“If it even just crosses your mind for one second”: Justin Bieber shared his definition of cheating, and not everyone agrees with it
Justin Bieber is stirring up debate after giving his own definition of cheating during a recent Twitch stream.
The pop star recently found a new outlet, promising fans that he would be livestreaming on Twitch every day, starting last week. But things have already taken a controversial turn thanks to Bieber espousing some weird beliefs during a conversation on his channel.
"If you even think of a woman with lust, it's the same thing as actually doing it," he said in a clip that's since gone viral. "Committing adultery, whatever. Like, it's the same thing. If it even just crosses your mind for one second."
Why does Bieber believe thinking is adultery?
As several people pointed out, Bieber is paraphrasing a quote from Jesus in the Christian Bible. Throughout this Bible, it is alleged on multiple occasions that thought is equivalent to action, including hatred being equivalent to murder.
While everyone is welcome to live by their own beliefs, the fact remains that many people do not subscribe to the things put forth in the Christian Bible—including many Christians. And there are also still plenty of rational people who realize there's a big leap between a thought and something that actively causes others harm, such as actual cheating.
That isn't to say allowing certain thoughts to take hold doesn't eventually give way to something physical, but that's not what Bieber is talking about here. He said it himself—even something crossing your mind for one second is, in his view, the same as cheating on your spouse by actually having sex with someone else.
The debate about cheating
Bieber's remarks ultimately sparked debate between people who thought he was on point and those who believed he sounded insane.
"He’s paraphrasing the Bible tbh y'all just be detached from the source"
"This is so false for anything in life. You can’t control your thoughts if you act on them. Yes, that's wrong, but a thought doesn't mean anything.
"He’s [100%] correct! Same for a woman if she is dressing provocative and a man looks upon her lustfully not only is she sinning but she is causing him to sin."
"JB's interpretation of lust as adultery is a classic example of how religious dogma can distort personal relationships. By equating thought with action, he's promoting an unrealistic standard that ignores human nature and the complexity of emotions. This kind of thinking can lead to guilt, shame and repression, rather than healthy boundaries and mutual respect in relationships."
"This is literally in the bible. He’s a god fearing man, and y’all in the replies are trying to flip it. he shows how much he respects his wife with different things and y’all pick NOT to believe it."
"You are NOT your thoughts, this is something that's too nuanced to give a be-all and end-all statement on. what about people with ocd? what about people who suffer with hypersexuality? many people with real issues fall through the cracks when you try give nuanced topics one answer"
"Ppl don’t want to believe that men who think like this exist bc that would raise the bar of what’s expected of men, and they’ve already settled for lustful cretins. Ppl think you have to use force and fire for ur man to just respect you, and it can’t be given freely."
"Listen. I have trauma from being cheated on, like many people in the world. and also this is fucking absurd."
"He went from ‘Baby, baby, baby oh’ to ‘Thou shalt not think lustfully.’ That’s one hell of a rebrand."
Fans interpret Bieber's words
While a number of Beliebers praised the pop star for this take and suggested it meant his wife, Hailey, has scored a man who will always be completely devoted to her with every thought, there's another way to look at this value system.
If thoughts are as bad as the act itself, and even fleeting lustful thoughts are something so many people experience, then a whole lot of people are guilty of "cheating." And that, in turn, waters down the physical act of cheating itself, since it allegedly isn't any worse than simply thinking lustful thoughts, as so many people do.
Or as @beladelgado10 put it, "This is how men who have actually cheated on their wives cope with it."
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