Should adultery be punished by law?

@TimSummers: Law of all countries.

Better check the laws of the countries you plan to visit to see how they handle adultery. IF you plan on committing it, that is.

@TimSummers: you avoid an answer

@Dreammmer: I am just clarifying your question.

@TimSummers: No need, my question was clear to start with.

@Dreammmer: Respectfully, it wasn't. If you're [b]not[/b] speaking of religion, marriage is merely a civil contract. And monogamy is not part of every couple's agreement.

@bijouxbroussard: Hey why do you think about religion in the first place? My question was asked in the group Dating and relationship? Maybe it is your fault that you assume religion. Monogamy is part of the agreement of 99% of all couples. And where it is not, it is not adultery. Buying a house is also a civil contract and if you cheat you might quickly find yourself before a judge.

@Dreammmer: Adultery has everything to do with religion AND law. You asked if it should be punished by law but you didn't specify who's law.

@Dreammmer: I understood that you are a minister, and so I tend to figure that is your filter. The agreement on purchasing property is pretty straightforward, with tangible losses, Marriage, not so much. People cheat, forgive and resume the relationship, or go into it with any number of agreements. In some countries, there are more than two people involved in a marriage. Ergo, a lot of variables. But in the U.S., other than making sure two adults aren't arbitrarily being forbidden to marry (because of things like gender or race) the only actionable crime states generally address is physical abuse, which is a crime under any circumstances.

@TimSummers: Come on buddy, the church never had the power or the duty to punish anyone. So what are you talking about? And I dont know where you got this idea that marriage and adultery belong to the realm of religion. It does not. You file for divorce before a court, not before a pastor or church or whatever.

@bijouxbroussard: I understand. Ok. But I am a citizen of my country and many of my questions are not at all religious ones. Still, you would have a hard time finding a couple that agreed on what is called an open marriage. And a civil contract is a civil contract and just bc it is so, does not mean that the law does not have a say in it. Every divorce has great losses for all, more so than many property deal. There are many adulteries that are totally unfounded, unjustified and by themselves physical and psychological abuse of a spouse.

@Dreammmer: Region was the law of the land years ago. Then we decided to separate the powers. Adultery is one of those gray areas. I would imagine it is a very old law on many state books BUT it probably came down from the religious community. Is it ok to break the law of the land and commit adultery or is it ok to commit adultery in the eyes of the Lord?

@Dreammmer: I suppose, but because the inner workings of most marriages themselves are very private, between the individuals, unless someone is physically being abused (and often not even then) mostly it's a case of "he said/she said" and much more of a convoluted mess than the courts want to deal with. Hence the concept of no-fault divorces, property settlements, custody arrangements. And then [b]both[/b] go on with their lives.

@TimSummers: Hey Tim, that is true, but marriage and divorce have always been a public matter and not one of the church. Adultery is wrong, it is a crime. It hurts real people and real chidren disregarding of them being religious or not. No religious community allows or did allow for punishing adultery. Justice belongs into the hands of people appointed to execute justice.

@bijouxbroussard: I think that pretty much is the actual problem, that courts find it tedious to impossible to deal with actual adultery. But online services likes craigslist and others that make money with adultery are legal. What does that say about the value of marriage in a society?

@Dreammmer: Adultery already is punishable by law. Most states it is a misdemeanor. Some states it is a felony. So your question is a mute point since it is already punishable by law.

@TimSummers: Then why dont you say that in the first place. It is worth a punishment. The next question would be how it should be punished.

@Dreammmer: People are willing to use those services to cheat, alas. [b]They[/b] are the members of society who don't value their marriages. Supposedly, fewer people are choosing to get married nowadays. If we went back to allowing suits for "alienation of affection" (abolished in my state) or imposing scarlet letters, would there be even fewer marriages ? 🤔

@bijouxbroussard: We will never know, because it wont happen any time soon. Yes, those who use those services disregard their marriage and the marriage of others. But the companies are also to be held accountable. They make the way for adultery being more and more acceptable and normal. If such services were illegal, there would be a whole lot less adulteries.

@Dreammmer: This should put it in perspective; adultery is [b]not[/b] legally a crime in all states (per wiki):

The United States is one of few industrialized countries to have laws criminalizing adultery. In the United States, laws vary from state to state. Up until the mid 20th century most U.S. states (especially Southern and Northeastern states) had laws against fornication, adultery or cohabitation. These laws have gradually been abolished or struck down by courts as unconstitutional. Pennsylvania abolished its fornication and adultery laws in 1973.

In the United States, laws vary from state to state. ... Adultery remains a criminal offense in 21 states, but prosecutions are rare. Massachusetts, Idaho, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Wisconsin consider adultery a felony, while in the other states it is a misdemeanor.

@Dreammmer: Ironically, Sharia Law also believes in punishing adulterers. So those states who still have such laws on the books have that in common, even though the methods may be different.

@bijouxbroussard: So much is not constitutional. I question the ruling that punishing adultery is agaist the constitution. It is one of the worst crimes committed by way too many people today.

@bijouxbroussard: Is that really ironic? Are we better off because we dont punish adultery?

@Dreammmer: Do you support a form of Sharia Law, then ?

@Dreammmer: How would be better off if we did ? Would married people be any happier for it ?