Polygamy in the News

With this topic being splashed across our TV screens and our newspapers (based on what is happening on the West Texas Ranch owned by The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), I thought it would be interesting to explore and get some understanding historically where this culture and mentality springs from. Before moving forward, I would like to give a moment of silent meditation or prayer for the innocent children who are affected by this set of circumstances. Not necessarily saying that something is wrong or right or immoral. At this time, nothing has been proven yet, however we all have thoughts and opinions on the matter.

In today's society the most common form of marriage is between a man and a woman. There are more uncommon forms of marriage like polygamy. Polygamy defined by the dictionary is "the condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time, also called plural marriage. There are also different forms of polygamy as well. There are very few religions that practice polygamy and Mormons make up a large percentage of those that practice polygamy. Although polygamy may be appropriate for some, there are also negative consequences on the family, especially the children.

Forms of Polygamy

There are many forms of polygamy that exist, it is not just a man that has multiple wives. It can also be a woman having many husbands. One form of polygamy is polygyny, which is a man having more than one wife at the same time. Another form of polygamy is polyandry, which is a woman having more than one husband at the same time. Another form of polygamy is polyamory, which "refers to an intimate, romantic relationship that involves more than two people-with the full knowledge and consent of all partners involved.

History of Polygamy

"The revelation of plural marriage was proclaimed by Brigham Young in 1852, and the practice became more common after that. It was held that a person could only attain the highest level of the celestial kingdom after death if they had been a partner in a plural marriage." Some say that "this custom has come into existence as a result of the high-handedness and the domination of man and the subjugation of woman." Although polygamy occurred throughout other parts of the world, it was uncommon and unacceptable in America in the nineteenth century. During the 1830s and 1840s, talk of polygamy led to persecution and the announcement to the public of this practice gave enemies a way to turn the public hostilities towards the church. Congress passed the Morrill Act in 1862 "making bigamy in a territory a crime punishable by a fine and five years in prison." There were some cases where bigamy could not be proven because wives would not testify, so the Edmunds Act of 1882 was passed, and the men were charged with bigamous cohabitation because cohabitation, or people who live together in a sexual relationship when they are not married, was easier to prove. Although polygamy is illegal and looked down up, ethnic and religious groups continue to practice polygamy, no matter the law or society.

Who practices Polygamy?

Polygamy in the Quran is seen as legal although most Muslims do not practice polygamy and it is usually looked down upon. There are also Christian Polygamists who mainly reside in Utah where they want to convert the Mormon Polygamists into Christian Polygamists. Some Mormons continue to practice Polygamy although the Mormon Church excommunicates those who do practice it. Mormons believed that the "practice was ordained by God" but the practice was no longer allowed mainly because of pressure from the government. "There are said to be over 30,000 people practicing Polygamy in Utah, Idaho, Montana and Arizona, who either regard themselves as preserving the Original Mormon beliefs and customs, or have merely adopted polygamy as a desired way of life and not as part of the teachings of any church."

Polygamy and the Law

In America, the practice of polygamy is tolerated, although it is illegal and in some states considered a felony, because it is not only a religious practice but the people who have multiple marriages legally marry one person and the "marry" the others in a spiritual sense. Polygamy is looked down upon in American because some polygamists marry underage girls and sometimes marry them against their will. Also, some of the women are treated unfairly as though they were property. In the case of Reynolds v. US in 1878, "Polygamy is not protected by religious freedom”.  Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions, they may with practices...it is provided that plural marriages shall not be allowed. Can a man excuse his practices to the contrary because of his religious belief? To permit this would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself. Government could exist only in name under such circumstances." Society is governed by the government for many reasons; to protect the people, to maintain equality and civil rights, and to punish those who break the law. If the government did not exist to do its part, what would society come to? Why should some people be able to break the law when others can not?

Concern for the Children of Polygamy

Although it does not seem that having multiple wives or husbands could be harmful, it is very harmful for the children. For example, if a man has six wives and all together he has a minimum of fifteen children, how will he support all of those children and his wives and himself? Children, especially at a young age are very expensive to raise. "The huge families with sister-wives and children drain welfare funds in order to survive and typically live in poverty while the patriarch enjoys his sexual, monetary, and religious status. In a way this is seen as child neglect because the family can not support itself because of the multiple wives and children. The children are being neglected because they are living in poverty because the mother or father wants multiple spouses. If the child was in a "normal" family with one mother and father and no extra husbands, wives and children, the children would be taken care of and not live off of welfare.

Now, with all this said, we know that you cannot tell people how to live and manage their lives. The Government and State can mandate laws by which they want their citizens to follow and abide by. However, in your home, you do pretty much what you want to do. We see this in the drug culture primarily, and other sub-cultures which people live. My concern, which should be all of ours, is the welfare of children that are born into these situations. That the wants and needs of Adults does not ultimately do harm to the innocents, be it mentally, spiritually, psychologically, socially, and/or physically.