Sorry, that was old data from the first year.. though the numbers haven't grown quickly. The most recent data I saw was 2.9%. But, existing marriages can be converted to a covenant marriage if they exist in your state.

It's food for thought for people who would choose that type of marriage.

Mys

But what if both offending parties are married? As a betrayed spouse I don't want to have more pain inflicted on me and my children then there is already there. I wouldn't want to inflict pain on the OM's wife and children. This is one of those cases where the damage cause by the WS's is enough. I have no problem with a solution that would not take away money from the family. Maybe community service and counciling but other then that it would compound the problem.

RHM,

This is problematic. However, the claim for "loss" would only really arise and be fully actionable once the marriage was ended. After divorce your wife and OM's Wife would only be able to chase the separated property they received in the divorce.

Now if your wife and you reconciled and the other married couple divorced and the OMW sued your wife...you'd necessarily have to pay. It is a consequence of your wife's actions and your family would be as liable as if she punched as innocent bystander and broke his nose.

I don't think it should be allowed to ever be presented as a multi-million dollar claim. Maybe the legislature can put a cap on it...just like they did for the medical lobby. Actual damages plus compensatory damages for pain and suffering not to exceed say $75,000.00. Most of the value is as a deterrent to separate the two so recovery may take place. Hence the requirement of a marital restraining order petition preceeding any such claim.

Just an idea.

Mr. Wondering

It's true...but neither does it have to sanction those acts and institutions that it deems "moral"

JMHO...The state has no business defining and enforcing relationships. A "marriage" can be whatever the participants decide it should be, but, as far as the state is concerned it's nothing more than a joint business venture, covered by existing civil law.

Low

My response - No.

If it were made illegal then wouldnt the WSs have more grounds to be 'innocent until proven guilty'? They would have more of a chance to 'justify' being unfaithful. As it is already in many divorce cases - seems that it is us the BSs that are more on the defense anyhow. Everyone involved in a situation of infidelity suffers enough torture as is - the WSs themselves have that guilt to live with forever, forgiven or not..............but then again......there r those that seem to have no conscience, so maybe thats where making it illegal might allow for some justice to a BS. Might. Like I said before, the scales arent really balanced at all.

Not only illegal, but punishable by involuntary steralization.

But that's just my opinion, and I won't say they won't and don't change...but sheesh!

PS - I really probably don't mean that. Too much stress at once. I really do love my OC....but it was worse than the pain of birthing them myself...the way they came into my world.

I think you need to be careful with this reasoning. There is no global agreement on the specifics of the law of god and by its very nature, the law of god is not subject to secular reasoning. I fully support people choosing whatever laws they want to apply to themselves, however when you start down the path of stating that your view of the law of god applies to other people, it gets dangerous.

Folks blow themselves up in suicide bombs because of the "law of god" and much as I expect that I agree a lot more with your "law of god" than the islamic fundamentalist "law of god" -- neither of you can actually prove you are right.

Sorry for the TJ.