It seems that as the world progresses in years, it progresses as well in promiscuity of the humans operating it. Perhaps it is just a thing of a growing population and various problems affecting it growing along with that growing population, but I have noticed a grave change in the world’s attitude towards human relationships in my 50 years on this planet.

Not only are fewer restrictions in relationship forming becoming the norm, but it is seemingly growingly admirable for a person to have more partners than simply being faithful to one.

And this growing sad trend is applicable to men and women alike. Perhaps the only thing positive to be said about this is that there is little, if any, gender discrimination in this growing trend.

In my humble opinion, one of the reasons, and perhaps truly the only underlying reason, is a lack of respect for fellow humans, which is based upon a lack of belief in any regulatory religion.

Christianity and Judaism, two of the world’s three major religions and the first two of the divinely revealed religions of the world, call for faithfulness in the marital relationship.

The US, UK, Canada and other western countries profess a basic Christian makeup, even though the governments are not necessarily based upon religion. And yet they legalize or at the very least do not criminalize non-marital cohabitation of two people of the opposite sex.

Why, in some regions, it has gone so far as to legalize, or at the very least passing laws incriminating those who may publicly inhibit open relationships of homosexuals.

This is only the breeding ground that makes ease for people when problems or any other viable situation comes up that promotes to their unfaithfulness in their marital relationship.

Even here on this helium site, where we have interchanging advertisements daily on all of the pages, I noticed an advertisement actually calling for those planning travel to Europe, to simply invest a few moments to send in an online application for ease in finding a mistress before commencing travel.

The ad said something like “Traveling alone? Get a mistress to keep you company.” And then, of course, it went on to give contact information for anyone interested in the venture to secure companionship before traveling.

Such tempting opportunities sometimes will attract a person into temptation, even if such a thought had not really crossed their mind, and even if they are not really having any problems in their current relationship.

As I see it, one of the strongest contributory factors in promoting unfaithfulness is a problem in the existing relationship. Two people marry usually for the reason of companionship, regardless of their initial reason for wanting to substantiate that companionship.

In so many cases, after time passes along, the two become so accustomed to one another that they tend to take the relationship for granted, and they let things go without further stimulation.

Even our gardens or house plants need tending and care, attention to pulling weeds so that they do not choke nutrients and refreshing water from the reach of the plants’ roots, watering, fertilizer, and more.

The plants which remain indoors most of the time also need moving to some sunlight at times, and then they need the care of being moved back into their inside environment once more. The same theory can be applied also to relationships.

It is not enough that we plant the seed and pour some water on the ground and just let it grow. Of course, the seed will most likely grow, but the seed which receives more care, fertilizing at the proper time, tilling the ground around it so as to provide proper necessary airing to the dirt surrounding it, continuous successive watering, but not too much that would cause drowning, this is the seed that will most likely flourish better than the one with less care and attention.

Relationships need some fertilizing boosts from time to time, they need the consistent watering of loving care from each partner to the other, and they need the attentive careful weeding out of the possibly damaging weeds of carelessness and inattentiveness and even insult and anger.

Whenever any one or perhaps even both of the partners feel the loss of inattentiveness or even the sad careless insults from the other, the ground of their hearts becomes tender tilled ground ready to accept the first sign of a new seed of satisfaction from any other source possible.

This is when the heart becomes ripe for looking elsewhere for satisfaction and companionship, and this is when the no-turning-back point of cheating begins.

There is no way that any of us can possibly control the whims and desires of anyone, much less our spouse, regardless of our sex or theirs. But a beginning step in that direction of assuring that our spouse does not even dream, much less think, of drifting off in another direction looking for satisfaction elsewhere, is to ensure that we satisfy their every need, completing our end of the bargain as a companion.

I have found this word, companion, as a most beautiful description in Islamic literature of the spouse relationship. In the Quran, the source of guidance for Islam, which Muslims take as the direct and original word of God, we find that the spouse, rather than termed as such or as husband or wife, is termed as ‘companion’.

Such a beautiful and all-encompassing description it is. A companion in all possible senses of the word, the spouse is the faithful companion of the other, therefore the other in every sense, helping, fulfilling and supporting spiritually, mentally and physically, giving as well as taking, simply there.

A companion. But it is when one of the two fail to be there as a companion in the full sense that the other begins to look elsewhere for companionship, for the void creates a need. This is when the seed of unfaithfulness begins to germinate, in search for tilled ground, fertilizer and water for growth.