Why is polygamy wrong?

[Jesusonthecross]

I know that if Jesus said it is wrong, that is a good enough reason for it to be wrong, but why? Why isn’t it OK to have multiple spouses? This is just out of curiosity, by the way.
Thank you, and God Bless you!

 

[adamhovey1988]

I know that if Jesus said it is wrong, that is a good enough reason for it to be wrong, but why? Why isn’t it OK to have multiple spouses? This is just out of curiosity, by the way.
Thank you, and God Bless you!

Mark 10:2-12:thumbsup:

 

[Jesusonthecross]

What I mean is having multiple spouses at the same time

 

[DrTaffy]

A secular reason would be the historical correlation with abusive relationships and poor social results (e.g rich men with many wives leaving too few wives for the regular guys leading to social unrest)

I don’t know if secular reasons are of interest, and am in any case on a tablet which makes digging up and linking to reports a pain, so I’ll just dump that there and see if there is any interest.

Also on a vague arm waving front, you can see that a guy with hundreds of wives necessarily has a less intimate relationship with each than would be the case in a monogamous relationship.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

If the man passes away there will be that many more widows and orphans.

Just a thought.

 

[Tomdstone]

I know that if Jesus said it is wrong, that is a good enough reason for it to be wrong, but why? Why isn’t it OK to have multiple spouses? This is just out of curiosity, by the way.
Thank you, and God Bless you!

Polyandry is wrong because the child would not be sure who is her father. Polygamy is not against the natural law and was allowed in the OT.

 

[Todd977]

If the number of females born were double or triple the number of males born, then I can see how bigamy or trigamy would be ok. However, since the number of females born is about the same as the number of males, allowing one male to have multiple wives unjustly deprives other men the opportunity of ever finding a mate.

 

[FractalFire]

If the number of females born were double or triple the number of males born, then I can see how bigamy or trigamy would be ok. However, since the number of females born is about the same as the number of males, allowing one male to have multiple wives unjustly deprives other men the opportunity of ever finding a mate.

So then Polyandry (multiple men for one wife) would be okay in, say, China, where men outnumber females? I don’t like that logic.

 

[Trident_H]

Because then marriage is no longer a partnership between equals. It’s instead a collector’s paradise.

 

[Todd977]

So then Polyandry (multiple men for one wife) would be okay in say, China? I don’t like that logic.

No, why would you think that? For the same reason that polygamy is not socially just, polyandry is also not socially just. Since the number of females born is about the same as the number of males, allowing one female to have multiple husbands unjustly deprives other women the opportunity of ever finding a mate.

 

[Petaro]

I know that if Jesus said it is wrong, that is a good enough reason for it to be wrong, but why? Why isn’t it OK to have multiple spouses? This is just out of curiosity, by the way.
Thank you, and God Bless you!

A good enough reason for me. However, I find taking care of one woman takes all my time, patience, love, loyalty … the list goes on…

 

[FractalFire]

Todd977

In China, there are so many more men than women (about 40 million, I think), that *not *allowing some women to have multiple husbands could conceivably deprive some men of wives. So your logic would seem to suggest that Polyandry could be legal in this situation.

Regardless, the matter of imbalance seems to me a moot point, easily taken down by our cultural opponents. All they have to say is that they will allow both Polygamy and Polyandry (and any number of group marriages with multiple men and multiple women) and that this will help the situation even out so that no one has to be without a partner.

So I’m not sure we can dare use that argument against them – it is far too easily destroyed.

I think a far better argument would be based on the instability of such a flexible group marriage system and its negative influence on children. Who are the “parents” of a child in a family with three wives and two husbands? What if one parent chooses to leave, but the rest stay? Who has the greater claim on the child? These types of marriages do not promote a healthy environment in which to raise children, which is, after all, the primary focus of the family unit.

Edit: This was made in response to a reply by Todd that has since been deleted. (?) I’m going to keep it up anyway because I think my last point is still relevant and because it further clarifies why I think his argument will be easily dismissed by someone arguing for Polysexual arrangements.

 

[Todd977]

So then Polyandry (multiple men for one wife) would be okay in, say, China, where men outnumber females? I don’t like that logic.

I was only suggesting that the natural sex ratio of about 1 male born for every 1 female born, points to monogamy as being God’s design for mankind. If instead there was a natural sex ratio of 1 male born for every 2 females born, then that would point to bigamy as being God’s design for mankind and a natural sex ratio of 1 male born for every 3 females born would point to trigamy as being God’s design for mankind.

I did not mean to suggest that in those places where the natural sex ratio has been artificially changed, then polygamy or polyandry should be allowed.

 

[FractalFire]

I was only suggesting that the natural sex ratio of about 1 male born for every 1 female born, points to monogamy as being God’s design for mankind. If instead there was a natural sex ratio of 1 male born for every 2 females born, then that would point to bigamy as being God’s design for mankind and a natural sex ratio of 1 male born for every 3 females born would point to trigamy as being God’s design for mankind.

I did not mean to suggest that in those places where the natural sex ratio has been artificially changed, then polygamy should be allowed.

Very well, I think that line of reasoning is sensible – natural law is, after all, determined by careful analysis of nature.

 

[jeffrey_erwin]

**For most Christians polygamy is prohibited, and that authority comes from the Messiah’s grant of the “Keys” to either loose or bind up to His disciples. For someone outside of mainstream Christianity and therefore not subject to Christian church law, polygamy might not be prohibited by their particular religion.

We would not say that the Patriarchs of ancient Israel were wrong to have practiced polygamy. **

 

[Tomdstone]

Polygamy is practiced in Africa, and I was told by an African priest that in some cases the Roman Catholic clergy would not require a polygamist to choose only one of his several wives.

 

[bluerose]

Matthew 6: 24

 

[Little_Sheep]

It’s certainly Biblical!

 

[1ke]

Polygamy is practiced in Africa, and I was told by an African priest that in some cases the Roman Catholic clergy would not require a polygamist to choose only one of his several wives.

That is not correct.

Can. 1148 §1. When he receives baptism in the Catholic Church, a non-baptized man who has several non-baptized wives at the same time can retain one of them after the others have been dismissed, if it is hard for him to remain with the first one. The same is valid for a non-baptized woman who has several non-baptized husbands at the same time.

§2. In the cases mentioned in §1, marriage must be contracted in legitimate form after baptism has been received, and the prescripts about mixed marriages, if necessary, and other matters required by the law are to be observed.

§3. Keeping in mind the moral, social, and economic conditions of places and of persons, the local ordinary is to take care that the needs of the first wife and the others dismissed are sufficiently provided for according to the norms of justice, Christian charity, and natural equity.

 

[FractalFire]

It’s certainly Biblical!

Albeit shown in a VERY poor light consistently. I can’t think of one case where it didn’t lead to heartbreak – which I think is very telling about the primary problem with such relationships.