The European 68 Revolution and Sexual Infidelity

 

 

The European '68 revolution brought about a new society. It changed people's thought structures, from spouses, children, neighbors, and the nation to the thinking, lives, and faith of people worldwide. The way people think since the 1990s is different from before.

 

 

What decisively changed the Western world is a kind of social philosophy known as neo-Marxism.

 

 

The European '68 revolution introduced a revolution that did not consider infidelity a sin. Here are a few examples related to sex:

 

 

A devout German woman in her mid-20s to 30s was pursuing a doctoral degree at a university. She was in touch with the writer as a pastor. She was a Christian, and we were having a conversation. When she and the writer were alone, she suddenly shared her first sexual experience.

 

 

This woman received sexual education in school during her adolescence. She was worried about whether she could perform her role as a woman. She wanted to know if she had the typical sexual capabilities of a woman.

 

 

Among her peers in Germany, engaging in sexual relations with the opposite sex was common. So, she seduced a boy with excessive sexual desire. It was not because she was overflowing with sexual desire herself. Her mother, who was a school teacher, was not at home at that time, so she brought him to her house and had sexual intercourse with him.

 

 

After that sexual experience, she finally realized that she was a person with normal female functions, and she could be at ease. She said she did not engage in sexual relations with that boy again.

 

 

Another woman was a German in her mid-20s to 30s who had completed her studies for a law doctorate. She talked about her sexual experience in a private setting.

 

 

Her boyfriend was studying in a different city, and they only met once a week. As this situation continued, her boyfriend began dating another woman. One day, he told her that they should break up.

 

 

The moment she heard those words, her world went dark. The reason was that she might have become pregnant from her last encounter with a man. So, she went to a doctor immediately to get tested. She was deeply concerned about raising a child as an unmarried mother.

 

 

Fortunately, the test showed that she was not pregnant. The period until she received the positive result was the most challenging time in her life.

 

 

The reason these young women confided in a pastor about their sexual experiences was that they had no one else to share their shocking stories with easily. They felt relieved sharing their experiences with a pastor, easing their minds.

 

 

When these women shared their sexual past with a pastor, there was no sign of remorse. They were about to get married.

 

 

What the writer finds from these two stories is that the world has changed completely. Pre-marital activities in Germany are not problematic at all. It was not a concern if a virgin shared her sexual experience with another man. People's consciousness had changed to that extent.

 

 

Before the European '68 revolution, things were different. Young men and women entering a room together were considered a crime. If neighbors reported it, the police would take them away. In conservative regions of Switzerland, such laws were still in place around 2000.

 

 

What surprised the writer most when he heard the stories of these two women was that they were both devout Christians. Typically, Christians acknowledge and feel ashamed of their past sins. When confessing their sins, they feel remorse. They apologize for their sins with the intention of not repeating them. However, these two women had no remorse in confessing their sins.

 

 

The world before and after the '68 revolution has changed. A cultural paradigm shift has occurred. If one does not have sex with someone else's spouse, sexual activity is not a sin at all. Christians seem to feel the same way. They did not have a sense of guilt for sinning against God.

 

 

These women might not feel guilty about their sexual past because they did not know the teachings of the Bible well. It is unknown whether they will realize their sins as they mature and deepen their faith.

 

 

These women did not feel a sense of guilt for engaging in free sexual activity due to the societal atmosphere of this era. They grew up and educated in such an environment.

 

 

Adultery is no longer a shameful act, as seen in classic literature.

 

The '68 revolution in Germany was also a sexual revolution. If a couple, whether they live in different places because of work, education, or other reasons and only meet on weekends, regardless of gender, have sexual relations with another man or woman, it is ordinary. They do not carry any moral burden. The writer has heard stories like this from several people.

 

 

Is the other part of the world different from Germany? Although it might not be like Germany, which is indoctrinated by neo-Marxist ideology, in reality, it may not be very different from Germany.

 

 

Rev. Daniel Song, Pastor of Korean Reformed Church in Frankfurt, Germany