Throughout the Age of Man to today's modern epoch, why has the human race maintained an idea that humans are virtually required to marry only one partner; not two or more? Polygamy is the act of a man marrying more than one wife; also recognized as plural marriage. Despite the practice of non-monogamous marriage being banished in most countries in the world of today; however, this custom is still being practiced. The dawn of polygamy is suggested to have initiated at the times of the Christian bible. According to Thom Brooks, a former professor of law at the University of Newcastle, he proposes the first polygamous marriage began with Adam and Eve's grandson, Lamech. Lamech is said to have espoused two women: Adah and Zillah. Furthermore, it …show more content…
can be argued that polygamy became a popularly scrutinized moral issue in the mid to late nineteenth century by the rising popularity of the Mormon church. Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Mormon church, and other Church leaders pleaded to be protected by the First Amendment.
They wanted to have the freedom of religion from the violence and hatred of the enemies of their newfound faith. Once informed the Federal Government claimed they could not protect their religion from the State Government, Joseph Smith believed he would have to assume the presidency of the United States to "properly interpret the constitution." (Gordon 16). Following Smith's assumption of the presidency, he introduced the practice of polygamy into the Mormon faith. Smith believed that Polygamy was crucial to forming, “His vision of a reunited church and state” and “a “Kingdom of God”.” (Gordon 16). Consequently, polygamy, almost immediately, was the inception of cacophony and was maintained a secret within the Church for ten years. …show more content…
Today, Natana J. DeLong-Bas, the Deputy Editor of Oxford Islamic Studies Online, states in her book, Islamic Laws and Society, there is an increase of plural marriage in contemporary Saudi Arabia. DeLong-Bas, clarifies two reasons to explain the rise of Polygamy in Saudi Arabia: The increase in personal wealth due to oil revenues, which has made it possible for an educated man to afford two or more households, and increasing emphasis on Islamic values, which renders male extra-marital affairs morally wrong, thus shifting attention to religiously permissible, and purportedly morally right, polygamous marriages. Within this construct, male sexual needs are given greater importance than female emotions, leaving women in a permanent legally subordinate position to men. The combination of religious, legal, and social arguments in favor of polygamy supports Saudi national policies that promote and support it. (DeLong-Bas 290). This statement proves that Polygamy is not a dead custom and has survived through ridicule across many centuries. Despite many objections toward this highly debatable topic, Polygamy can still be revealed in sections of the world.
Since the creation of the idea of plural marriage, people have agreed and disagreed whether this practice is moral or ethical. There are many reasons against Polygamy. Whether it be religious, one’s ideology or their government’s law, some people think plural marriage to be unethical. On the other hand, people believe Polygamy to be one’s right because being in a monogamous relationship is against natural human behavior. In Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Morality as Anti-Nature”, he proclaims anything that has been taught to humans in any way, “turns, conversely, against the instincts of life: it is condemnation of these instincts, now secret, now outspoken and impudent.” (Nietzsche 348). I argue the act of Polygamy, the marriage of more than two partners, is unethical and immoral. First, I will write about the differences between cultures and how a countries view on polygamy can differ significantly. Following, I will touch on how laws define monogamy and polygamy. To conclude, I will explain why the American Government made the decision to declare polygamy moral and
unethical.
This is ironic because the anti-polygamists believed in the Bible, but not polygamy, one of its teachings. Many of God’s righteous followers in the Old Testament practiced polygamy. Abraham married Hagar, Sarai’s handmaiden (Genesis 16:1-3). Jacob was married to Leah, Rachel, Billah, and Zilpha, all at the same time.
Marriage is usually considered as a tie between two individuals who love each other, but Elizabeth Joseph in the article “Polygamy - the Ultimate Feminist Lifestyle” introduced an interesting alternative for an individual who wants a person to be their spouse regardless of their marriage status. She also presents polygamy as an effective option for modern independent women to maximize their time between their career and family life. However, Joseph, as a journalist and an attorney, only mentioned the benefits of polygamy without the cons that follows it. She also admits in practicing polygamy herself. Through this we can reveal that she is not a reliable source to show that polygamy is the “ultimate lifestyle” because she is clearly biased
Polygamy is the case in which a man or a woman has multiple spouses. One branch of polygamy is termed “polygyny”, which is when “one man is married to several wives” (Zeitzen 3). In polygyny, women have become incredibly subservient because they believe being the best sister wife would mean coming closer God. This means they will obey their husbands and the prophet without question. Some of these Mormon fundamentalists reside in a tucked away community know as Bountiful, British Columbia. The women in Bountiful are being subjected to the confinements and abuse induced by their religious cult. “Some of Bountiful’s men are in there forties and fifties when they marry girls as young as fourteen” (Bramham 12). This is pertinent in showing For example; women “are programmed by their prophets to look happy... [and] are taught from birth to “keep sweet”.” (Bramham 17) This critical statement defends the idea of coercing “code[s] for blind obedience” (Bramham 195).
Have you ever considered cheating on your partner? Studies show that there is a 76% chance of either partner in a marriage committing infidelity (Ferrer 55). In light of the common occurrence of infidelity within monogamous relationships in our society, would it not be logical to consider the possibility that non-monogamous relationship dynamics might be appropriate for some individuals? The idea seems to be on people’s minds, since it has also been coming up in popular culture lately, in shows like “Big Love” and “Sister-Wives”, both of which focus on polygamy, the practice of being married to more than one person at a time. Additionally, there have been many articles written about polyamory, the practice of having more than one intimate relationship at one time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved, and non-monogamy recently. One such article is “Beyond Monogamy and Polyamory,” written by Jorge Ferrer, Ph.D., who is the Chair of the Dept. of East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and was published in ReVision Journal. Ferrer’s goal in writing this article is to expose readers, mainly other scholars, to the possibility of non-monogamous relationships, and the concept of sympathetic joy. While I agree with much of what Ferrer is saying in his article, particularly his points about sympathetic joy, jealousy, genetics, and his responses to the arguments against polyamory, the fact that he overlooks the religions that do not support his theory, while using others to support his theory, weakens his argument.
Arranged marriages are typically not practiced in the United States, however, they are still a part of other cultures. While arranged marriages are often seen as a barbaric or outdated practice, they can still be successful. It may not seem important to study arranged marriages since they are not widely practiced in modern America or other western cultures but some benefits of arranged marriages found could be used to lessen the negative image western civilizations have about cultures that continue the practice of arranged marriages. There are definitely drawbacks in the practice of arranged marriage but there are also benefits that are often overlooked.
Fletcher-Stack, Peggy. “Polygamy: Not as Rare as You May Think.” Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc., 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. .
However, there is evidence of negative conditions that result from the practice of plural marriage. Firstly, “Polygamy has long been associated with gender inequality… and this remains the case.” (“The Practice of and Reasons for Polygamy” para. 13) Women who practice Fundamental Mormonism with the FLDS church are taught that their main purpose in life is to bear children and tend to their husband’s needs. They are required to fulfill these expectations without exception or choice. Moreover, “Social scientists studying various societies often reiterate that the practice of polygamy leads to women being oppressed, threatened or disempowered.” (“The Practice of and Reasons for Polygamy” para. 15) In the case of the FLDS church, women have no choice in who or when they marry, when and how many children they bear, they have limited access to education, and no opportunity for work outside of the home. In order to ensure women in the community live up to these expectations, the church requires women to keep quiet and breaks down their ability to think
Marriage equality for its citizens has become a hot button issue in America these days. Many people agree that marriage does not need to be between one man and one woman, but between people who are deeply in love regardless of their romantic preferences. However, should it still only be between two people? Although it is not as publically acknowledged as homosexuality, polyamory is becoming more common in today’s world. A better understanding of polyamorous relationships will make it easier to consider this subject during the forming of legislature regarding marriage equality.
“Polygamy is defined as a marriage in which a spouse of either gender has more than one mate at the same time. Polygamy is considered a valid form of marriage in many countries and communities around the globe” (Al-Krenawi). However, polygamy is illegal in the United States. Those who practice polygamy in America can only be “legally” married to one spouse; therefore, the subsequent spouses in a polygamist relationship hold a “singl...
The practice of polygamy was ban in 1878 by congress in the Reynolds vs The United States. Thirteen year after, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints decided to ban polygamy from the church. Many members left, forming what is known today as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS church), Mormons who practices polygamy
The Western Religious leaders and moralists believe only one spouse for life is the highest form of marriage. Some of the most "primitive" peoples are strictly monogamous in their ideals, while some "highly advanced" cultures have moved away from the stri...
B. Relevance: For those of you who don’t know, polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife or husband at a time. Although it is illegal in all 50 states, many still practice polygamy in secrecy effecting many lives. I would say a reasonable amount of us may plan on getting married in the future. Some
Polygamy is defined as the condition or practice of having more than one spouse at a time. Though it has existed in many cultures throughout the world, polygamy is still very prevalent in most Islamic societies today. There are however several guidelines laid out in Islamic law governing the practice. Here we will examine the practice of polygamy in Islam and those laws which govern its legality.
Marriage is defined as “a relationship between individuals [such as a man and a woman, a man and a man, or a woman and a woman] – usually two, but not always- that entails both a social and legal status.” Before two people of the same gender could not get married until recently when the Supreme Court allowed for gay marriage to be accepted. Within marriage, we have different types across the world. In sociology we have two types of marriages that break down into other categories that are monogamy and polygamy. Monogamy is the most accepted and most common form of marriage in which it is between one man and one woman. Within this category we have serial monogamy that in which an individual may have several spouses within their lifespan but only having one spouse at a time. For example, if a man were to marry a woman but divorced her and got married again to a different woman or even a man this could be serial. The second category is polygamy. Polygamy is a type of marriage in which one individual marries several spouses at a time. In this case I believe gets out of hand. It becomes hectic and stressful. But within this category there are several others. We have polygyny and polyandry. “Polygamy is more formerly accepted in the Arabic and African culture” (Polygamy). A polygyny “is a form of marriage in which one man marries more than one woman at a given time” (N.d.) In
In today’s society the assumption asserts that there must be only two adults integrated in a relationship, however in polygamous environments, having more than one spouse is traditional. Some may argue that Polygamy is simply just an alternate lifestyle. This, however, ceases to be true. Young girls are being forced to marry older men and sometimes relatives. Little boys are often abandoned because it appears to be competition for older men. Children are victims of sexual and physical abuse. Whereas, for women, they generally become stripped of their money and experience competition against the multiple wives a husband. Although Polygamy is viewed as immoral by society, the main focus point should be saving young children and women because