which comes first - law of the land or religion ?

Question

for example:

if you live in UK, the law states you can only have 1 wife
as we are aware some religions allow more than 1 wife
if this person lives in UK, can he have a British passport, and in fact, should he even be allowed to live in UK when he is disobeying the law ?

[how anyone would want more than 1 wife is beyond me - imagine double the nagging - including 2 mother-in-law's !!]

Answer 1

That's an easy one. Law of the land wins in that situation, because although some religions allow for polygamy, none of them require it. Generally speaking, though, most religions even say that law of the land wins in all legal situations. The Bible put it best: render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto God that which is God's. It is a big mistake to mix politics and religion. That is why most industrialized countries have separation of church and state.

Answer 2

The law of the land reigns supreme and the doctrines of any religion can only be followed within the guidelines of that law. If a man wishes to follow doctrines that take him outside the laws of the country in which he lives, then he should either leave the country or change his religion. Have to add though, that most non-Christian men living in the UK with more than one wife have only undergone religious ceremonies with second and subsequent wives, not civil ceremonies, and these are not recognised by the law. Therefore they're not breaking the law, as only the one legally wed wife is actually considered to be a wife; the others have no legal rights at all.

Answer 3

In almost all cases, the laws of religion and the laws of the land coincide. Mostly because they all stem from the same basic principles (e.g. not stealing or murdering other people) but also because in many countries the rule of religious law is taken as the law of the state. The chief differences (as I see them) are less in the laws themselves but in the penalties for breaking them. The bible, for example, tells us (Levictus 20:13) that homosexual practice between men should result in execution and that should one person worship a false (other) god, their entire town should be slaughtered (Deuteronomy 13:13). Pretty harsh stuff for something that is now commonplace in society.

Other religions have similarly outrageous (by todays standards) punishments for pretty much the same things, though in most cases these punishments are not carried out.

Should we follow the law of the land or the law of religion, well that depends on the individual, their commitment to their religion, their social status (it can be a bit different in, say, the armed forces) and their level of social awareness. For myself, this is a fairly easy question to answer - the law of my land is very in keeping with my own sense of morality and I only contravene those religious laws that I perceive to be outdated and lacking in common sense (I like bacon too much).

Answer 4

In the UK its the law of the land.

PS make you right about more than 1 wife.

Answer 5

Adultery is not a crime so living as man and wife with two or more women is OK providing they are of age and are not under compulsion. That could be false imprisonment or even rape However, if a man tries to formally enter into into a marriage when married to another that is a bigamous and illegal.
So if his religion allows him to have 10 wives and he lives with ten women as man and wives he may do so unless he tries to enter into a marriage which is registered in which case he is or should be in trouble (subject to HMG being afraid of offending Muslims. ) he can only claim for one wife on benefits but I do not know if their is a limit on dependants or how they are defined. In conclusion I think your question is perhaps incorrectly aimed

Answer 6

Polygamy is illegal in the UK - but if you were from another country were polygamy is acceptable you can still travel to the UK with your wives. You can still get British citizenship and keep your wives - you just can't marry any more unless you get divorced -

Funnily enough, in the UK there is no law against fathering as many children as you like with as many women as you like - you only have to pay maintainence for your kids - At least polygamists are making some sort of commitment to the women in their lives.

Cultural sensitivities are peculiar sometimes.

Answer 7

Law of the land 1st

unless it conflicts with God's Laws

Answer 8

In England it depends on your religion. If you are Christian all laws apply including the acceptance of homosexuality. However other religions are catered for by opt outs, the most classic example was a Sikh not wearing a crash helmet.

Answer 9

I think law of the land comes first

Answer 10

Law, because if that is mature and robust, it is more than likely a reflection of a healthy land with the right balance of beliefs.