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Should adultery be a criminal offense punishable by jailtime?

Should adultery be a criminal offense punishable by jailtime?

  • Obviously! It should carry MMS and strict for 2nd++ offense..

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • Yes, jailtime.

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • Yah, first fine, then jail, mild jail time.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hmm.. Perhaps..

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No..

    Votes: 57 87.7%
  • Something else(explain).

    Votes: 4 6.2%

  • Total voters
    65
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Which enters you into a contract with your significant other.

Contracts don't assume conditions though. They must be explicitly laid out. The only restrictions are that I can't marry someone else and I am financially liable for her debts unless otherwise stated. I am not forced to love her, make love to her, visit her in the hospital, live with her, or wear a ring.
 
Contracts don't assume conditions though. They must be explicitly laid out. The only restrictions are that I can't marry someone else and I am financially liable for her debts unless otherwise stated. I am not forced to love her, make love to her, visit her in the hospital, live with her, or wear a ring.

Of course not. I believe the state lays out all the conditions of marriage. Here in Arizona:

Arizona Revised Statutes

A. In a proceeding for dissolution of the marriage, or for legal separation, or in a proceeding for disposition of property following dissolution of the marriage by a court which previously lacked personal jurisdiction over the absent spouse or previously lacked jurisdiction to dispose of the property, the court shall assign each spouse's sole and separate property to such spouse. It shall also divide the community, joint tenancy and other property held in common equitably, though not necessarily in kind, without regard to marital misconduct. For the purposes of this section only, property acquired by either spouse outside this state shall be deemed to be community property if the property would have been community property if acquired in this state.

B. In dividing property, the court may consider all debts and obligations that are related to the property, including accrued or accruing taxes that would become due on the receipt, sale or other disposition of the property. The court may also consider the exempt status of particular property pursuant title 33, chapter 8.

25-211. Property acquired during marriage as community property; exceptions; effect of service of a petition

A. All property acquired by either husband or wife during the marriage is the community property of the husband and wife except for property that is:

1. Acquired by gift, devise or descent.

2. Acquired after service of a petition for dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment if the petition results in a decree of dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment.

it goes on and on. You unknowingly sign onto a contract with MANY provisions.:doh Don't **** up.:2razz:
 
I think that it is utterly pthetic that upwards of 80% of those polled here think that adultery NOT be a criminal offense punishable by jailtime. It is indicative of the lack of morals and values that Western Society has embraced.

Yah! Cheers...

The same people who find backbiting a worthy activity and not morally dysfunctional..
 
Its part of that whole pluralism/liberty shindig.

Why should the gov't punish people for how they conduct relationships? Is it part of their business if you did not establish a contract mentioning such provisions? I think not.

Now you are talking methodology.. Perhaps the marriage contract should be much stricter and mention that if you commit adultery against the other person, you will risk jail time..

I think divorce rates could also be greatly reduced if adultery was made illegal.
 
As if our jails and prisons aren't clogged up enough as it is.

How about shorter prison terms and giving people a second chance rather than 80 years in jail and so on? Works in Europe..

How about less prosecution and more treatment of drug addicts, those are the ones that fill up your jail.. Not saying they should not be jailed, but for shorter time with focus on treatment, and much less severe for "mild drugs".. How many people are jailed each year for cannabis? And how many people are not jailed every year for ****ing someone else than their wife or husband and potentially ruining that other persons life/mind?
 
once again, the government has NO compelling reason it needs to punish my or my spouses decisions within our relationship just to satisfy others opinions on how relationships should be.

For any case of adultery, charges would need to be pressed. So if a wife commits adultery and the husband have proof, he is the one who decides if he presses charges or not.

It wouldn't be completely automatic like it seems you describe, it would give the right of the person cheated on to gather evidence and press charges.
 
Third, we live in a very polygamous society. What is the percentage of adultery committed by US citizens? It's probably high - in the 10's of millions I would suspect. We're going to add this caseload to our legal system?

It would be up to the person cheated on to press charges and provide evidence.. How many people do you think would actually do that? How many people do you think would not use such a right if adultery was made illegal?

I think WELL over 50% would use their new rights when cheated on, gather some evidence and press charges.

It wouldnt be such a huge caseload as you figure.
 
After thinking it over a bit...

Making adultery a crime punishable by jailtime will only result in far, FAR fewer people getting married. Which will likely eventually mean the state would have no more interest in it at all and get out of the marriage business altogether since no one would bother doing it (no need for it anyway). I see this as a good thing, thus I think I will support life in prison punishments for adultery. That should nip the whole marriage thing in the bud immediately.

You are right.. I had that in mind the whole time.. Less unserious and rushed into marriages, more serious and deeply considered marriages. Less divorces.. Marriage is a religious ceremony, not a state ceremony btw. Thus its fair to place adultery in the contract as being illegal, if the state provided the legal framework for it.


No one is saying life in jail... But fines and jailtime(perhaps up to 6 months) for first time offenders, and then up to 1 year for second offenders, and up to 3 years and felony crime on the record for subsequent offenders. This assumes that people would get divorced after a trial about adultery.
 
Adultery should be a criminal offense for some who want spend their time interfering in the lives of others.

Those who are offended the most by this are usually the worst offenders.
 
You are right.. I had that in mind the whole time.. Less unserious and rushed into marriages, more serious and deeply considered marriages. Less divorces.. Marriage is a religious ceremony, not a state ceremony btw. Thus its fair to place adultery in the contract as being illegal, if the state provided the legal framework for it.


No one is saying life in jail... But fines and jailtime(perhaps up to 6 months) for first time offenders, and then up to 1 year for second offenders, and up to 3 years and felony crime on the record for subsequent offenders. This assumes that people would get divorced after a trial about adultery.

Umm errr... You do realize he was being sarcastic?
 
I considered it, but answered even so.. And its a she btw.

So you honestly think throwing someone in jail for sex out of wedlock is reasonable? I mean what about fornication? Why stop there, lets stop those damn homosexuals while we are at it!

The whole idea is so retarded I honestly can't believe you even suggested it.
 
It would be up to the person cheated on to press charges and provide evidence.. How many people do you think would actually do that? How many people do you think would not use such a right if adultery was made illegal?

I think WELL over 50% would use their new rights when cheated on, gather some evidence and press charges.

It wouldnt be such a huge caseload as you figure.

It would be a staggering caseload that would devastate our already over-burdened, slow and inefficient legal process system.

But that's not my primary reason to objecting to criminalizing adultery.
 
I think that it is utterly pthetic that upwards of 80% of those polled here think that adultery NOT be a criminal offense punishable by jailtime. It is indicative of the lack of morals and values that Western Society has embraced.

False. Not thinking that Adultery is a criminal offense =/= a lack of morals and values.


COMMITING adultery means a lack of morals and values.


There is a clear and distinct difference here. One can easily find adultery immoral while not believing it is an offense punishable by incarceration.

An example of a related concept is someone repeatedly calling there spouse a "worthless pile of dog****". In my opinion, this is proof that the person making the comment lacks morals or values.

But, me not thinking it should be illegal and punishable by incarceration to repeatedly call one's spouse a "worthless pile of dog****" is not evidence that I approve of committing the action or find it moral.



The fallacy you are engaging in here is that you are trying to suggest a causal factor in the results without anything but loose correlational data and subjective interpretation. It also fails to note that Breech of Contract is NOT a criminal offense. The only most severe penalties regarding breech of contract are monetary in nature.


So, the question being posed is not "Should adultery be a criminal offense punishable by Jail time" it is "Should breech of marriage contract be a criminal offense"

This is asinine to the extreme.

The question asks that the marriage contract be treated differently than ALL other contracts.

All adultery can ever be is a breech of the marriage contract. No more, no less. It is no worse than verbally degrading one's partner incessently to produce the grounds for cruelty, but verbal abuse is no crime as it is protected under the first ammendemnt. But verbal abuse has just as many, if not MORE, negative emotional ramifications and is just as immoral as adultery does.

One does not gain "morality" by forcing it upon otehrs through laws and other coercive methods. One is moral if they themselves do not engage in despicable behaviors such as verbal abuse or adultery.

Redefining contract law to make breech of contract a criminal offense just to enforce one's own morality would create a very dangerous precedent.

You are assuming incorrectly, based on no actual evcidence besides what you have effectively invented on your own, that answering "no" to the question implies or reflects a lack of morality.

Had the question been: "Should there be an increase in monetary damages awaerded to the injurder party when a divorce is caused by adultery" then I would have said "Yes. It is a breech of contract and thus, contract law stipulates that an award for monetary dmages should be rendered".


The assumption it reflects a lack of morality to say that adultery should not be a criminal offense is absolutely incorrect.

Now if you want to argue that contract law should be altered in general so that ALL breeches of contract should be potential criminal offenses, that would be another issue entirely.

Because that is the ONLY way to intelligently argue that Adultery should be a criminal act, and it would require a complete top to bottom reformation of contract law.

I suppose that one could also argue that laaws regarding breach of the marriage contract alone should be reformed so that it is treated as a criminal offense.

But it should be noted that such a reformation would create a first ammendment issue given the verbal abuse example I have described above, as well as create a dangerous precednet based on other potential breeches of the marriage contract/ marital vows relating to "Honor, cherish and obey" or whatever terms are used in the vow exchange.

Imagine a world were any person who is in the heat of the moment during an argument with their spouse and says the word "bitch" or "asshole" can be tried and prosecuted for breech of contract.

Happy times!
 
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False. Not thinking that Adultery is a criminal offense =/= a lack of morals and values.


COMMITING adultery means a lack of morals and values.


There is a clear and distinct difference here. One can easily find adultery immoral while not believing it is an offense punishable by incarceration.

An example of a related concept is someone repeatedly calling there spouse a "worthless pile of dog****". In my opinion, this is proof that the person making the comment lacks morals or values.

But, me not thinking it should be illegal and punishable by incarceration to repeatedly call one's spouse a "worthless pile of dog****" is not evidence that I approve of committing the action or find it moral.



The fallacy you are engaging in here is that you are trying to suggest a causal factor in the results without anything but loose correlational data and subjective interpretation. It also fails to note that Breech of Contract is NOT a criminal offense. The only most severe penalties regarding breech of contract are monetary in nature.


So, the question being posed is not "Should adultery be a criminal offense punishable by Jail time" it is "Should breech of marriage contract be a criminal offense"

This is asinine to the extreme.

The question asks that the marriage contract be treated differently than ALL other contracts.

All adultery can ever be is a breech of the marriage contract. No more, no less. It is no worse than verbally degrading one's partner incessently to produce the grounds for cruelty, but verbal abuse is no crime as it is protected under the first ammendemnt. But verbal abuse has just as many, if not MORE, negative emotional ramifications and is just as immoral as adultery does.

One does not gain "morality" by forcing it upon otehrs through laws and other coercive methods. One is moral if they themselves do not engage in despicable behaviors such as verbal abuse or adultery.

Redefining contract law to make breech of contract a criminal offense just to enforce one's own morality would create a very dangerous precedent.

You are assuming incorrectly, based on no actual evcidence besides what you have effectively invented on your own, that answering "no" to the question implies or reflects a lack of morality.

Had the question been: "Should there be an increase in monetary damages awaerded to the injurder party when a divorce is caused by adultery" then I would have said "Yes. It is a breech of contract and thus, contract law stipulates that an award for monetary dmages should be rendered".


The assumption it reflects a lack of morality to say that adultery should not be a criminal offense is absolutely incorrect.

Now if you want to argue that contract law should be altered in general so that ALL breeches of contract should be potential criminal offenses, that would be another issue entirely.

Because that is the ONLY way to intelligently argue that Adultery should be a criminal act, and it would require a complete top to bottom reformation of contract law.

I suppose that one could also argue that laaws regarding breach of the marriage contract alone should be reformed so that it is treated as a criminal offense.

But it should be noted that such a reformation would create a first ammendment issue given the verbal abuse example I have described above, as well as create a dangerous precednet based on other potential breeches of the marriage contract/ marital vows relating to "Honor, cherish and obey" or whatever terms are used in the vow exchange.

Imagine a world were any person who is in the heat of the moment during an argument with their spouse and says the word "bitch" or "asshole" can be tried and prosecuted for breech of contract.

Happy times!

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Yes... Perhaps you should actually read the bible and then study our modern society..
Did you ever stop and think, MZ ?
Possibly this gentleman has read the Bible, as I have, but we ,I'm guessing here, of course, have become disillusioned..
Its far better that man reads literature than is more up to date..and pertinent to today's world..
 
I voted no. No way do I want government to interfere in my private affairs even more than it already does.

Just a question to those who think it's a great idea:

Who's gonna take care of Mommy and/or the kids while Daddy rots in prison for a few months?

All you're going to accomplish by making adultery illegal is an initial massive surge in divorces followed by a much lower marriage rate. People will simply not get married anymore and will raise their kids out of wedlock. I'm sure that's going to be GREAT for families everywhere. :roll:

Prohibition is NEVER the answer.
 
I think first offense should be punished with a fine, then second offense should be punished with trial and jail time, mild jail time, while repeated offenders should risk serious jail time and felony criminal record.

You are too soft on crime, Maximus
Just stone the woman to death every time
And throw ten stone at the man..
Works every time, doesn't it.
Adultery never happens in the peaceful Islamic lands, but it is rife in America, and we must do something about these heinous crimes..
 
How do any of these contradict Grannies claim that men could fornicate with unmarried woman without being deemed an adulterer?

I don't know that I was addressing that claim at all. I don't recall reading it.

I was, however, addressing this claim:
The Biblical prohibition on adultery was only intended to apply to women.
...and it is that claim which the passages I cited counter.

Would you like me to address the claim you referred to also?
 
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All adultery can ever be is a breech of the marriage contract. No more, no less.

Hmm, tell my boys and my extended family that my wife's adultery was only a breach of a contract: "Oh, mommy broke a strictly legal contract and has absolutely no effect on you at all, in anyway what-so-ever".

Never mind the credible research demonstrating that children are worse off in single parent homes. Never mind that statistics showing that they are more likely to be abused sexually, physically and emotionally by mommy’s boyfriends. No no, Tucker says none of this exists, so it must be true because he said so; and Tucker is always right, just ask him, he'll tell you.

Adultery destroys the family, the destruction of the family harms everyone immediately involved directly and society by proxy and that is why it is wrong.

It's not my morality; it's not your morality, its objective truth which, yes, does actually exist.

Your argument is born of gross ignorance and utter denial of documented facts. I can't address it comprehensively as I would have to start with basic sociological concepts which I neither have the time or patents to type nor the casual reader to digest.

You couldn't be more wrong, Tucker. Adultery is so much more than a simple breach of a contract.
 
Jerry, do you think your wife should have gone to jail?
 
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