In today’s society, we talk a lot about marriage and, the rights to marriage, but not much about the rights of marriage. When two consenting adults marry, they each retain ‘innate and inherent individual rights’ but also take on ‘marital rights’ and responsibilities. Marital rights include the responsibility for both spouses to respect, honor, and uphold the rights of their spouses. Marriage is a unique union of shared rights and responsibilities.

Like the Constitution of the United States, each person has unalienable individual rights. In marriage, there are also unalienable rights for spouses. As such, we put forward a ‘Preamble to the Marriage Constitution’:

We the People, in Order to form a more perfect Marital Union, establish Marital Justice, ensure Marital Tranquility, provide for the common defense of marriage, promote the general Welfare of Marriage, and secure the Blessings of Marital Liberty to Ourselves, our Spouses, our Children, and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Marriage Constitution for all.

We also put forward a ‘Preamble to the Declaration of Marital Interdependence’:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, Marital Fidelity, and the pursuit of Marital Happiness.

We also put forward a ‘Marital Bill of Rights’ to include, but not be limited to, the following rights and privileges for both spouses:

• To treat and be treated with respect, honor, and integrity
• To be honest and act with respect and integrity
• To trust and be trusted
• To complete and unconditional marital fidelity and commitment
• To hear and listen and to be heard and listened to
• To feel safe, loved, adored, and appreciated in sickness and in health
• To allow and be allowed to express feelings without being criticized or attacked
• To make decisions and be responsible and accountable for them
• To make mistakes and learn from them
• To take time — both independently and together — for physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing
• To pursue personal interests, hobbies, learning, self-improvement, and education to improve quality of life
• To not be pressured to do things that go against moral beliefs and principles
• To not have or use affection, intimacy, and sex as a tool for coercion, manipulation, or betrayal
• To not risk exposure to STDs and STIs
• To not risk exposing our spouse to STDs and STIs
• To respectfully bear and raise children together
• To respectfully honor both marriage and children
• To honorably end marriage only if everything that can be done to save it has been done

The above ‘Bill of Rights’ is the foundation for building a better marriage and family. The world would be a much better place if we lived by this ‘Bill of Rights’.

Recovering From Infidelity

If you have experienced infidelity-induced trauma caused by the emotional and sexual betrayal of your spouse, there is hope! If you are a child affected by parental infidelity, there is hope! If you are a spouse who has betrayed the trust, love, and fidelity of your marriage, there is hope! We recommend that you seek support through professional counseling and therapy as well as through groups dedicated to supporting you through this traumatic journey. You are not alone and recovery and healing are possible!

Share Your Story

The CHADIE Foundation shares personal stories of spouses and children impacted by infidelity and affairs. If you have a story you would like to share and have published, please use the contact information below to share your story with The CHADIE Foundation. Our mission is to help educate everyone about the damage infidelity, affairs, and adultery cause families and how to minimize the impact.

About CHADIE Foundation

The CHADIE Foundation (Children are Harmed by Adultery, Divorce, Infidelity, and related Emotional trauma), helps spouses, partners, and children who adultery, affairs, and infidelity have negatively impacted. To learn more about CHADIE and how you can help, please email us at support@chadie.org or visit us at CHADIE.org.