Why is polygamy bad???

Question

I was watching tv and some guy on the news said that he opposed gay marriage because it would lead to polygamy which is having more than one wife. My question is, so what? Who cares if it does lead to polygamy? How would polygamy negatively affect America? I know many of you will probably give religious reasons for opposing it. I'm an athiest so those reasons are crap to me.

Answer 1

wait...gay marriage leads to polygamy...which means multiple wives right? that does not make any sense to me. Last time I checked...gay men do not marry females. I could be wrong though.

Answer 2

At first glance the argument that gay marriage leads to polygamy appears to make no sense at all. The argument appears to be a non sequitur.
However the argument about gay marriage is not in fact a literal argument but an allegorical one. From a literal , civil rights , equal protection under the law, perspective gay marriage should be legalized. Nobody disagrees with that .
The allegorical argument which is the basis for the religious disagreement uses the slippery slope model as their basis for opposing gay marriage.
The "slippery slope argument says that if gay marriage is legalized then society is heading down a slippery slope of immorality that must logically condone polygamy and other creative forms of human unions. Therefore the religious folks believe that to stop that from happening they must prevent it from ever starting at all. Ergo their opposition to gay marriage

Answer 3

Lets say polygamy is allowed. A man could have 12 wives and lets say 70 children. Then the neighbor would also have 10 wives and 50 children, soon everybody would be cousins or half sisters and brothers best way to end up with major genetic defect after a few generations.

Answer 4

Polygamy is having more than one spouse (men or women) and there isn't anything wrong with it if all parties involved are happy with the situation.

The church long ago decided monogamy would be the only acceptable mating formation...in part, to keep track of paternity of children, in part to exercise control (as most of their rules/laws were for).

Consenting adults, of either sex, should be able to marry whomever they choose...why the gov't thinks it is their business is beyond me...although polygamy would make income taxes and gov't benfits more complicated with multiple spouses and child dependents.

Answer 5

I can't imagine the suffering and pain that more than one wife could inflict on me; however, if people want to have multiple spouses and are over the age of 21 then do whatever, it is your business and not the world's.

Answer 6

Some people might be concerned that a husband wouldn't be able to support multiple wives with children. That's the only serious problem that I can see.

Answer 7

Having more than one spouse means you have to divide your time & assets among them--and THAT is what I object to!
In this world, both spouses usually work, and they don't get to spend enought ime together--and that's with TWO!
What if a man has to take his 4 hours of free time in the evening and divide it among four women? ALl of them are getting cheated.
And SLEEPING with more than one person at a time is just WRONG, whether you're an atheist or not.

Answer 8

i'm not going to spout religious stuff, but i find the idea wrong. why would i want to be married to some guy that needs more than one wife? am i not good enough? if someone needs more than one partner, then that is what i consider cheating. my opinion, just as you are entitled to yours.

Answer 9

Ha! Have you been married? One wife is more than enough. Would you want multiple "Honey Do" lists? Could you take the bitching in stereo?

Answer 10

you wouldn't want all these wifes fighting with each other and stuff, and it would put a lot of pressure on the husband trying to please and support all of them.