Can anyone defend gay marriage while not also defending polygamy?

Question

Since the question at hand is redefining marriage?

So if it's between consenting adults who "love each other", sky's the limits....

How would one be able to defend one and not the other?

I for one feel that my "rights" are being violated since it is illegal for me to have my two husbands....Society is so judgemental and needs to clear their minds of bias. I am clearly within the realms of victim status since I can not have my two husband family.

Answer 1

Why can't an argument for marriage at all be an argument for polygamy?

Personally I don't have a problem with polygamy besides the fact that the current structure of marriage law couldn't support it. Find a way to rewrite the entire thing without too many snags and go for it.

By the way, nice use of the Slippery Slope Logical Fallacy:

In order to show that a proposition P is unacceptable, a sequence of increasingly unacceptable events is shown to follow from P.

This form of argument often provides evaluative judgements on social change: once an exception is made to some rule, nothing will hold back further, more egregious exceptions to that rule.

Arguers also often link the slippery slope fallacy to the straw man fallacy in order to attack the initial position:

1) A has occurred (or will or might occur); therefore
2) B will inevitably happen. (slippery slope)
3) B is wrong; therefore
4) A is wrong. (straw man)

EXAMPLE: If same sex marriage is legalized, then polygamy is the inevitable next step. And after that, it's obvious that the age of consent will be striken from existence and children will be marrying adults. Then before you know it, close blood relatives will marry each other and my neighbor will finally be able to marry his llama. We cannot allow this to happen; therefore we must not legalize same sex marriage.

Response: The legalization of same-sex marriage does not validate or invalidate any argument for another position. The legalization of same-sex marriage neither enables nor prohibits the ability of any individual/group/organization/etc from arguing their case for their cause. If these things are legalized, it will be based on the legitimacy of the arguments for them and on their own merits, not on the arguments for and merits of something else. Scare tactics and doomsday predictions do not render an idea "wrong". The legalization of same-sex marriage is to be reviewed, considered and resolved based on it's own merits.

Answer 2

I don't really get what your asking. Defending gay marriage is NOT the same as defending polygamy. All of the gay marriages I am aware of are two partners - total. What would polygamy have to do with anything? Isn't marriage always between two consenting adults who love each other?

Gay marriage is fine. I guess polygamy is fine too - if everybody involved is okay with it. (I wouldn't choose to do either - but if others want to do it - and are consenting - who should care?) But still - I don't know what they have to do with each other or why they would be grouped.

Answer 3

You could gather 30 people and marry than all, for all I care. So long as all are consenting. However, what you are doing is taking something serious and turning it into a joke. The "gay rights" that are being fought for aren't necessarily just for marriage. A lot of states have common law marriages. These laws state that even though a heterosexual couple haven't been legal married that they can claim the rights of married couples after such and such amount of time (7 yrs. here) residing in the same household. Now, I don't think that it's quite fair that a heterosexual couple can get these benefits without even BEING married, and a homosexual couple can't get them even if they are together for their entire adult lives. How can anyone justify this, and say that it ISN'T discrimination? Back to the topic at hand-----I'm fine with polygamy, as long as everyone involved consents.

Answer 4

There is nothing anyone can really do if you have two husbands. Legally, you can only be married to one and have it recognized by the state. Other than that, if you and your first husband want to allow a second man to be your "husband" as well, you will break no laws.

Gay Marriage is not the quest of homosexuals to have their marriages recognized by any church, but the state. They want te same benefits a married couple gets. They want to be able to file their taxes jointly. Mainly, it is the legal status they are seeking. All the powers and rights someone has as your spouse. What has happened is simple. Religious morals have dictated the criteria for a legal institution in this country. That goes against the establishment clause contained in the first amendment concerning the freedom of religion.

Why don't christians complain when two atheists marry in front of a JP with no mention of any god what so ever. What is forgotten is that marriage is a religious institution as well as a legal one. The two are separate. I have often though people should get married at their church. I have fealt though, that Marriage Certificates for heterosexuals should be done away with, and the government will recognize the union. Leave the marriage stuff to the churches.

Answer 5

There is no rational argument for homosexual marriage other than the "partners" wanting to collect benefits from SSI, medical insurance, welfare, etc. You have made a good point. What if I want to take more "wives"? I have been married to the same woman for over 30 years but hey, she's getting older and I think I should be able to scarf in a few 18 to 25 year old girls who are living at home with mommy and daddy and want to escape. Why not? I can still plant a seed and, by keeping them pregnant constantly, we could all live on welfare until I retire! Why not I say agian; we're consenting adults, so whats the difference?

Answer 6

Marriage is about property rights. If they could figure out the property rights and all parties were consenting, I'd have no problem with mutually consenting adults in a polygamous marriage.

Love's hard to find. If you find someone to love and they love you back and you're (all) happy, why should anyone give a flying what genders are involved? (And something tells me that I have to repeat the words MUTUALLY CONSENTING ADULTS here for those who missed it in the first paragraph.)

Let gays get married to the people they want. With a 51% divorce rate among heterosexual marriages, gays couldn't "destroy the sanctity of marriage" any more than the straights have already...

Answer 7

And just what do you find wrong with polygamy. Marriage of any kind should be a personal choice. Its no ones business what people do in their own private lives. Mormons have been doing it for ever, and polygamy was considered ok in the Holy Bible. Homosexual have a perfect right to marry if they so desire. Only ****** would object to something like that.

Answer 8

I'll defend anything as long as all parties involved (who are of legal age) consent and no one gets physically or economically harmed.

The only problem I have with polygamy is that generally cultures that follow that practice tend to be male dominated. I don't think the wives have a lot of say in the matter.

I will also point out that the majority of homosexuals only want equal rights under the law that married couples do, even if they aren't legally considered married.

Answer 9

As per social definition marriage indicates the formal union of a man and a woman, by which they become husband and wife and the sole purpose of it is giving birth of new generation and bringing up them. With this definition gay marriages are not marriage at all it can be termed as living together with social and legal approval.

Also we should not bring polygamy in the holy institution of marriage. Polygamy is the behaviour of jungle beasts, not suitable for human society.

Answer 10

Actually you can.

It's still a union of two people, which seems to be what marriage is typically defined as. This man and woman crap didn't pop up till aroud the time some pope (prude the 1st I believe) decided it and many other things people liked to do was all wrong and god hated it.

Though, as a personal note so long as they can provide for eachother, are aware of, and ok with the arangement, I don't give a flying **** about polygamy. Mind you I'm tossing that on top of any other marriage requiremets.