He Is “Not Against” Stoning Adulterers to Death
Certainly an adulterer is worthy of death; a man who will betray his wife will betray anyone and anything.
In Douglas Wilson’s own words: 3 quotes from 1999 to 2025, from The New York Times, Fidelity: What It Means to Be a One-Woman Man and Sam Harris, each cited to the source.
Douthat But we’re not completely [following Mosaic law]. I mean, at least in the discussion we just had, you did not advocate stoning adulterers, right?
Wilson No.
Douthat There are biblical precepts that allow for the stoning of adulterers in the Old Testament.
Wilson You are correct. Right.
Douthat And you’re not in favor of stoning adulterers?
Wilson Well, I’m not against it, either.
Douthat You are open to it.
Wilson No, this is the thing: Politics is the art of the possible.
Under the economy of the Old Testament, the offense was a capital offense—and not a mere sexual pecadillo: “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 20:10). Certainly an adulterer is worthy of death; a man who will betray his wife will betray anyone and anything. Adultery is treason against the family, and God hates it.
[Sam Harris: “We have a president of the United States who is widely believed to have committed adultery on his current wife... Shouldn't that be a killing offense if any should be?”] Well, if so, that could be. Yeah. So, but don't go in speculation with the Stormy Daniels one. I think if they go earlier to his first marriage, I think that's acknowledged on all hands that Trump was not a faithful husband. [Sam Harris: “So that's a scenario where stoning to death or otherwise being put to death at least should have been on the menu.”] Yeah, I think that's a—so for example, I mentioned King David earlier. King David was the king, and obviously having someone who is the head of the government who is guilty of that sort of crime, you do have certain practical problems about how to go about it. But in terms of what a person deserves, adultery—a man who will betray his wife will betray anything or anyone, and in the biblical world it is a very, very serious thing.