Why is Polygamy Wrong?

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

I know it’s generally opposed, and I’m sure the Church has an official stance in the negative, but does anyone know why?..

My understanding is that marriage is a sacrament - a visible sign to represent the relationship between the Groom Jesus and His Bride/The Church. There is only one Jesus, and there is only one Church.

And so, a marriage must have only one Groom, and only one Bride. Polygamy is an insult to the nuptial relationship between Jesus and His Church.

 

[royal_archer]

1 man + 1 woman = 1 holy union.
1 holy union + 1 woman = polygyny
1 holy union + 1 man = polyandry

If it were stated that way it would be much more clear. It was just one of those readings that always got me thinking when I was young and attending mass. Is the Bible implying…

 

[royal_archer]

In those days as many women died in childbirth as men died in battle. The male-female balance remained about equal.

Setting that aside, though, are you saying that we resort to polygamy because A) God is unable to recruit enough believing men, or B) The wealthy believers are unwilling to support the poor believers? I thought the Mormon Church had a HUGE social welfare program dating back to Joseph and Emma Smith. Wasn’t the Relief Society primarily occupied with “looking to the wants of the poor”? Was the Relief Society so ineffective that polygamy had to be used to fill the gaps?

Only in mathematical theory. Not in God’s divine plan.

They were bridesmaids. You’ll find them in most modern weddings, too. Scripture says they met the groom. It doesn’t say they were the ones marrying him.

1st: if there were a war in our time where more than half of the men died would plolygamy be appropriate even if it was with limitations?

2nd. I see to many women with dead beat husbands who do not make an effort to work and are abusive. I wonder if these wives would be better off as the second wife in a loving supportive household.

3rd The King James translation made it sound like they were the actual wives. I would like to hear what a scholar thinks of the various translations.

 

[Robbinson]

1st: if there were a war in our time where more than half of the men died would plolygamy be appropriate even if it was with limitations?

2nd. I see to many women with dead beat husbands who do not make an effort to work and are abusive. I wonder if these wives would be better off as the second wife in a loving supportive household.

3rd The King James translation made it sound like they were the actual wives. I would like to hear what a scholar thinks of the various translations.

Catholic Catechism

**2387 The predicament of a man who, desiring to convert to the Gospel, is obliged to repudiate one or more wives with whom he has shared years of conjugal life, is understandable. However polygamy is not in accord with the moral law." [Conjugal] communion is radically contradicted by polygamy; this, in fact, directly negates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because it is contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony give themselves with a love that is total and therefore unique and exclusive."179 The Christian who has previously lived in polygamy has a grave duty in justice to honor the obligations contracted in regard to his former wives and his children. **

 

[tee_eff_em]

While CCC 2387 and Canon 1148 surely point to monagamy in sacramental marriage, from an armchair reading of them could one infer that polygamy is acceptable in natural marriage?

Each of them speaks of a non-baptized man with several simultaneous wives, or a non-baptized wife with several simultaneous husbands (in the case of Canon 1148), and not eg of “a non-baptized party with a spouse and several concubines”.

tee

 

[Nan_S]

1st: if there were a war in our time where more than half of the men died would plolygamy be appropriate even if it was with limitations?

2nd. I see to many women with dead beat husbands who do not make an effort to work and are abusive. I wonder if these wives would be better off as the second wife in a loving supportive household.

3rd The King James translation made it sound like they were the actual wives. I would like to hear what a scholar thinks of the various translations.

1. Pointless question. A modern war that selectively kills only the men just won’t happen. In our time war is radically different from biblical times. A) There are a lot of women in the military. I’m one. And during the 1990s women were moved from the rear into combat jobs. B) We no longer have whole nations going to war. The number of people in the military is actually a very small percent of the total population. C) Any wartime attack that targets civilians will kill as many women as men.
2. Another moot speculation that doesn’t justify polygamy. There are just as many lazy, shiftless, worthless wives. That doesn’t justify polyandry. The Catholic Church takes marriage very seriously and makes a strenuous effort to prevent prospective brides and grooms from getting trapped in such a mess. Most Catholic parishes require an engaged couple to go through a 4 to 6 month premarital program which is specifically designed to make them aware of the challenges of married life, and help the prospective brides and grooms discover whether they will be marrying a worthwhile spouse.
3. When reading scripture it is easy to read our own biases into the text. Let’s look at how Mt 25:1 reads in some other translations. I believe this makes the point that the ten virgins were escorting the groom, not marrying him.

King James Version: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

English Standard Version: Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.(Some manuscripts add and the bride.)

Contemporary English Version (pay attention to the footnote): The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom.
CEV Footnote: to meet the groom: Some manuscripts add “and the bride.” It was the custom for the groom to go to the home of the bride’s parents to get his bride. Young girls and other guests would then go with them to the home of the groom’s parents, where the wedding feast would take place.

Holman Christian Standard Bible: Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins (Or bridesmaids) who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.

Wycliffe New Testament: Then the kingdom of heavens shall be like to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went out to meet the husband and the wife.

Vulgate (Catholic Latin text): Tunc simile erit regnum caelorum decem virginibus quae accipientes lampadas suas exierunt obviam sponso et sponsae (english: to meet the bride and groom)

Douay-Rheims (Catholic): Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.

Revised Standard Version: Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (Other ancient authorities add and the bride.)

New American Bible (Catholic): Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.