Why is Polygamy Illegal?

[Salamandastron!]

Not that I really care but I was wondering this the other day. I saw an application for Citizenship somewhere and it asked a bunch of questions like "are you a felon", "are you a terrorist"(very effective for weeding out the Honest Terrorists). However, among those questions was "are you a polygamist or have you ever practised polygamy?"...or something to that effect. Polygamy is against the Law, this we know. but why? while grimy,its 100% legal to have 10 girlfriends. shit, one can be married and have any number of mistresses. and thats A-OK. but if you try to make one of your many mistresses a second wife...Bang! the hammer drops! Does that make sense to anyone? i mean, the argument for Gay Marriage is that there are two consenting adults, neither of whom are harming anyone. cant the argument be said the same for polygamy? assuming that all people involved are consenting...

Anyway, while i am not by any means an advocate for Polygamy, i was just wondering...Sorry it simply makes no sense to me.

Does anyone have an argument for why it should be illegal?

 

[Ethnobotanist]

On a local level, it's probably rooted in Christian doctrine. The Puritan variety. Jesus said a man should only have one wife, and like statutes against "sodomy" and the like, they went into law very early on in many areas, especially in areas where Puritans, Anabaptists, or Baptists predominated. As I said, even though that was widespread, it was still on a local level.

Polygamy wasn't federally illegal in the United States until the latter part of the 19th century with the passing of the an act by Congress, called the Anti-Bigamy Act. It was a law designed to discriminate against members of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints (Mormons), who practiced a form of polygamy they believed was divinely commanded by God, called plural marriage. It was passed by the Republican Party who held control of both the Congress and the Executive branch at the time, who in their own words wanted "to prohibit in the territories those twin relics of barbarism, polygamy and slavery". It was designed primarily to bar Mormons receiving any official incorporated status, and seize their property. It was an extremely widespread practice in Mormonism at the time, but when the LDS Church wanted to finally make Utah a state around the turn of that century, the President of the Church outlawed it, especially after the Federal Government started jailing a majority of church leaders, confiscating church property, and their whole society started crumbling apart as a result.

So, short and sweet... it all comes down to religious sensibilites, and mistaken ideas about "cultural superiority". And although some people claim that it's still illegal today because it exploits women, it need not exploit them at all if the marriages are not arranged and its of their own choosing. For the most part, that's just a fuckin' smoke screen. I find it reprehensible that they used the abolition of slavery in concert with it to drum up political support for the bill. Though I would never practice it myself, I believe any law against it is probably unconsitutional, despite what the Supreme Court ruled 140 years ago. The same goes for same-sex marriage and civil unions.

It all comes down to what the majority still think is "morally and spiritually right", and looking down on people who practice it as "primitives". It's because of ignorance and prejudice, my friend, and mob mentality. Although the context is obviously very different, it is done for the same reasons people look down on you for smoking a little green plant, and the government locks you up for it.

~Ethno

 

[closet.cult]

yes. christianity is the reason. even though, oddly, polygamy is in the bible.

i can't think of any reason physically or morally it would be wrong from an evolutionary standpoint. it does nothing to hurt the survival of the species. unless you count on at least some first wifes murdering the second wifes. it's bound to happen.

there's nothing wrong with it. it fucking man-made, religious, horseshit dogma.

 

[BloodShotI'z]

Polygamy (in the US) is illegal because it doesnt mesh with "American society values". Thats an oxymoron itself.

Especially nowadays...where women work, run companies etc. Polygamy demands that the women be submissive to the man. Counter-Business. You'd be almost cutting profits in half. Women woouldnt work. That means they wouldnt have the same purchasing power as a women with a job outside the home.

Also along with the multiple wives generally comes underaged brides and arranged marriages. That again....doesnt mesh with US society or business.

Yes, America is supposedly a Christian country. And as stated earlier....Those in the Bible had multiple wives. But America doesnt embrace polygamy because its counter-business. And in America....In $$ We Trust.

Other countries may have other reasons for not allowing multiple wives. But it all comes down to money here.

Besides...In most societies that dont allow it.....Men just keep a mistress....Thats more acceptable for some reason.

 

[Salamandastron!]

you cant use Christianity as the reason. simply for the fact that we have Gay marriage.

 

[nongreenthumb]

Going way back into English history, Henry the 8th was a king and he had found his bride, unfortunately after much trying they were unable to have a child, so he cut her head off and got a new wife.

I'm not 100% accurate on how the story goes, but he continued having wives and be-heading them until this started ringing alarms bells. The only way forward was for him to re-create the church and religion so that he could actually have a divorce. If he had more sense he would have change religion so that you could have more than one wife at a time.

 

[helloinsomnia]

you cant use Christianity as the reason. simply for the fact that we have Gay marriage.

Yes, you can because gay marriage is a more current issue. Whereas Christianity was instilled in this country back to the times of the founding fathers. Our country was built by Christians. I always thought polygamy was illegal to drive the Mormans out of Utah, which happened awhile ago.

 

[Salamandastron!]

Yes, Christianity was instilled in this country from day one. but along with these "day one" ideals of christianity come the teachings that say that homosexuality and gay marriage are sins. just because we make it a current issue means nothing really. so to make Polygamy legal all we gotta do is make ita current issue? bloodshiti'z prob had the best answer. it doesnt make sense from either perspective though

 

[Ethnobotanist]

Yes, you can because gay marriage is a more current issue. Whereas Christianity was instilled in this country back to the times of the founding fathers. Our country was built by Christians. I always thought polygamy was illegal to drive the Mormans out of Utah, which happened awhile ago.

I have to disagree with the first part of your post. Most of the founding fathers were Deists or Atheists. Jefferson was a deist who despised Christianity, but admired Jesus. Benjamin Franklin was an athiest. Washington was also a deist. The only Founding Fathers that were Christians in the central group were James Madison and John Adams, as far as I know of. This is why the preamble to the constitution uses "Creator" instead of God, or any other variant. All of the terminology is Deist/Panentheistic. And hence the seperation of church and state. The Founding Fathers would be turning over in their graves now if they saw what's happening to this country, I'm sure.

And yes, you're right. They did it to fuck with the Mormons. There was no law regarding polygamy on the books in America (on a national level) before that.

~Ethno

 

[el_maco]

usa a christian country? that seem very backwards to me, even in my undeveloped country if someone intends to say we are a christian nation thats considered a crime

 

[helloinsomnia]

Everything I said was pulled out of my head. I have a biased opinion on things like this because I went to a Catholic high school (even though im not catholic it was for the proper education). During high school I was told the founding fathers were Christian, and followed the church and bible to build this country. I also learned of the separation of church and state, however, I was told the reasons for which are because this is a so called "free country, ruled by the people" which is grade A bullshit, money equals power in a capitalistic society.

 

[yeahmangroovy]

Everything I said was pulled out of my head. I have a biased opinion on things like this because I went to a Catholic high school (even though im not catholic it was for the proper education). During high school I was told the founding fathers were Christian, and followed the church and bible to build this country. I also learned of the separation of church and state, however, I was told the reasons for which are because this is a so called "free country, ruled by the people" which is grade A bullshit, money equals power in a capitalistic society.

question everything.

 

[AzGrOw-N-sMoKe]

good to know money which is also called capital is the power in a capitalistic society...lol....ne way in the state of utah polyagmy is legal because tis state was founded by morman's....also for men we are naturally poligamists even the bible states that as a man we should spread our seed as much as possilbe with our many wives...its just another one of those things that as a society we feel that we have surpassed intlectually...

 

[suicidesamurai]

I have to disagree with the first part of your post. Most of the founding fathers were Deists or Atheists. Jefferson was a deist who despised Christianity, but admired Jesus. Benjamin Franklin was an athiest. Washington was also a deist. The only Founding Fathers that were Christians in the central group were James Madison and John Adams, as far as I know of. This is why the preamble to the constitution uses "Creator" instead of God, or any other variant. All of the terminology is Deist/Panentheistic. And hence the seperation of church and state. The Founding Fathers would be turning over in their graves now if they saw what's happening to this country, I'm sure.

And yes, you're right. They did it to fuck with the Mormons. There was no law regarding polygamy on the books in America (on a national level) before that.

~Ethno

Franklin was not an atheist, he was a deist much like Jefferson. Their views were common among Enlightenment intellectuals of the time, they were opposed to religious dogma but were nevertheless faithful.

 

[suicidesamurai]

Not that I really care but I was wondering this the other day. I saw an application for Citizenship somewhere and it asked a bunch of questions like "are you a felon", "are you a terrorist"(very effective for weeding out the Honest Terrorists). However, among those questions was "are you a polygamist or have you ever practised polygamy?"...or something to that effect. Polygamy is against the Law, this we know. but why? while grimy,its 100% legal to have 10 girlfriends. shit, one can be married and have any number of mistresses. and thats A-OK. but if you try to make one of your many mistresses a second wife...Bang! the hammer drops! Does that make sense to anyone? i mean, the argument for Gay Marriage is that there are two consenting adults, neither of whom are harming anyone. cant the argument be said the same for polygamy? assuming that all people involved are consenting...

Anyway, while i am not by any means an advocate for Polygamy, i was just wondering...Sorry it simply makes no sense to me.

Does anyone have an argument for why it should be illegal?

Polygamy is illegal because the government says it is. The government should have no say in whether or not people can get married. As long as there is consent (which is why you shouldn't be able to marry a goat), there should be no problem.

 

[rkm]

Government controls the money in this country. Religions control what ever God you may believe in. If there is separation of Church and State, then why does "In God We Trust" appear on every piece of our currency? Makes no sense. Its all a smoke screen to be used when it works to their advantage...well....for either side.

 

[JohnnyPotSeed1969]

what i want to know is, why anybody would WANT to do this. one woman is enough. could you imagine an entire house full of PMSing women? fuck that.