Have we lost our moral compass?

More than 3.4 million people in the UK are currently cheating on their partners, according to research released yesterday by WordLive.org, Scripture Union’s new online resource making the world’s original guidebook for life, the Bible more accessible.

Seven per cent of the population has admitted they are seeing someone else behind their partner's back in a nationwide poll. And sixteen per cent of those have been even having an affair for the last year or more.

Men are worse than women, with a worrying 11 per cent of them owning up to currently having an affair, compared to just six per cent of women.

James Burden for WordLive.org which carried out the poll, said:  ‘This research uncovered some uncomfortable truths about our society, revealing the erosion of morality and basic rights and wrongs. The detrimental effect of moral indifference and casual negligence threatens to break up the foundations of our communities. Our aim is to make the world’s original guidebook for healthy lifestyles more accessible, and promote the Bible’s relevance for modern living and deal with life’s tricky conundrums.' 

The poll, of 2,500 people, also revealed that 32.4 per cent of cheating men have had more than 2 affairs but only 22.5 per cent of unfaithful women have had the same number.

More than half of men have even thought about a fling with a work colleague and more than a quarter say the main reason for their affair was to ‘have a bit of fun’.

Another 17 per cent were bored in their relationship and seven per cent blamed their partner for not keeping them satisfied in the bedroom.

Four out of ten polled admit to fantasising about being with someone else other than their partner and feel they need to ‘get it out of their system’.

But it seems that even those in happy relationships aren't safe, as the poll revealed 12 per cent of people would still cheat if there were no problems with their partner.

James Burden for WordLive.org, added: ‘We’ve recently launched a new free-of-charge online resource called WordLive.org which helps people to explore ways of achieving more fulfilled lives through accessing the Bible and its stories. WordLive.org provides practical and relevant advice for modern living and has turned the Bible into a digital resource for a world that’s getting faster, smaller and yet more complex.’

And it is not just the increase in adultery that was highlighted in the poll; two thirds of those asked said they would lie to cover their own backs and four out of ten admitted to stealing.

However, the research in to the nation’s behaviour found them morally conscious when it came to the work place.  Three quarters of those polled said they would intervene if they saw bullying in the office and only one in five would try to pass something off as their own to make themselves look good.

The poll also revealed that parental guidance is still vitally important with three quarters of those polled saying they had a great deal of respect for their parents Also as a nation the British are relatively happy with their lot as less than a third thought their neighbour had a nicer house or car.

CITIES HAVING THE MOST AFFAIRS AT THE MOMENT
1. Newcastle
2. Bristol
3. Liverpool
4. Sheffield
5. Norwich
6. London
7. Manchester
8. Birmingham
9. Coventry
10. Cambridge

WordLive.org is a free-of-charge online resource from Scripture Union, an international mission movement working with churches in more than 130 countries to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to children, young people and families, and to encourage them to develop spiritually through the Bible and prayer.

Click the link on the right to go to today's WordLive activity

ENDS