Why is the US more tolerant of gay marriage than polygamy?

Question

Although not completely accepted, gay marriage is much more widely accepted in America than polygamy. A few states have made gay marriage legal, but as far as i know polygamy is still completely outlawed.

i am not gay, nor would i want to be part of a polygamous marriage. i just think that if you're going to accept one, you should accept the other, especially in a country like America.

A common argument i hear for gay rights is "they'd do it anyways." well, the same thing is true for polygamy. men will cheat on their wives (it's legal). and polygamy is not unheard of in Utah, even when the state only recognizes the first wife.

america has many christians who favor a moral society. the bible condemns homosexuality, but does it condemn polygamy? if you read the bible, you'll see that it was accepted. several prophets (moses, abraham...) had many wives. king soloman is reported to have had hundreds.

my theory is that it's a subconscious reaction to population increase. do you think so (why or why not)?

keep in mind that polygamy does not necessarily mean one man and many women...

what i meant by my above added detail is that it could be the other way around (hypothetically speaking)

also keep in mind that while "gay marriage" has only very recently become acceptable, polygamy has been an accepted part of many world cultures for thousands of years.

joey - i think the law should make sure this doesn't happen, whether it's considered marriage or not. i mean women / girls are still treated like crap anyways (such as prostitution, which i believe is legal in some places)

EVERYONE - please see my next question!

lots of good answers here. good points for the opposite side as well.

Answer 1

Really, I am a Christian, but I think homosexuals should be allowed the right to marriage, even if I do think it immoral.
If they want, the religious leaders don't have to marry them, but I think judges should at least be able to.
I also think polygamy should be made legal.
It's their choices, not ours!
Just because we don't *want* to marry the same sex, or have more then one mate doesn't mean we should make it illegal.
It's not like they are hurting anyone.

Answer 2

In most cultures where men can have many wives (mideast), there are specific rules about supporting ALL wives equally when it comes to money and possessions. Therefore, men in those antiquated societies will take more than one wife if they can AFFORD to give all wives the SAME....which, from my mideastern friends anecdotes, is very difficult and not worth the stress.

A gay marriage involves two people who have decided to be together.

Polygamy involves a man who marries a woman, then decides to marry another, and maybe more, regardless of what the first wife wanted. It is not acceptable in this country because we hope to retain the happiness of the couple.

We also don't look kindly upon maltreatment of women, and see a man who takes many wives as not giving all his attention to her. Legal polygamy would also open doors to all kinds of human trafficking and female slavery.

Solomon would have had just one wife if he lived in modern day USA. Back then men had other reasons for having lots of wives.....those reasons do not exist 2000 years later.

Answer 3

Cause it is what is defined by the state as what constitutes marriage. Marriage has always been defined as man and women. And gay marriage is slowly gaining acceptance because it is a partnership between just two people.

I think the reason why polygamy is looked down upon is that what gives a man the right for multiple women. They should be equals and men shouldnt be above women. When you get into polygamy i think it turns women more into property then actual be considered women.

Gay Marriage at least has a legitimate argument for marriage

Polygamy I dont really believe it does

Answer 4

i agree that its more of a subconscioud reaction to population increase as well as "tradition" of having two parents
within a gay marriage, there are also only two people, as americans are accustomed to
as opposed to polygamy where there are more, which is not to their tradition
it could also be because no one has really brought it up and given it as much attention as for gay rights. you yourself said hat there was a common argument for gay rights..
and im not even sure if ive heard any argument for polygamy - in politics, media, and most average day life
im sure if polygamy got enough attention, the younger generations would come to accept it as this generation accepts gay marriage

Answer 5

Personally, I'm glad that my state does not recognize gay marriage. God made Adam & Eve...

But could you imagine what would happen if polygamy was legal?! Let's see, one woman would have 5 husbands...divorce 2 of them and be paid alimony...but then the other 3 would divorce her and then be paid alimony by her...which she would get from the first two and then have to get a job...

Oh man! I think one man to marry one woman is good enough, really. After that, it's just too many people sharing a bed.

Answer 6

I am not sure.

I am not personally against polygamous unions though I believe that most of them work against the women (almost always one man and many women) in the relationship. I think that marriages should remain outside the jurisdiction of the state.

I think resistance is a subconscious cultural reaction against what is perceived as morally different or transversive.

Answer 7

I think polygamy has not been tolerated in the USA because of the women...

It is mainly a 'man thing' and the women do not get anything out of it.

Women do NOT want to share their man with some other woman - and ESPECIALLY in marriage!

Answer 8

The problem with polygamy is it often involves older men keeping around several young wives, often underage, simply as sex slaves. I believe gay marriage should be legal because if it is outlawed, it is giving the same rights to homosexuals as heterosexuals have, but with polygamy, nobody should have multiple spouses.

Answer 9

Christianity tried to bring equality to marriage. To support children & protect rights of widows & orphans.
The Church established marriage as a sacrament of vocation, which puts it on a par with ordination.
The accepted definition is between one man & one woman.
Prior to this, women were treated as chattels.
Marriages were arranged between families.
Women had no say or rights, as in many countries today.
Polygamy is unfair to women & men.
Gay unions cannot produce children.

Answer 10

You have a point, latently, however, in most polygamist societies, the practice is used to entrench male dominance and a virtual aparthied against women. It is often also used, particularly in fringe groups, to sanctify sexual abuse and forced marriage of minor girls by men of all ages, but especially elders desiring them in preference to their more "seasoned" wives.