ANSWERS: 26
  • whats polygamy????? bewidered irish lass mmmmm
  • I think so. Not that I would participate, but to each their own.
  • Its not for me, but each to thier own, yes it should.
  • I think so, yes. Polygamy and polyandry and any other configuration of plural marriage. There is no rational reason why they should not be allowed to.
  • Only if homosexual marriage is legalised - I think that that is a priority before legalising polygamy. In regard to polygamy, I don't like it. I don't like the idea of a man with several wives, it just stinks of patriarchy and oppression. But it is not my decision to make. If a person is 18+ and able to consent - ie they haven't been groomed their entire lives that this is the way it is supposed to be and that they should put their husband's priorities first - I don't see why the government should stop them.
  • In principle, I would say yes. I'm all for consenting adults being able to do what they want in terms of living arrangements and sexual behavior. In practice, I think our societies are not yet evolved enough to make this realistic. There are still too many asymmetries in the legal and cultural status of men and women to make consent in this regard truly free. For example, there are easily a half-dozen or more 'bridal' magazines. But has anyone *ever* seen a magazine called "Groom"? Also, if it was up to me to implement this, I would make the age of consent for all parties involved 25 years old. Physiologically, that's about when the human brain fully matures and a person has full mental faculties to evaluate such a decision.
  • Since this is the Mormon section of AB let me give a Mormon perspective. Polygamy is a practice that only God can authorize. According to our doctrine, monogamy should be the rule unless God commands otherwise. Such a commandment can only come through one if His chosen prophets. It is not permissible for us to simply decide for ourselves that we want to live in polygamy. As such, any who do take it upon themselves to live such a lifestyle without God's commandment to do so is guilty of adultery. During the mid to late 1800's God commanded certain people to live in polygamous relationships. However, in the 1890's God commanded this practice to cease. He has not given authorization for any one to live that lifestyle since. So, any one who is living in polygamy now is committing adultery, which is a very serous sin.
  • in response to glenn so if 'god' decides to change his mind yet again and we should all practice polygomy (theoretically this being said throught the current prophet of the mormon religion) we should start it up again and over populate the earth even more. dear god when will you people stop dont you think its enough that women are baby factories and must just do as their husbands say without question because he holds the presthood and is theirfore closer to god. (refer to the temple ceremony when they tell you about adam and eve when god finds out eve convinced adam to partake of the forbiden fruit and he tells her that she must now just listen to adam and follow him and because of her sin giving birth will now be painfull for her. i dont thing i need to mention the obvious opression of women) how do we knwo that what the prophet says comes from god. just look at masterbation, so many prophets and other members in high positions in the church have likened it to murder and said how terrible of a thing it is. lets not disregard the medical problems that can come from abstaining from every thing sexual. the main thing in my eyes being that men who refrain from servicing or being serviced one way or another have a SUBSTANTUALLY higher risk of prostate cancer. lets not completely disregard science just becuase it contradicts with something that one man said. mans 'heart is deceitful above all things, and desperatly wicked' (see jeremiah 17:9) to follow any one man blindly is idiotic. if you Are going to follow any one man shouldnt that one man be yourself? follow your heart and what your god tells you personally.
  • I think so, yeah. I can't really think of a good argument against it that doesn't ultimately fall back on personal taste or religious reasons, neither of which should be reasons to prohibit any group of people from entering into a binding legal contract, like marriage. On the other hand, polygamists tend to have lots and lots of little ones, maybe just because polygamy has mainly been seen in religious settings where "replenishing the Earth" is seen as a goal. There is a coming population crisis, and I don't think it is a good idea to give a man his own baby-factory full of ready wives. Research would have to be done regarding whether or not polygamy is directly linked to excessive baby-making, but if it is I think we've got to pass some laws about the number of children people can have, and start offering tax breaks for people who get surgically sterilized before we get into allowing polygamy.
  • I would suggest that we have two related, but distinct, terms for unions. One would be for legal unions and should be open to any consenting adults. These unions could include siblings or friends who wish the tax breaks now afforded to married couples. The second term should be reserved for those unions whose composition / status meets the standards recognized by a particular (non-legal) organization. Every organization can decide which unions it will recognize.
  • Good luck to the dude! ;-)
  • No. The Catholic Church believes that God himself is the author of marriage and has created it for one man and one woman. What civil governments decide to do is up to their citizens and the constitution of the country. From a Catholic Christian viewpoint: In the Bible, a few kings and patriarchs had more than one wife but these few instances were exceptions and rarely turned out well. The general rule from Genesis chapter two and throughout clearly is that God created marriage for one man and one woman. This monogamist view is the only New Testament view of marriage and the kind of marriage that Jesus Christ raised to the level of a sacrament. For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1601 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt3art7.shtml With love in Christ.
  • If you are talking legal, you must go through Congress. None of us have any jurisdiction over that body of men/women. But I wouldn't recommend it, Congress has not done much right yet for many years now. So I would say it is better to leave it like it is...Whew4
  • I don't see why not. I wouldn't do it myself, but I don't see why others should be prevented from doing so.
  • What the hell they have everything else.
  • I believe so. I hate the 'compounds' where they marry girls as young as 13 or 14. But i have met a great family with 3 wives - where 2 works and 1 looks after kids/cleans. The house functioned like clock work and everyone was so loving! It changed my view on plural marriages completely!
  • Hey, if we're gonna throw out the rules for the gays, let's throw them out for everybody.
  • Absolutely. The only reason to disallow polygamy is bigotry and intolerance. The sad thing is that many people who are otherwise tolerant and non-prejudiced are intolerant and bigoted when it comes to this issue.
  • Absolutely! It would mean the end of Polygamy if standing divorce laws applied as equally to second and subsequent marriages as they do the first one. In that light please consider the following article: http://www.theseminal.com/2007/06/17/how-living-in-a-muslim-country-convinced-me-that-polygamy-should-be-legalized/ Please consider these pull quotes from that article: "I have not come to my conclusions because I believe that polygamy is a superior way of life for anyone. What I have seen on the ground in Senegal, as a matter of fact, has not been convincing. ... in the urban setting of Dakar, polygamy seems to be slowly on its way out as young people lose interest in it and as young women in particular are coming to reject it. ...there are many voices in Senegalese society that speak out against polygamy, arguing effectively that it holds many women back." And folks just consider what a STRONG motivator for men to really think about taking a SECOND (or third, or fourth, or ... ) wife if the potential of paying alimony and child support to EACH in the event of a divorce was a factor! I say legalize it and then watch it slowly die.
  • The problem with the government getting involved in those by issuing marriage certificates is in property division upon divorce/death. There's no fair way to do so.
  • what i've never understood is why if you had one wife why on earth would you want another, twice the nagging twice the monthly visitors, twice the cost of shopping trips, two or more people who think your useless, no thanks i'll stick with one person to do all those things but if a man is willing to go thru that punishment more power to him.
  • Why not? If you are unable to be faithful to one person..if you are incapable of having a lasting love for one person and one person only..then why not? Flit around, collect a harem, frolic about..have variety, satiety, whatever. Different strokes for different folks. That is a dream of the Hugh Hefner's of the world..you know, the guy that hates growing up and old and thinks it keeps him young to bed a variety of hotties young enough to be his granddaughter? What that does to any children that you have with multiple partners I have no idea but it can't be as good as being the child of two people who love each exclusively and are faithful to each other 100% till "death us do part"! :) Happy Easter Sunday! :)
  • Of course. Why not?
  • Theoretically I think so. I don't see the harm, I don't think it is unethical, or immoral to have plural marriage. I think that in many societies and lifestyles it is very necessary. I'm not sure that making it legal would work in practice though. I think there could be problems for both those who consent and for the functioning of society generally. That it could cause problems for society isn't necessarily a good reason to say something should be illegal though.
  • It's basically no one else's business but the parties involved. Why do people insist on legislating the private lives of strangers? Now that same-sex marriage is being legalized, we must stop the discrimination and legalize polygamy.

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