Should polygamous marriages be legalised in developed countries?

[Mr Rayon]

Here in Australia we're seeing increasing support for the legalisation of gay/lesbian marriages. I believe one day it will be legalised world wide. But if it does so too would polygamous marriages and perhaps even other forms of marriages between different peoples (as the only thing stopping it now is our Christian roots).

 

My question, even though polygamous marriages have a bad reputation in the developing world (particularly Islamic countries), could it serve a useful purpose in the future (e.g. political ones - to strengthen relationships between different countries) or serve as a better lifestyle choice for certain kinds of people (i.e. consensing adults) in the developed world? Certainly if I was an engineer travelling around the world to work, I would get lonely as Hell being away from family/friends. In this situation a polygamous marriage would help alleviate my loneliness as I marry different women as I travel between countries and start a family with them. There's also no reason why the offspring of polygamous couples can't be engineers, dentists/lawyers or even doctors with the appropriate love and upringing. Perhaps one could start a successful family business with all employees/workers restricted to those part of the polygamous family. Also, having multiple wives (or husbands) from different countries not only increases our appreciation of people from different cultures/backgrounds but it would also increase our linguistic capabilities and eliminate racial xenophobic tendencies we see today.

 

So, what does everyone think?

Could polygamy serve a useful purpose for people living in the developed world?

Do you think rich horny Chinese businessmen will one day be able to undertake polygamous marriages?

And generally is monogamy a better model for marriage than polygamy? If yes, do you think there are exceptions to this rule?

 

Personally, I see no reason why two well-educated and consensing adults shouldn't undertake a polygamous marriage if it is what they desire and the marriage model that best suits their ideals/values. Of course, I think only a minority group of people could successfully pull this off without too much trouble. Polygamy is not for everyone and without question for most it would certainly be undesirable.

 

 

What is everyone's thoughts/opinions about this?

What are peoples' thoughts about its abolition is so many countries? Do you think the justification is good?

 

Btw, currently polygamous marriages undertaken overseas are legally recognized in Australia and I suspect there will be pressure to completely legalize it as we become more liberal with increasing time so it will probably be the centre of debate for the next one or two hundred years.

[iNow]

It may open some tricky challenges with spousal benefits and child custody and who makes critical life decisions when the spouse lands in the intensive care unit at the hospital, but as long as those are worked out I struggle to find a relevant secular reason to oppose them.

[Moontanman]

I already know people who live that life style I see no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to make it legal although finding a unicorn is difficult from what i hear...

Edited June 23, 2012 by Moontanman

[Mr Rayon]

Bump!

 

 

This discussion needs to take place so that our parliament can make an informed decision about what to do!

 

btw, why is polygamy illegal in so many non-Islamic countries? Most of these countries aren't the most conservative Christian countries imo so what gives?

[Greg H.]

This discussion needs to take place so that our parliament can make an informed decision about what to do!

 

btw, why is polygamy illegal in so many non-Islamic countries? Most of these countries aren't the most conservative Christian countries imo so what gives?

 

Well, from what I have read on the Morrill Act of 1862, the Poland Act of 1874, the Edmunds Act of 1882, and the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887, here in the United States, it was simply an argument between the US Government and the LDS church - my supposition would be on the amount of clout the church was wielding in the western territories at the time, since two of those laws were aimed at directly limiting the amount of power a non-profit organization could wield and how much property they could own.

 

In my personal opinion, based on my readings, the US government, fresh from the horror of the civil war, was very concerned by the amount of political power the Mormon church held in the western part of the nation. The government set out to undermine that power by enacting a series of ever more restrictive laws aimed directly at undermining that power base, and clawing that political power away from the church. Remember that before the start of Civil War in 1861, the US only had 33 states - the other 17 were tied up in large territories in the western portion of the country, and the Utah Territory, where the LDS church had most of its power covered all of Utah, most of Nevada, and parts of Nebraska and Wyoming. In my opinion, most of these laws came about because the US was simply afraid the territory would cede from the union before it ever became a state, and form its own (land locked) country inside US borders.

 

See:

http://en.wikipedia..../Utah_Territory

http://en.wikipedia....Anti-Bigamy_Act

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Poland_Act

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Edmunds_Act

http://en.wikipedia....80%93Tucker_Act

Edited June 28, 2012 by Greg H.

[Chad]

I feel people have the right, to do as they wish (as long as they don't hurt anyone.)

 

But I also believe in equal rights for everyone, regardless of sex, race, or age.

 

 

 

These polygamous marriages seem to be only had by men. I do not ever remember seeing a woman, who had (4) husbands. This is not equal rights, it is not right for men to have four wives, and then woman only have one husband. Its not fair.

 

I also believe that this custom of polygamous marriage comes from, unethical men and power hungry men.

 

Is it natural human behavior for a man to have (4) wives, did human men have (4) wives 100,000 years ago? I believe science would say NO. Science would say that we are hunter/gathers, and we wonder around in a group of 8-12. I have never heard of men having (4) wives in a hunter gatherer group.

 

 

I also believe that polygamous marriage, comes from religion in many countries. And the religious world is full of (many) gullible fools. Like how many of todays (high) living priests that have their own private jets, they do (not) even believe in God themselves, they only became priests so they could get rich.

 

So there will be (many) men, who join certain religious groups, just so they can have (4) wives.

 

 

 

My personal view on polygamous marriage is this. I do not want polygamous marriage any were around me, (until the day comes that woman also have (4) husbands, in this custom.)

 

 

If woman also commonly had (4) husbands, I would have (no) problem with it at all.

Until then you can keep that crap away from me.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Chad