Adultery and blind obedience

If you want to triple the number of hits a story gets on the Internet, publish a

piece about adultery.

And this column is about adultery — eventually.

But first, a preamble.

The term "culture of obedience" seeped into regional politics over this past

year. Locally, it usually carries an unspoken adjective with it — "blind

obedience." And politicians use it to refer to members of the LDS Church. They

use the term when they want to complain but don't want to take heat for a

frontal assault against Mormons.

And they use the term selectively.

Does anyone refer to the Amish or Orthodox Jews as "cultures of obedience"?

How about the U.S. Air Force? Or the Marines? The Marine Corps slogan is Semper

Fi, meaning "Always Faithful."

Soldiers would be a culture of obedience.

Outsiders often see soldiers as people who "follow orders," but the soldiers

see themselves as choosing to sacrifice personal wishes for larger concerns.

Soldiers are a culture of fidelity, of faithfulness. They see dignity in

pursuing a common ideal.

The word "obedience" sounds like people playing follow the leader.

"Fidelity" sounds like someone sacrificing petty personal desires for bigger

things.

Soldiers look beyond themselves.

Ditto for Mormons.

Mormons, too, are a "culture of faithfulness."

They are, spiritually, Semper Fi.

And that's where adultery comes into things.