Is polygamy immoral? and why?, if yes how you ...

Thousands of years ago polygamy was considered acceptable. Over time things changed, and a lot of things that were considered moral have become immoral. One of them is polygamy. You cannot judge a person from thousands of years ago according to today's standards.

It depends on what your religious or cultural belief is.  In some cultures it is acceptable.

Way back when, polygamy was necessary for survival.  When people got sick thousands of years ago, usually they just died.  So people had to have more than one spouse with whom they could reproduce many more offspring then the majority does today, because it was likely that one or more of their children would die.  Likewise, I guess it was necessary for girls, as well as guys to marry and reproduce earlier in life, due to a much shorter life span. 

However, in today's world, we don't have the same problems that afflicted out ancestors.  Not only do we live longer, healthier lives, but we know so much more about how human beings develop, both physically, mentally and emotionally.  We know the type of damage sexual, emotional and physical assault/abuse causes in a child, or young adult, & just because somebody says it's the word of god, or whatever spin someone wants to put on it,  does not make it right!!!  It is immoral to willingly and freely inflict this kind of mental, physical and emotional anguish on anyone, but especially a child.  It is immoral to use the name of god as an excuse for molestation. 

I don't care if people have more than one wife or husband or whatever, but I care when this life style is forced on underage individuals who are cut off from help, from other ways of life and living, and finally, who are not given the choice of saying no!  This is not only immoral, but it's what some of us law-abiding citizens call rape, and sexual assault, and child molestation and abuse!  It's against the law, and it's against the law for a very good reason!

In some muslim traditions, in some countries,  a blood relative of a person harmed/killed by someone, has the right to avenge that relative, and are obligated, by their religion, (as I understand it), to kill their relatives killer.  If this was done in the name of religion in America, the avenging relative would be in prison for murder!!! 

 Why is this different?!  I've heard comments from the parents' lawyers about the persecution of polygamists, and this and that, but that's bullshit!  The courts are concerned with the welfare of these child brides, forced to marry and have sex with their 50 year old cousins.  They aren't taking the adults into custody, and charging the parents with polygamy. 
They are trying to figure out how to right the wrong done to these children, the wrong that would be seen very obviously as sexual abuse anywhere else in the country!  This isn't a fight against polygamy!  It's a fight for the freedom from abuse for these kids!

Polygamy has been declared as "not intrinsically evil" according to Catholc doctrine. It certainly cannot be considered immoral as it requires fulfilling all the responsibilities of a monogamous relationship and is not done secretly as in the taking of a mistress or having many adulterous relationships and sometimes producing unwanted children or contracting sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS  which is a death sentence for innocent wives and children. Adultery today should be regarded as an assault with a deadly weapon when deadly harm is the result.

In Islam polygamy or more correctly polygyny, is allowed with up to four wives but not promoted. Its purpose is to provide protection for widows and orphans especially from war. It requires equal treatment and separate lodging for the wives. The husband must alternate between wives.It also has the benefit of discouraging divorce which is bad for the children. Serial polygamy in the West harms the family.

As it is very difficult to have absolute equality,so those who fear that they would be unable to meet this standard are advised to marry only one. Though there are obvious problems  that can arise  between wives that can  make them unhappy, the  man also  can be negatively affected and  one should not  look up  the relationship simply from a sexual point of view or one that exploits women.

Many women and girls are unable to support themselves and their children and turn to prostitution or parents to selling their daughters.,Polygamy allows women to choose a man who is already married rather than settling for a single man below her standards.

Many non-Muslim women in Africa welcome being part a polygamous household as work can be shared.

 Ameer Raschid

USA/Turkey 

From a Biblical perspective polygamy is not immoral.God did not forbid it;niether did He approve it. In Biblical hermeneutics there is a principle called the law of first mention. The first time a thing or event is mentioned in the Bible,it sets the example as to how the situation is interpreted throughout the Bible. In this case,God made Adam and Eve. One wife. Adam and Eve;not Eve,Susan,Marie,Mary and Cassandra.God warned kings not to multiply wives to themselves. If one did have more than one wife;he was not to marry sisters while one was still alive. If a man loved one wife more than another and the other and the first born was the son of the unloved wife;that son was to get the biggest share of the inheritence. While polygamy is not immoral;it is unwise and is frought with problems. The Oakridge Boys summed it up well when the sang;"Trying to love two women is like a ball and chain."  Think of the problems with three or more. Also Herman's Hermits said "Two girls are too many three's a crowd and four you're dead!   

In addition to my previous comments, one might ask about the nature of celibacy. While it is not immoral ethically, it is touted in the Catholic Church as a superior vocation to those who can observe it as superior to marriage based on St. Paul. No doubt, marriage is considered a sacrament and the bearing of many children a source of blessing to fulfill the commandment to be fruitful and multiply. In Catholicism and Anglican theology, divorce is not allowed even though some marriages lack love and respect and even are abusive.

In Islam the primary purpose of marriage is love and mercy and having children is a blessed by-product of this union but divorced is allowed but is considered by Allah to be the most hateful in His sight of things permitted, so like marriage it should not be entered into lightly.

It is a pity that those who choose celibacy as do not always observe it properly to gain the favor of God and also do not enter into marriage to provide children who may be God fearing and contribute to the enrichment of the  society and the gene pool. The loss of such dedicated men and women is to be regretted.

To consider that those who separate or divorce except for adultery and remarry are committing adultery is an interpretation of what Jesus is supposed to have said that needs to be reviewed.

Protestantism recognized this only hundreds of years after Islam and also allowed married priests.

Polygamy, like monogamous marriages can have deficiencies but both should be allowed but when either do not fulfill their purpose and the bad seriously  outweighs the good, there can be dissolution of the contract.

Monogamy is the ideal, but many women remain unmarried and choose not have children. Some married women are unable to have children and rather than divorce may accept a plural marriage that allows her husband to have part of him to identify with rather than adopting.

We certainly cannot question the morality of the union of Abraham with Hagar as immoral when encouraged by Sarah for him to have an issue. He also fulfilled God's test by being ready to sacrifice Ishamael, his one and only son(at that time).

Certain commandments given to the Israelites were no longer accepted by the Christians even though they accept the Old Testament. In the Qur'an, most of these commandments were not considered binding on Muslims and were either modified, cancelled or replaced by others. 

The question of religious freedom in a secular society like the US as well as in Turkey where I am now living is a matter of heated discussion but polygamy may still be preferable to adultery and divorce.

The abuse of children, especially by a step-parent, is another down side of divorce.

Not to allow polygamy but to allow fornication, adultery, multiple marriages and divorce without any restrictions is to my mind immoral.

Jesus said that some are born eunuchs some are made eunuchs by men and some become eunuchs for the Kingdom of God. Paul the Apostle chose to become a eunuch.Inhis discourse on marriage in the seventh cahpter of I Corinthians;he says that he wishes all men were as he,but each one has his gift.That for him was the gift of celibacy. To those who can accept it;it is a gift.I for one do not have the 'gift" of celibacy;being happily married to a WOMAN.  

History is replete with tales of polygamy.  In some cultures, it is perfectly normal. 

Druid men could have as many wives as they could decently support.  Vikings taught the Druids that lesson.  In America, the Mormons practiced polygamy, and it was about the only time in recent history that it worked.

I still say that it is best for people to marry for love, start old-fashioned monogamous families, and give their kids the best example that they can.