause of impotence—in fact, if he

abstains from adultery and promiscuity in obedience to any earthly or

moral law but not at the same time to spiritual law, he nevertheless

remains inwardly an adulterer and a promiscuous person. He still

believes that adultery and promiscuity are not sins. In his spirit he does

not make them unlawful before God. Therefore in his spirit he com-

mits them, even if he does not commit them before the world in the

flesh. As a result, when he becomes a spirit after death, he openly

speaks in favor of such acts.

Adulterers could be compared to treaty breakers who violate agree-

ments, or to the satyrs and priapuses of old who would wander in the

woods and shout, “Where are virgins, brides, and wives to play with?” In

fact, in the spiritual world, adulterers actually look like satyrs and pria-

puses. Adulterers could also be compared to goats that sniff for other

goats, and dogs that run around in the streets looking and smelling for

other dogs with which to have sex. And so on.

When adulterers get married, their sexual potency could be com-

pared to the blooming of tulips in spring—in a month tulips lose their

blossoms and wither away.

The Seventh Commandment

You Are Not to Steal

317 In the earthly meaning,this commandment literally covers not stealing,
robbing, or privateering during a time of peace. It generally means not
using stealth or pretense of any kind to take away someone else’s posses-
sions. It also covers all swindling, and illegal ways to profit, earn inter-

378 TRUE CHRISTIANIT Y §316