This legal question is being brought up in a number of state legislatures. In New Hampshire, a group of lawmakers have introduced a bill to repeal a 200-year-old statute still on their law books. They could not find a recent case where someone had been prosecuted for adultery.
Like New Hampshire, about half of the states still have such laws on their books. They, also, largely ignore the subject except when it becomes a central issue in a divorce. Even then, criminal prosecution is not pursued.

"I just don`t think the state should tell two consenting adults who they can sleep with," said one co-sponsor of the repeal bill. This was echoed by the U.S. Supreme Court in ruling on the constitutionality of the Texas sodomy law a few years ago. This theme has become popular as the culture increasingly turns a blind eye toward sin.

Part of the job of government is to "suppress evil." But most of us recognize that police cannot succeed at this if evil becomes so pervasive that not enough "good guys" can be found to do the police work. General corruption then takes over the culture and the government as we see in Mexico, Haiti and other struggling counties. It is sobering to see that today, our state and local governments review hundreds of applicants for police work to find just a handful who qualify.

Many of America`s founding fathers wrote that the government they designed would fail without "virtue in the people." We are watching that virtue being challenged on every side.

Most TV programming and movies are built around plots that actually promote or at least make light or humor about sinful behavior. As Bible believers, our job is to promote virtue by calling people to righteousness. Otherwise, the government`s efforts will be overwhelmed. This situation only indicates how far we have come from honoring the real law Source. God does not mince words in the 7th commandment on this subject. And then in the story of David and Bathsheba, God gives all the sordid details of the consequences of their adultery:

There was shame on a king, an evil order to a trusty army general, the anguish of a loyal soldier when he discovered he was left to be killed by the enemy, a curse on David`s family and nation, and the death of the child he fathered in his sin.

Several years ago, Chick Publications published a tract called The Royal Affair. Since then other tracts have replaced it and the tract was dropped from our line. As we watched the increasing disregard for this 7th commandment, we felt it was time to reintroduce it to remind people of God`s view of this sin.

The growing tide of sin washing over our nation has Bible believers deeply concerned. We must find ways to speak against it. Poll takers tell us that up to 50 percent of adults in America will admit to at least one "affair."

Gospel tracts seeded into our communities are effective in making people stop and think about God and His concern for our sin.

No one, having read The Royal Affair, can plead ignorance of God`s view about adultery which is the only opinion that really counts.

Some tracts are on subjects that make it difficult to hand to someone. However, if they are "planted" where they can be found, they will be read.

Soul winners tell us all the time that "Chick tracts get read." If the reader does not turn from his sin, that tract will stand as a witness against him at the day of judgment.