Should adultery carry legal penalties?

[dead0man]

no, but it should carry far higher negatives from the friends, family and acquaintances of those that do it.  If you're willing to stand in front of your god, your friends and loved ones and lie to their faces, you're not someone who can be trusted with much of anything.

[dead0man]

Women have both historically and to this day suffered disproportionately from legal and social charges of adultery.

sure, but women do pretty good in family court, whether they were cheated on or did the cheating.  The only way a man ever gets custody is if the woman just doesn't want the kids or is in jail.  Child support and alimony rates are often ridiculous.