Vis a vis polygamy (or polagamy)?

Question

I live in a country where polygamy/polagamy is still technically illegal but the law is not being enforced (based on our Supreme Court's rulings of the last 20 years it is thought that the polygamy/polagamy ban would be thrown out if challenged). The recent fuss in the USA got me to thinking: what is the rationale of prosecuting a guy who actually wants to commit with more than one wife and support them and all the kids responsibly while a guy who just has multiple intimate girlfriends he spreads his seed into is commiting no felony? Is that not illogical?

Another thought: what happens in the USA when a polygamous political leader from countries allowing it comes calling? Do they usually bring more than one wife which the Bushies quietly accept?

Rukh!!!! Quite an impressive long Answer but it did not answer specifically to either of my 2 questions. Please try again if you see this.

Answer 1

To your first thought, when you put it like that, it *is* extremely illogical. Then again, logic doesn't quite govern everything in this country.

To you second thought: I don't know if diplomats on short-term visits even bring their spouses; I'm sure more research could be done on the subject.

Answer 2

Read Krakauers's "Under the Banner of Heaven". It is about two murders that occurred in Utah. There is a lot of history of polygamy in the FLDS (not to be associated with the LDS), along with the abuses like rape, abuse and scamming the US government for welfare money. It is an eye opener.

I personally think that polygamy might be okay, if all parties involved were not doing it for religious zealot reasons and not forced into it, especially as unconsenting children. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the sects that preach it here in the US.

Answer 3

I'll tackle your last questions first. The USA may not allow polygamist marriage in our country, but we do not imposes such restrictions on other countries. Ambassadors and other government officials are supposed to set aside personal and political differences so that diplomatic relations can carry on for the benefit of the countries involved. Anyone (whether its a political leader or a US citizen) that would use polygamy as an excuse to avoid or malign foreign dignantaries (and ruin diplomatic relations) is a complete moron. There are thousands of things more important to consider than whether a another country allows polygamy. The US deals with ambassadors from countries that are oppresive, corrupt, genocidal or worse, yet we deal with them because diplomatic efforts are better than having things escalate into anamosity and war.

Now on to your first questions, which needs more explaining... In the U.S. there are 2 key reasons why there are problems with allowing polygamy:

1) The majority of people still abide by the traditional laws establishing monogamy as the only legal and acceptable form of marriage in our country. Even though we have freedom of religion (in which that religion may permit polygamous marriage) the existing laws (based originally on Judeo-Christian guidlines) make those marriages illegal. It is unlikely that polygamist marriage would be made legal because whether it is legal or not, the polygamist religions generate unhealthy (and in some cases outright illegal) elements for the larger society... which brings me to point 2...

2) Many religions that allow polygamy are actually cult-like groups controlled by a single religious leader that uses religion to manipulate and brainwash followers. These religious leaders use ther followers to aquire wealth and power for themselves. To maintain their control they use religious indoctrination with isolation tactics on their followers (home schooling, closed communities, no cable, no internet, etc.) to seperate them from outside world. The leadership, of course, are the only ones that are free to really interact with the world. The polygamist community under this type of leadership generates many negative elements...

The polygamist leader, Warren Jeffs, is on trial not only for polygamy, but numerous other crimes related to the type of environment within the community he controls. Under his leadership things like statutory rape, physical abuse, molestation and sexual abuse (all of which are illegal) go on among his followers. In addition, there are also incidences of incest among them as well.

Polygamist societies tend to embrace a mentally and practice of subjugating women to the men. Women are barely more that sexual commodities and relegated to the archaic stereotype of "mother homemaker" and a life of servitude imposed apon them by brainwashing and religious doctrine.

The larger society suffers an economic drain because many of the polygamist families (due to their self-imposed social restrictions) fall below the poverty line with only the "husband" as key provider, and they tap resources from various government programs. The government and the larger society would have more resources to care for more underprivilaged people if the polygamist members abandoned their isolationist stance and patriarchal dominance. With better education and more women working the polygamist community would be better off and able to fully support itself without aid from the government. In addition to the economic drain, the larger society has to deal with exiled polygamist that are forced into crime for survival, because they lack proper education and (because of their isolationist attitudes) have limited ability to connect to the outside world and thrive on their own in the larger society.


It is these illigal and inhuman behaviors of the closed and secretive polygamist society along with the negative economic/criminal impacts (mentioned in the second point) that form the bulk of the reasons why the majority of our society oppose polygamy. Polygamist, especially their leadership, are criminalized because their isolated societies promote serious criminal behavior, other than the minor detail of being married to more than one woman.



I'd like to think there are few polygamist out there that do not condone or practice these oppresive, corrupt, and criminal behaviors. People that are normal, caring, decent, productive, law-abiding, and responsible citizens of society with the exception that their only fault is polygamy. Unfortunately, 99% of polygamist don't fall in to this group.

Personally, I think polygamy would be alright if it didn't involve religous zealots and all the other negative aspects like the abuse, rape, incest, and societal impacts.

Answer 4

one wife is enough!!
thanks anyway