So more and more states are allowing same sex marriage. More and more people are accepting same sex marriage as okay. So why does polygamy still get a bad rap?
Most Christian faiths are against polygamous marriages, why is that. It all boils down to one thing. In the 1800's there was only one Christian sect that practiced polygamy. In an effort to destroy that Christian sect the country decided to outlaw the practice. It didn't work( that sect has over 10 million members around the world) that Christian sect decided that they needed to choose between a tenet of their faith and following the law of the land. One of the other tenents of that faith was to follow the law of the land so after much consideration the leadership of that sect decided to follow the law of the land and told their followers that they would no longer perform polygamous marriages but they would not disallow those marriages already in place. There were a couple of groups that didn't agree with that ruling and those break-off sects continue to practice polygamy to this day.
Islam, budhism, Hinduism and other Eastern religions allow polygamy, but if you want to come to this country and you have a polygamous marriage you can only bring one wife and must leave behind all other wives and their children. Whatever happened to religious freedom? Even those who profess to be proponents of religious freedom see nothing wrong with the ban on polygamous marriages even those based on religious practice. All based on wanting to destroy a single religion.
Here is the thing. Which is worse a man who marries multiple wives who all know each other and may even live together or a man having women on the side where his wife has no idea? In the first case all children are acknowledged and even raised together as a family knowing all their brothers and sisters. In the second case any children produced from the illicit liason are often dirty little secrets hidden so as to not jeopardize the marriage. As long as all involved are consenting adults and amenable to the situation what is the problem?
The Browns of Sister wives are beginning the long road to fighting a law that infringes on religious freedom. Our country was founded on religious freedom. What is religious freedom but the right to practice your religion without government interference unless they are actually harming others. This goes for Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Wiccan, Budhist, Hindu or any other religion or non-religion. Those sects who include children in their marriage rights are harming them and should be jailed for sex abuse. But otherwise polygamy when agreed upon by all participating adults harms no one.
People have different biases and priorities, and different legal traditions. I do support the right of an adult, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or religion to marry any and all consenting adults, and that includes polygamous marriages.
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