Should adultery be punished by law?

@bijouxbroussard: adultery has nothing to do with belief. Its wrong. Always. Everywhere.

@Dreammmer: While it's not something I'd want personally, some couples have so-called "open" marriages, and as consenting adults they have that right. It isn't the business of the state, imo. And among non-believers it's not the business of organized religion.

@bijouxbroussard: I don't speak of so called open marriage. And it is the business of the state to punish crimes.

@Dreammmer: I suspect the state has more actual "crimes" to deal with than this. Marriage is a civil contract, not conscription. At best one can sue for not honoring the terms agreed upon, aka [b]divorce[/b].

@bijouxbroussard: I suspect something different. Infringing on copyright laws and speeding are more of a crime than destroying a marriage? Adultery is not a real crime, not a real offense? I disagree. My assumption is that many answers to my question are the result of marriage not being really special anymore and that divorce has become such a commong thing like crossing a red light. A society that does not give marriage a high value by laws will have a society that sees marriage as something cheap.

@Dreammmer: [quote]A society that does not give marriage a high value by laws will have a society that sees marriage as something cheap.
[/quote]

40%-50% divorce rates and declining marriages, more people cohabitating (which was once [b]also[/b] illegal in some states where adultery was)

Methinks that ship has sailed.