Polygamy

Question: Can someone explain the difference between bigamy and polygamy? I have looked them both up in the dictionary and I do not see much of a difference. And the olny thing I can assume is that bigamy is done secretly and polygamy is done openly? Am I correct? I am not sure I am putting this is the right category so sorry if I didn't!

Answer: Two wives and many wives.

Question: What happens to the sisters wives when the husband dies in a polygamy marriage? I watched a TV program about a polygamy marriage; it just made me think of the some basic questions. No I am not in a polygamy marriage, just curious. And what about the children as all the women participate in the raising of them? The children consider themselves siblings. Do they continue to live together? Does the women look for a new husband for the group?

Answer: In some Mormon sects like the FLDS, the religious leaders will reassign the wives to other men. I don't know about their sect on the TV show. In all religious and traditional polygamy, the wives have no legal relationship with each other. You point out an interesting part of polygamy that people don't think about. The wives have no legal interest in anyone else's kids, estate, medical benefits, health directives. Legally, they are strangers. They might have lived together for decades are raised each others kids, but they don't have any legal standing. Since polygamy normally is only practiced in countries where women have few rights in any case, no one has ever bothered to figure out anything better. If polygamy were ever legalized in a free democratic country, I suspect it would be a kind of group marriage where gender of each person isn't relevant and every participant has an equal voice in everything. What a nightmare it would be to work out the laws for that. There are thousands of laws in the US regulating the benefits and responsibilities of marriage. Most only assume there are 2 equal partners in every marriage. They wouldn't be relevant for polygamy. Polygamy really isn't designed for modern countries, and the women who participate have no idea how it hurts them legally.

Question: Do you believe that polygamy could be a legitimate lifestyle? Not polygamy in the sense of some religions/sects where men take as many wives as they want or can possibly take care of. But if both men and women were allowed to marry as many partners as they wished, assuming all partners are willing, of age, and capable of making their own decisions. Just a question for your consideration. I could have been more specific with my choice of words in this question. I suppose by legitimate I meant if it was legal would it be accepted as standard social practice.

Answer: Of course. I mean, it is not for me, but I just don't have to participate. But yes, if all parties were of age and consenting, then why wouldn't or couldn't it be a legitimate lifestyle. All the people above who say no, do so because they don't want to do it or feel they couldn't handle it. But that doesn't mean everyone is in that boat or that other people couldn't handle it just fine. In fact, there are people now that do it voluntarily and happily, which alone proves it is doable. The only question is what you mean by "legitimate?" Allowed socially? Legal? Accepted as a state of normalcy? Desirable? I think with time and exposure it could be all these things to some degree, but it will take a while for it to be accepted or made legal, even if some people are already completely capable of doing it and some want it. For the record though, normally polygamy means a man with multiple wives. Polyandry is a wife with multiple husbands. Polyamory (also called plural marriage, group marriage or sometimes open marriage or polygynandy) is a relationship with multiple men and multiple women. Here are some articles on people in polyamorous relationships right now: http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/06/04/open_marriage/ http://www.newsweek.com/id/209164 http://www.google.com/search?q=polyamory

Question: What books would you suggest for my research paper which is on legalizing polygamy? My research paper is on why polygamy should be legal and I need sources from books. Are there any good ones? Also are there any points you can give me about why polygamy should be legal?

Answer: Philip Leroy Kilbride: Plural Marriage for our Times. A reinvented Option? London: Bergin & Garvey, 1994

Question: What percentage of people that support gay marriage also support polygamy? Polygamy has a long history and is still legally practiced in many countries. Gay "marriage" has never been practiced or recognized since the beginning of time(until the last few years). If you wanted to marry 3 women, or if a woman like Oprah wanted to marry 5 or 6 guys, how would that affect you?

Answer: Nicely put. Makes my answer easier to put into words. So called gay marriage is a non issue. I mean think about it the mor men out there vying for men mean less trying to get the females. More for me. The polygamist bastard that takes more than his fair share of females is cutting into my action and needs to be put down. Having said that i'm not a big fan of lesbians. Not because of the lifestyle they have. I could care less. But having to compete with males for the attentions of females is bad enough. Throw a lesbian into the mix and it just makes the dating pool that much smaller.

Question: What do you think of a man who lives in a polygamy relationship with two sisters? What do you think of a man who lives in a polygamy relationship with two sisters? He has a daughter with each of them. The two sisters think he is a very good father to there children, they live with him, and both still have sex with him. Because they are not officially married this is 100 percent legal.

Answer: Why judge them? Would you ask the same question if it were a gay couple? I'd only find fault with it if it were a dysfunctional family. If its legal and everyone's happy and healthy, why not let them live their life? And for the record, I am mainstream Christian. So yes, even religious people think that its fine.

Question: If same-sex marriage will lead to polygamy, why are polygamous unions recognized in 8 times more countries? Same-sex marriage is recognized in six countries, and Sweden and Nepal are set to join the batch by 2010. 48 Countries allow polygamy. So if polygamy is legal in 8 times as many countries as gay marriage, how would gay marriage lead to polygamy?

Answer: *chuckle* They can't hear you, and they never will. But thanks for trying.

Question: What are some ways the problem of Polygamy can be fixed? I am doing a research paper (problem/solution essay) on Polygamy. I definately have been able to come up with some examples of how it is a problem, but I have yet to find ways to solve it. Any ideas?

Answer: Ways the problem of Polygamy can be fixed is to find a Polygamist and kick him in the NUTS, Kung Foo Style, as hard as you can. I saw Duane Dogman Chapman do this to a guy on the 'Pay Your Ex or Else Show' on BET. Wow Zee Wow Wow!! http://content.clearchannel.com/Photos/male_celebrities/duane_dog_chapman_GI.jpg

Question: Is this a reason why polygamy would never work in America? Simply because in america, all parties are equal. Meaning that they all have the same rights. In countries where polygamy is allowed, the women usually have NO rights to their children or property. Would this be an effective argument for why polygamy wouldn't occur at a substantial rate in America?

Answer: Polygamy is slowly decreasing in African countries as women get educated and get rights. Women don't choose to be some old goat's fifth wife if they can take care of themselves. The real reason is that in free democratic countries, women expect to be loved romantically above all others. We believe marriage is strengthened by a a pair-bond of love. In polygamy, romantic love just increases the jealousy among the wives and has to be suppressed. That is why traditionally is comes with arranged marriages. Polygamous marriages in a free country aren't even as stable as monogamous ones. Polygamy is just infidelity, plus the guy brings home the 'other woman' and expects his wife to put up with it.

Question: Joseph Smith believed polygamy to be central to salvation? But today mormons see polygamy as an antiquated belief.If joseph smith was wrong about polygamy what else was he wrong about.He said god had commanded him to practice polygamy,so are you disobaying god by not doing so.

Answer: Smith's God thought polygamy so important that He sent an angel with drawn sword and threatened his life unless he did it. Yet that version of God failed to mention that Blacks are equal, or how to handle succession when Smith died, or a host of important things. He certainly had his priorities - getting more women for Smith, and getting them NOW.

Question: What are the reasons why polygamy and polyandry is illegal in America? I mean yeah it may not be the best choice (we all know why), but so what? It's not like anyone is getting hurt in such relationships if all participants are consenting adults, just like in a regular marriage.

Answer: Yeah people say you can't legislate morality, but here's an example of where it has happened. I agree with you, if we're "land of the free" then why not?

Question: How can Congress party talk about women's empowerment and allow Sharia polygamy in India at the same time? Where was this women's empowerment when the rights of muslim women were being sacrificed at the altar of appeasement of fundamentalist Islam in the Shah Bano case by the Congress party? Does the Congress party have any right to talk about women's empowerment while it opposes uniform civil code and has pushed a section of women into legalised polygamy?

Answer: Good question.Bang on Target.............. Congress have always been a Party of double standards and hypocrites.

Question: If a man is charged for polygamy (multiple wives because of his religion), is the arrest legal? Scenerio: A man's religion expresses a belief in multiple marriage. As an expression of that religion, that man takes four wives. The state he lives in arrested him on a charge of polygamy. Doesn't he have the right to practice his religion? Is the arrest legal? Well, polygamy is illegal, but freedom or religion is one of our rights as Americans... HELP!

Answer: yes because u can practice ur religion as long as it doesn't break any other rights or laws

Question: Why polygamy is needed during Muhammad time, why didn't Muhammad declare it as Haram or illicit to do so ? Even though the Jews population are small, the Jewish man doesn't use it to make an excuse to married another woman. And another question can Muhammad really unite the Arab if he was totally against polygamy, i mean polygamy is widely practice among the Arab society what Muhammad do is that he is only limiting the number.

Answer: Salam for you.In jahiliyyah era there were many kings and rich men who had wives more than 20 because there was no regulation for limitation In the history of Soleiman prophet he had more than 100 wives Islam with its holy Qur'an and Hadits as the life guide are very perfect. Allah gives us muslims the emergency door for polygamy by the maximum of 4 wives if the husband could afford it and treat them fairly. Polygamy is needed not only in the era of Muhammad pbuh.Now is needed too if his wife has long illness a or could not give birth because of infertility. and he could afford it and treat them fairly Muhammad married with more than 1 wife just after his first wife SitiHadijah died.He made polygamy for giving protection for the widows and their orphans whose fathers died in the war He married with the daughters of his sahabahs too for unity.Now just only the small portion of muslim husbands who practised polygamy because the difficulty to be fair.

Question: What started the slippery slope to polygamy? Also...I'm not too familiar with the slippery slope argument so if you know what it means could you please tell me and provide an example.

Answer: The "slippery slope" argument is the claim - very often fallacious - that once you start doing something in a small way, it'll lead inevitably to doing it bigtime (see Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_slope ). Have one drink, and you'll end up an alcoholic. Smoke a joint, and you'll end up smoking crack and injecting heroin. That said, I question your assumption. This "slippery slope to polygamy" is some conservative catch-phrase in reaction to the curiosity of a Dutch civil union between three people ( http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/301 ). The argument is that it'll open the floodgates to polygamy. Doubtful.

Question: One of Obama delegates filed false report in Texas Polygamy case? I heard that the person who called & said she was in the Texas Polygamy compound and was 16 & being abused is actually a delegate for Obama in Colorado! Has anyone heard this? Delegate means she is chosen to represent the states candidate at the convention- not that she is just a supporter of his. Uptown- why don't you take a look at the link that Daisy Duke provided. Then call me a liar.

Answer: I don't think so, I heard it's one of McCain's workers seeing they didn't want to be link to the Polygamy house. You do know that they came from McCain's area from AZ don't you. Who ever it was Thank God they reported it.

Question: What the reason behind polygamy laws ? Beside moral reason, why does the USA have polygamy laws? Besides moral reasons, why, when, and how did the polygamy laws come about?

Answer: Most countries have polygamy laws for the same reason. There is the publicly stated reason, relating to morality and religion, and that is just a smokescreen. The real reason is that governments have to support members of society who cannot support themselves. If breadwinners are allowed to have more than one spouse then it is likely that there will not be enough family income to support everyone in the family. So to protect the economy people are encouraged to marry, with tax incentives etc, because one breadwinner and one carer supporting dependant children is an efficient economic until held together by the legal contract of marriage. But breadwinners are not encouraged to take on more than they can independantly support.

Question: What are the top 10 countries where polygamy is legal and done often? We know Swaziland is in there somewhere, as the king has several wives! I am sure the countries all have currencies weaker than the US dollar, Brit pound and EU euro.

Answer: Here's a map: http://new.wikigender.org/index.php/Polygamy It's pretty much all in Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia and Malaysia. I somehow thought it would be more widespread. I've read a couple articles lately about how it is decreasing among younger women as they gain education and rights and birth control in African countries. http://allafrica.com/stories/200708170197.html Of course, as women make gains, they also contribute more to the economy. There are fewer men who can't find wives when polygamy decreases, and they are motivated to work harder to provide for a family. That also helps economies. Polygamy is a dying system except where religiously mandated because it does hurt nations. No one from a free democratic country wants to move to one of those countries on the map to become poor and repressed.

Question: Whats the difference between polygamy and having a 3some? Do the wives "do it" with each other in polygamy?

Answer: Polygamy is a longterm commitment with more than one person. It's like being married to more than one person. A 3some is sex with more than one person, that's it. Polygamy seldom involves 3somes actually, it's too hard to get the dynamics right for that.

Question: Mormons: Why was it okay for Joseph Smith to practice polygamy, but now many of you consider it wrong? Your very own founder and prophet was for polygamy.

Answer: they only changed their ways to get into the union-----I once read a book about the entire history of Utah---as my husband used to live there--