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Polygamy

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Polygamy or many marriage is a marital practice in which a person has more than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to monogamy where each person has a maximum of one spouse at any one time). Recent commentators use the term polyamory to refer to romantic or sexual relationships involving multiple partners at once which do not necessarily involve marriage.

Bigamy or two marriage is polygamy with a person having two partners (not more). Many countries have specific statutes outlawing a bigamous marriage as a crime. It can also refer to the practice of marrying a second time without informing the spouses of each other.

Polygamy may or may not involve group sex, although evidence of its practice within marriage by Christian and Islamic religous adherents is scarce.

Types of polygamy

Polygyny refers specifically to one man having multiple wives. Polyandry refers to one woman having multiple husbands. Historically, both practices have been found, but polygyny appears far more commonly than polyandry. Truly polygamous combinations such as multiple men officially married to multiple women (group marriage), or a man with two wives, one of whom has also another husband, are even more rare or nonexistent. Currently no official polygamous same-sex marriage exists.

Polygamy worldwide

Polygynous societies are about four times more numerous than monogamous ones. In 1994, Theodore C. Bergstrom noted in his paper "On the Economics of Polygyny" [1] (U. Mich. Center for Research on Economic and Social Theory, Working Paper Series 94-11) that "Although overt polygamy is rare in our own society, it is a very common mode of family organization around the world. Of 1170 societies recorded in Murdock's Ethnographic Atlas, polygyny (some men having more than one wife) is prevalent in 850.

Patterns of occurrence

At the same time, even within societies which allow polygamy, the actual practice of polygamy often occurs only rarely. To take on more than one wife often requires considerable financial resources: this may put polygamy beyond the means of the vast majority of people within those societies. Such appears the case in many traditional Islamic societies, and in Imperial China

Within polygamous societies, multiple wives often become a status symbol denoting wealth and power. Conversely, within societies which formally prohibit polygamy, social opinion may look favorably on persons maintaining mistresses or engaging in serial monogamy.

Some observers detect a social preference for polygyny in disease-prone (especially tropical) climates, and speculate that (from a potential mother's viewpoint) perceived quality of paternal genes may favour the practice there. The countervailing situation allegedly prevails in harsher climates, where (once again from a potential mother's viewpoint) reliable paternal care as exhibited in monogamous pair-bonding outweighs the importance of paternal genes.

Polygamy and religion

Few pronouncements of the early Christian church explicitly prohibit polygamy, since the practice appeared very uncommonly in Graeco-Roman society. Early Christians desired to condemn polygamy, because it conflicted with the prevailing mores of the Graeco-Roman society in which they lived; yet at the same time they had to explain the clear permission given for it in the Old Testament. Saint Augustine demonstrates this conflict in his consideration of the polygamy practiced in the time of the Old Testament patriarchs when he writes in The Good of Marriage (chapter 15, paragraph 17) that though it "was lawful among the ancient fathers: whether it be lawful now also, I would not hastily pronounce. For there is not now necessity of begetting children, as there then was, when, even when wives bear children, it was allowed, in order to a more numerous posterity, to marry other wives in addition, which now is certainly not lawful." He declines to judge the patriarchs, but he certainly makes the current illegality relatively clear. In another place, he wrote, "Now indeed in our time, and in keeping with Roman custom, it is no longer allowed to take another wife, so as to have more than one wife living [emphasis added]."

The leaders of the early Protestant Reformation revisited the morality of polygamy. Martin Luther advised Philip of Hesse that although he found nothing unbiblical about polygamy, he should keep his second marriage a secret to avoid public scandal, and because he couldn't use the bible to refute it effectively. Some groups of early Anabaptists, such as those in Munster, also practiced polygamy. On the other hand, John Calvin condemned it, and sanctioned polygamy did not survive long within Protestant morality.

The Catholic Church clearly condemns polygamy; the Catechism of the Catholic Church lists it in paragraph 2387 under the head "Other offenses against the dignity of marriage" and states that it "is not in accord with the moral law." Also in paragraph 1645 under the head "The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love" states "The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection. Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive." Most Christian churches of any denomination condemn polygamy.

Like the Christian Bible and Jewish Torah, the Islamic Qur'an does not prohibit polygamy. According to Qur'an verses 4:3 and 4:139, a man is allowed up to four wives, as long as he treats them perfectly fairly -- but the text also states that perfect fairness is impossible. Polygamy is also allowed in special situations, such as during a shortage of male adults after a war. However, the Qur'an strongly encourages monogamy for most Muslims.

Mormon polygamy

The early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States practised polygamy and referred to it as "Plural Marriage". It was publicly taught by the Church in 1852, and it was a sacred ordinance that only some of the people in the church practiced because Joseph Smith, the Church's founder, called them for that position, and quickly led to persecution of the Latter-day Saints and the enacting of laws against its practice (the United States Congress made the practice illegal in U.S. Territories in 1862). Many members of the LDS fled to Canada in an attempt to set up communities free from prosecution. For example Cyril Ogston fled Canada and settled in Seven persons. Although Latter-day Saints believed that their religiously-based practice of plural marriage was protected by the United States Constitution, opponents used it to delay Utah statehood until 1896. Increasingly harsh antipolygamy legislation stripped Latter-day Saints of their rights as citizens, disincorporated the Church, and permitted the seizure of Church property before the Church ordered the discontinuance of the practice in 1890.

National attention in the United States again focused on potential polygamy among the LDS in the early 20th century during the House hearings on Representative-elect B. H. Roberts and Senate hearings on Senator-elect Reed Smoot (the Smoot Hearings), which caused the Church President Joseph F. Smith to issue his "Second Manifesto" against polygamy in 1904. Since that time, it has been Church policy to excommunicate any member either practicing or openly advocating the practice of polygamy.

The ban on polygamy resulted in a schism within the Church, with various splinter groups leaving the Church in order to be able to continue the practice of polygamy. Polygamy among these groups persists today in Utah and neighboring states, as well as among isolated individuals with no organized church affiliation. Polygamists of this kind are sometimes called "Mormon fundamentalists", despite their lack of affiliation with the mainstream LDS Church. This contemporary polygamy is estimated to be practiced by about 30,000 people. Most of the polygamy is believed to be restricted to about a dozen extended clans.

The practice of informal polygamy among these groups presents itself with interesting legal issues. It has been considered difficult to prosecute polygamists partly because they are not formally married under Utah law. Without evidence that suspected offenders have multiple, formal or common-law marriages, these groups are merely subject to the laws against adultery or unlawful cohabitation. These laws are not commonly enforced because they also criminalize other behavior that is otherwise socially sanctioned.

Another major concern has recently arisen with the discovery that many women are brought into these polygynous relationships prior to the age of consent, meaning that some men may be committing statutory rape. Many modern polygamists and polyamorists deliberately classify this form of polygyny (Plural Marriage) as wholly separate from other forms of polygamy.

Secular law in most "Western" countries with large Jewish and Christian populations does not recognise polygamous marriages. However, few such countries have any laws against living a polygamous lifestyle: they simply refuse to give it any official recognition. Parts of the United States, however, criminalise even the polygamous lifestyle, which is unusual; these laws originated as anti-Mormon legislation, although they are rarely enforced.

Current proponents and critics

The Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints are the most well known practitioners of polygamy in the United States, but they do not promote it beyord their own membership. Islam defends a man having at most four wives, but only if he can properly support that many.

Robert Heinlein was a science fiction writer who discussed polygyny, polyandry, group marriage, and line marriage in his works.

The Libertarian Party defends complete decriminalization of polygamy.

Individualist feminism and advocates such as Wendy McElroy also supports the freedom for adults to voluntarily enter polygamous marriages. In contrast, radical feminism has generally aligned with Christian fundamentalists to stop polygamy. The offcial LDS Mormon church also generally supports enforcing laws against polygamy.

Those who advocate a federal marriage amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage generally word their proposed laws to also prohibit polygamy.


Compare monogamy and concubinage.

This is the place...for current information on historical and contemporary issues surrounding the practice of polygamy. In some circles it is also known as Plural Marriage, The Law of Sarah, and The Principle.]

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