Can you elaborate? There were times in the OT where righteous men had multiple wives. That's a fact. I obviously don't support polygamy now, I just bring this up to the people who still cling to this ridiculous notion that the modern, western nuclear family is somehow biblical or historical.
Polygamy, right or wrong?
- Thread starter classical_hero
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Can you elaborate? There were times in the OT where righteous men had multiple wives. That's a fact. I obviously don't support polygamy now, I just bring this up to the people who still cling to this ridiculous notion that the modern, western nuclear family is somehow biblical or historical.
Snorrius
Librivorator
I think it should not be strictly "polygamy" but more general ability to create multipartner unions of which polygamy is only one particular case, so another possiblity polyandry or say 3+2 configurations etc. This way it could balance supply and demand
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You say that now, but wait until you and Mrs. Town meet someone you both adore!
If Classical_Hero could tell us which of the tribes of Israel he'd consider to be illegitimate?
Plus, doesn't Jesus take an entire church as his bride? Isn't he supposed to be an example? Isn't that awfully similar to "the pastor won't marry anyone who is not a member of the church", but more like "the pastor marries everyone who is a member of his church"?
Yeah, but then I have to remember another birthday!
Well, you could always meet someone that already has the same birthday as one of you ... (it's too late to marry twins)
If the government is going to be in the business of legally recognizing marriages, it needs to do so consistently. If we are going to break with traditional notions of marriage as between a man and a woman (and I don't see why we can't) then it would be hypocritical to keep other arbitrary restrictions. The legal complications are certainly surmountable, as long as the necessary conditions are set (all partners have to consent, things like inheritance and alimony have to be determined ahead of time, etc.)
As for the morality of it - well a) I don't think anyone here wants my views on which relationships are immoral, to be the basis for government recognition (I don't even claim this) and b) I have long felt that a union can be called a "marriage" whether or not the government recognizes it. If 3 guys want to marry each other, no one can stop them - whether they get marriage licenses for it, is a different story altogether, but why shouldn't they?
I would even go so far as to say that the government might as well recognize incestuous unions (at least between siblings; between parents and children, there are serious issues of consent that get raised even if the child is an adult). In fact, my views of incestuous and polygamous unions are pretty much the same as my views on same-sex marriage.
As for the morality of it - well a) I don't think anyone here wants my views on which relationships are immoral, to be the basis for government recognition (I don't even claim this) and b) I have long felt that a union can be called a "marriage" whether or not the government recognizes it. If 3 guys want to marry each other, no one can stop them - whether they get marriage licenses for it, is a different story altogether, but why shouldn't they?
I would even go so far as to say that the government might as well recognize incestuous unions (at least between siblings; between parents and children, there are serious issues of consent that get raised even if the child is an adult). In fact, my views of incestuous and polygamous unions are pretty much the same as my views on same-sex marriage.
kramerfan86
Deity
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I have no real problem with it so long as all participants are willing. Harms others in no way.
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
So, Eran, my interpretation of your point here that the slippery slope is indeed a reality, and some are just fine sliding all the way down it to its very bottom.
kramerfan86
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Come on downtown, you know good Christians ignore those icky parts of the bible
amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
If a man wants two women spending his hard-earned scratch, that's his problem.
Well, I actually agree with opponents of same-sex marriage that giving it legal recognition will lead to all sorts of other kinds of marriage getting legal recognition - or at least it should, unless its supporters are being hypocritical.
I am confident enough in God's definition of marriage that I don't worry that the government's definition will ruin it.
kramerfan86
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Honestly if we were to legalize it I would say it should be a done in a way where tax benefits and such are capped out at the level a single marriage gets for each member of the relationship. So the man wouldnt pile up benefits (outside of hospital visitation and non-monetary benefits like that).
That's more an issue of the implementation of it than the theory.
I would find it creepy if some woman had a 14-year old wife, but that doesn't affect my views on same-sex marriage.
I would find it creepy if some woman had a 14-year old wife, but that doesn't affect my views on same-sex marriage.
holy king
Deity
Hygro
soundcloud.com/hygro/
We're not talking about same sex marriage though.
I can't find a good argument against this, except that polygamy has a bad history. The article is about polyamory, not actually that much about polygamy. It's about polyamorists looking for more marriage rights which happens to be in effect polygamy. My friends who are poly have strong, more committed relationships with their primary partners, respectively, than most of the usual variety. Half of my friends in committed relationships right now are poly, and their relationships have been going a while. One of them is getting married this summer.
In general I find greater levels of trust and satisfaction in the relationship. The rules and boundaries are made clear and communication is absolute.
I can't find a good argument against this, except that polygamy has a bad history. The article is about polyamory, not actually that much about polygamy. It's about polyamorists looking for more marriage rights which happens to be in effect polygamy. My friends who are poly have strong, more committed relationships with their primary partners, respectively, than most of the usual variety. Half of my friends in committed relationships right now are poly, and their relationships have been going a while. One of them is getting married this summer.
In general I find greater levels of trust and satisfaction in the relationship. The rules and boundaries are made clear and communication is absolute.
Those represent many Polygamous marriages because of the societies that they occur in (i.e. middle East where marrying that age isn't uncommon, and fundamentalist Mormons who are already fringe groups and don't care about the law anyways). Further, they are the only ones that get any media attention in the West, because people don't care if a man is living with several women.
Hell, legalization of multiple marriages would likely help with finding and acting on some of the cases where these problems do occur.
I agree there are legal issues that need to be dealt with before polygamy can be legalised (survivor benefits, for one, come to mind), but there is no reason for anyone to say what a group of consenting adults can or cannot do that is not harming anyone. And if it is being used to harm people, then it should be prosecuted on a case by case basis.
Why not? Parallels and analogies can be drawn between the two, after all.
holy king
Deity
lecturing other people on bible interpretation is pretty rich, coming from a heretic.
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