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…
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…
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
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).
Currently, by definition and tradition, we are living in an American society that sees itself as predominantly monogamous. However, this monogamous society has increasingly been filled with cheating, unfaithful, and overall promiscuous individual. As of today, 57% of American males and 54% of American females, admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve (Glass) So what exactly happen to the ideology of monogamy in America? What has happen to the system of having only one partner at any specific time? Is monogamy really dying, or is it already six feet under in today’s society? Some may argue that America was never truly a monogamous society and thus monogamy isn’t dying but merely less represented. On the other hand, people argue that one can do as they please and if being in a non-monogamous relationship makes them happy, to each their own. My own view is that monogamy is facing a dying role in American culture. Non-monogamous practices have grown to become a visible part of today’s American society. This paper will look at why monogamy is important, the reason it’s dying and why it needs to be placed back in the spotlight.
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
Fletcher-Stack, Peggy. “Polygamy: Not as Rare as You May Think.” Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc., 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. .
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.
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
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
In recent discussions of marriage and relationships styles, a controversial issue has been non-monogamous relationships in American society. On the one hand, some argue, that monogamy should be considered the only valid option. From this perspective, many people feel that non-monogamous relationships are immoral, and a threat to family and society. On the other hand, however, there is the argument that the expectations monogamy sets f...
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 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.
In today’s world many people have had different views and ideas on what polygamy really is, is it morally wrong? In this paper you are going to learn what polygamy is, who practices it, the affects that it has on children, wives and the husbands, risk factors, and most importantly why it is morally wrong.
“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...
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
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
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