Polygamy illegal. Why?

[No Free Beer]

Why is it illegal in the US?

If two women (or men) want to voluntarily get involved with one other person, why is this a crime?

Lets have robust debate.

[mport1]

Agreed. It is disgusting that polygamy is outlawed. It is outlawed for the same reason as many other things, religious zealots who think it is fine to use violence to enforce their ridiculous beliefs on the rest of society.

[fisharmor]

The debate rarely touches the actual issue: what is marriage?
If it's nothing more than a legal short-form that allows parties to make agreements over taxation status, hospital visitation, inheritance, and joint ownership of property, then there is no ethical reason to stop me from marrying both my mother and my father-in-law.
If it's a state blessing of a sacrament, then we've got one whopper of a 1st Amendment violation.

Personally, I'm looking forward to polygamy being legal, so I can start up my business of charging $10,000 a head to marry immigrants. I'd only need to marry a half dozen times a year to quit my job.

[presence]

Pandering to Christian majority.

Long lost constitutional government.

Nothing to debate. End of story.

[specsaregood]

Pandering to Christian majority.

Is polygamy prohibited in the bible?

[Anti Federalist]

Is polygamy prohibited in the bible?

And Zing!!!

LOL

[Anti Federalist]

That said, to answer the OP's "why".

No good reason, and I suspect that once a few court cases work their way through the system, it will no longer be illegal.

There is no legal justification now to ban any sort of state sanctioned "marriage".

None.

[specsaregood]

That said, to answer the OP's "why".
No good reason, and I suspect that once a few court cases work their way through the system, it will no longer be illegal.
There is no legal justification now to ban any sort of state sanctioned "marriage".
None.

I dunno, its just another form of socialism and distributing the wealth. Can't let 1 man get too rich in women can we?

[Anti Federalist]

I dunno, its just another form of socialism and distributing the wealth. Can't let 1 man get too rich in women can we?

Dey's taking our wimminz.

[VBRonPaulFan]

Why it is illegal shouldn't really matter. You must not be married, i'll explain.

Trust me, one is MORE than enough to deal with. No one in their right mind would want to deal with a whole gang of women doing what one can, all at the same time.

[tod evans]

Why it is illegal shouldn't really matter. You must not be married, i'll explain.

Trust me, one is MORE than enough to deal with. No one in their right mind would want to deal with a whole gang of women doing what one can, all at the same time.

^^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^

[aGameOfThrones]

Celebrities aren't for it!

[Philhelm]

Why it is illegal shouldn't really matter. You must not be married, i'll explain.

Trust me, one is MORE than enough to deal with. No one in their right mind would want to deal with a whole gang of women doing what one can, all at the same time.

I just want the extra one to sit on my face from time to time.

[fisharmor]

I just want the extra one to sit on my face from time to time.

/thread

[tod evans]

I just want the extra one to sit on my face from time to time.

Not married eh?

[specsaregood]

Why it is illegal shouldn't really matter. You must not be married, i'll explain.
Trust me, one is MORE than enough to deal with. No one in their right mind would want to deal with a whole gang of women doing what one can, all at the same time.

Meh, I am and I wouldn't rule it out. I love what one woman can do and am not intimidated by the thought of a whole gang of women doing it all at the same time either. Of course I actually like women, so there is that.

[Philhelm]

Not married eh?

I'm married.

[fisharmor]

Meh, I am and I wouldn't rule it out. I love what one woman can do and am not intimidated by the thought of a whole gang of women doing it all at the same time either.

Yeah, that's a shitload of clean clothes.

[tod evans]

I'm married.

Bring it up to your wife...............Let us know how that goes:eek:

[specsaregood]

//

[Feeding the Abscess]

The debate rarely touches the actual issue: what is marriage?
If it's nothing more than a legal short-form that allows parties to make agreements over taxation status, hospital visitation, inheritance, and joint ownership of property, then there is no ethical reason to stop me from marrying both my mother and my father-in-law.
If it's a state blessing of a sacrament, then we've got one whopper of a 1st Amendment violation.

Personally, I'm looking forward to polygamy being legal, so I can start up my business of charging $10,000 a head to marry immigrants. I'd only need to marry a half dozen times a year to quit my job.

The free market would encourage competition and render your prices insane. :D

[TonySutton]

A lot of men seem to be "wired" to have multiple partners, women not so much. I think we are fighting our biology by not allowing each to take their "wired" role. If a man can deal with several women and wants 20 kids running around the house more power to him.

[ghengis86]

Because they haven't figured out how to treat multiple spouse's tax liability yet? They don't have a form for "married, filing plurally". Once they clear that up, I'm sure it will be "recognized" by the gov.

[jasonxe]

From my conversations, many women won't object that much as long as they get to be the #1 senior wife.

there can only be ONE!!!

http://www.failrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/highlander.jpg

[Voluntary Man]

because gov't = control freak.

[CaptUSA]

How about this?

Politicians are nerds. Nerds who got bullied in school and now want to bully back.

If the popular guys got all the girls and got to keep more than one, it wouldn't leave any left for the nerds.

[kathy88]

I would GLADLY take on another wife if she would do the cooking/cleaning and let me work and deal with the kids. She can have the sex part too.

[tod evans]

. She can have the sex part too.

:eek: You're doing something wrong Kathy..

[Icymudpuppy]

Is polygamy prohibited in the bible?

Only if you want to be a deacon of your church. 1 Timothy 3:12 - "A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well."

There is no prohibition against plural marriage, and obviously it must have been a common practice when this passage was written or there would have been no need to make this clarification about how many wives a deacon can have. But, since every christian man should supposedly strive to be a church leader, plural marriage would disqualify him from deaconship, and thus a devoted christian man should have only one wife so that he may one day rise to become a deacon of his church.

[VBRonPaulFan]

I just want the extra one to sit on my face from time to time.

why buy the cow, when you can get the milk from somewhere else for free? :D

unless the main cow finds out, and takes half yer farm. find a cow on another farm.

[kathy88]

:eek: You're doing something wrong Kathy..

How so? I'm on personal best as far as the monogomy part goes. LOL.

[CaptUSA]

why buy the cow, when you can get the milk from somewhere else for free? :D

unless the main cow finds out, and takes half yer farm. find a cow on another farm.As the inimitable Al Bundy once said, "Why go out for milk when you have a cow at home?"

[ghengis86]

:eek: You're doing something wrong Kathy..

Maybe her husband is

[No Free Beer]

so, there seems to be a unanimous opinion that it shouldn't be outlawed.

Why are people against poly? What is there to fear? I just don't get it.

[brushfire]

Because government makes it possible for someone(group) to impose their ideas of morality on the rest of the populous.
Polygamists - just like those damn pot heads.

If someone is crazy enough to want to be married to 2, and all are consenting, then that should be their prerogative... WTF does that have to do with government?

Personally, the thought of 2 wives scares the sh!t out of me, but I dont believe the world needs to move to the beat of just one drum /cheesy_different_strokes_ref

[jmdrake]

The debate rarely touches the actual issue: what is marriage?
If it's nothing more than a legal short-form that allows parties to make agreements over taxation status, hospital visitation, inheritance, and joint ownership of property, then there is no ethical reason to stop me from marrying both my mother and my father-in-law.
If it's a state blessing of a sacrament, then we've got one whopper of a 1st Amendment violation.

Personally, I'm looking forward to polygamy being legal, so I can start up my business of charging $10,000 a head to marry immigrants. I'd only need to marry a half dozen times a year to quit my job.

You know, you've hit on an interesting point. If we ultimately end up maintaining a federal "super-state" (not the goal of many here I understand) and if we want to maximize individual freedom, our society needs a way to move benefits away from being "definitional" to being "individual". A "definitional" benefit is saying "My spouse and children should be able to inherit my social security" or "I should be able to sponsor my wife and children to become citizens". An individual benefit on retirement is "I should have an individual retirement account that I can leave to whoever I want." And individual immigration benefit would be "I can sponsor X number of people to come over to this country. But once I do that I become responsible. If they need charity I have to pay for it." I shouldn't be able to bring a spouse to this country and put her/him on welfare. I should be able to bring my child to this country and put him/her on welfare. Of course if welfare goes away, the entire problem goes away. Bring over whoever you want.

[tod evans]

How so? I'm on personal best as far as the monogomy part goes. LOL.

Monogamy is good willing to give up sex not so much....

To each their own..:o

[kathy88]

Monogamy is good willing to give up sex not so much....

To each their own..:o

Dude, been there, done that. I have books to read.

[CaptUSA]

Dude, been there, done that. I have books to read.Dammit, I didn't know my wife posted here!

[Voluntary Man]

it's seen as being anti-woman. personally, it's not for me. one is enough. but whatever floats your boat. i don't see how growing up in a home with multiple mothers + a father (or vice versa) can be any more psychologically scarring than lesbian adoptive mothers persuading an 8yo boy to cut off his penis.

[specsaregood]

i don't see how growing up in a home with multiple mothers + a father (or vice versa) can be any more psychologically scarring than lesbian adoptive mothers persuading an 8yo boy to cut off his penis.

Or let's compare it to a more common example. how many kids already live in polygymous households and by that I mean: all the children of divorce with step kids, step parents, half-siblings, multiple marriages and divorces? How could that possibly be healthier than a family with multiple parents all in a loving committed relationship?

[kathy88]

it's seen as being anti-woman. personally, it's not for me. one is enough. but whatever floats your boat. i don't see how growing up in a home with multiple mothers + a father (or vice versa) can be any more psychologically scarring than lesbian adoptive mothers persuading an 8yo boy to cut off his penis.

Right, because all lesbian adoptive mothers do that. FFS. Better the kid lives with a drunken father who beats him and his mother so he learns that is normal. Much better.

[puppetmaster]

Is it? Oh shit

[asurfaholic]

I would GLADLY take on another wife if she would do the cooking/cleaning and let me work and deal with the kids. She can have the sex part too.

What if shes more than 3 points hotter than you?

[kathy88]

What if shes more than 3 points hotter than you?The chances of that are excellent.

[muzzled dogg]

no victim no crime

[Voluntary Man]

Right, because all lesbian adoptive mothers do that. FFS. Better the kid lives with a drunken father who beats him and his mother so he learns that is normal. Much better.

were those the boys only options? I would have chosen differently.

[2young2vote]

Because it is only ok to screw multiple people before marriage. Come on man, get with the times!

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

Dont' forget about cohabitation...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2e/Polygamy_laws_usa.png/210px-Polygamy_laws_usa.png

BIGAMY/POLYGAMY LAWS
Yellow - Misdemeanor
Red - Felony
Burgandy - All forms of cohabitation outlawed

[fisharmor]

Dont' forget about cohabitation...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2e/Polygamy_laws_usa.png/210px-Polygamy_laws_usa.png

BIGAMY/POLYGAMY LAWS
Yellow - Misdemeanor
Red - Felony
Burgandy - All forms of cohabitation outlawed

Link? This is very interesting.

[Philhelm]

Bring it up to your wife...............Let us know how that goes:eek:

Well, I can't marry another woman, but my wife promised me a trip to the Bunny Ranch on our first anniversary. And yes, my wife will be joining the festivities. I'm just not allowed to kiss other women, but that's fine.

[CaptUSA]

Well, I can't marry another woman, but my wife promised me a trip to the Bunny Ranch on our first anniversary. And yes, my wife will be joining the festivities. I'm just not allowed to kiss other women, but that's fine.LOL! Let me guess, she made that promise BEFORE you got married, right?

[pcosmar]

Bring it up to your wife...............Let us know how that goes:eek:

Mine said no.
Something about her mother not naming her Sharron,, or something.

:(

[dannno]

Well, I can't marry another woman, but my wife promised me a trip to the Bunny Ranch on our first anniversary. And yes, my wife will be joining the festivities. I'm just not allowed to kiss other women, but that's fine.

Now that's an understanding woman..

Unless.. it's a trick :eek:

[Philhelm]

LOL! Let me guess, she made that promise BEFORE you got married, right?

Well...um...er...you see, it's like this: she's pregnant and we decided that we would wait for the baby to be born before putting it at risk by introducing other women into our marriage bed.

[HOLLYWOOD]

More than one woman is a Harem... which is a Muslim Household, oh no! 'BAD BAD BROWN SAND PEOPLE...'



But imagine the Tax Write-offs of having a dozen wives or husbands? That'll break the IRS/state tax collection schemes! ;)

[Tod]

From what I've heard, some polygamists in UT (that's Utah, not University of Texas ;) ) maintain separate households for each wife. Not sure if that is to avoid issues with the law or if it is to avoid cat fighting.

[BuddyRey]

The illegality of polygamy is probably like Prohibition - another social evil that flourished when women got the vote.

I'm just kidding. :D I'm glad women can vote.

[CaptUSA]

Well...um...er...you see, it's like this: she's pregnant and we decided that we would wait for the baby to be born before putting it at risk by introducing other women into our marriage bed.LOL... Such a naive young boy... You think "She's pregnant" and "We decided" fit into the same sentence. LOL... Let us know how this turns out.

[dannno]

LOL... Such a naive young boy... You think "She's pregnant" and "We decided" fit into the same sentence. LOL... Let us know how this turns out.

He should have created a thread about it long ago so we could all track the progress.

[James Madison]

Polygamy is illegal for the same reason prostitution is illegal.

[opal]

ok.. why isn't anyone considering the option of two or more husbands in this thread?

[RonRules]

Brazil recently allowed three people to marry. One man and two women.

Actually adultery should be illegal compared to polygamy. I'm not advocating that, but jus' sayin.

[specsaregood]

ok.. why isn't anyone considering the option of two or more husbands in this thread?

Does 2nd husband in question have to get up and go to work and pay the bills and I get to stay at home and do handyman repairs, mow the lawn and brew beer? Interesting thought...

[No Free Beer]

ok.. why isn't anyone considering the option of two or more husbands in this thread?

i did in my original post.

[Icymudpuppy]

On the hazards of multiple wives...

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/329333


In a bizarre story out of Benue State, Nigeria, Onoja was intimate with his youngest wife of six women, when the five other jealous wives attacked him with knives and sticks. It's unclear what injuries he may have sustained during those attacks.
The women demanded he also have sex with them, and he resisted at first but then gave in to his wives' desires.
Uroko stopped breathing when the fifth woman was moving toward the bed.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/329333#ixzz26TQx0qak

[Philhelm]

He should have created a thread about it long ago so we could all track the progress.

I might just do that...lol.

[James Madison]

On the hazards of multiple wives...

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/329333

So, let me get this straight. His other five wives wanted to have a 'six-some', and he declined?:confused:

[Voluntary Man]

Or let's compare it to a more common example. how many kids already live in polygymous households and by that I mean: all the children of divorce with step kids, step parents, half-siblings, multiple marriages and divorces? How could that possibly be healthier than a family with multiple parents all in a loving committed relationship?

you're right: that is a much better example. i went the sensationalist route.

[The Free Hornet]

Link? This is very interesting.

It is a wikimedia host so...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_polygamy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_polygamy)

However, I wonder if this ruling would come into play ("implicitly invalidated similar sodomy statutes"):

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_v._Texas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_v._Texas)

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Bigots. The same reason why interracial marriage was outlawed, etc. God forbid someone make a choice other than what you prefer. Tyranny of the Majority and such and such.

[fisharmor]

I already did, but this site wasn't letting me link to the Paint Your Wagon theatrical poster from Wikipedia.

[Indy Vidual]

I already did, but this site wasn't letting me link to the Paint Your Wagon theatrical poster from Wikipedia.

I found the movie
http://i.imgur.com/mnP1q.jpg

[Jingles]

I don't know. I still have yet to understand why voluntarily associations and contracts in general (whether they be economic, social, etc...) are "forbidden".

[Edward]

Does 2nd husband in question have to get up and go to work and pay the bills and I get to stay at home and do handyman repairs, mow the lawn and brew beer? Interesting thought...

And who takes the blame for leaving the toilet seat up?

[Tod]

Does 2nd husband in question have to get up and go to work and pay the bills and I get to stay at home and do handyman repairs, mow the lawn and brew beer? Interesting thought...


Not to mention first shot while the poor sucker who goes to work has to settle for sloppy seconds.

[buffed]

A guy getting it on with multiple women is a lot more "normal" than two dude schlepping each other. Yet the former is portrayed as much more perverse. Welcome to 21st century PC think.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

Not the best of sources--but they are typically accurate on this sort of stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_polygamy

[Philhelm]

ok.. why isn't anyone considering the option of two or more husbands in this thread?

Marriage is between a man and a woman . . . and a woman. (Romney's finest moment.)

[James Madison]

Not the best of sources--but they are typically accurate on this sort of stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_polygamy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrill_Anti-Bigamy_Act


The Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act (37th United States Congress, Sess. 2., ch. 126, 12 Stat. 501) was a federal enactment of the United States Congress that was signed into law on July 8, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln.

Ah, good ole 'Honest Abe'. What a champion of personal freedom he was...:rolleyes:

[opal]

hmmm.. that two husbands thing.. would be nice if they could go out in the shop and get out of my hair at the same time.. but that sloppy seconds thing... not even 20 years ago. Live in handyman might be much easier to deal with.

[FindLiberty]

It's illegal because the "HoneyDew" lists would be too long.

(One "TaskMaster" is enough for me.)

[FrankRep]

LOL.

I asked a liberal friend of mine if Polygamy should be legalized.

[MelissaWV]

Why it is illegal shouldn't really matter. You must not be married, i'll explain.

Trust me, one is MORE than enough to deal with. No one in their right mind would want to deal with a whole gang of women doing what one can, all at the same time.

Yeah no guy wants more than one woman doing what one woman does, all at the same time.

You must not do a lot of internet searches :p

In a lot of polygamist marriages, there are different "types" of women involved. Likewise, I would think a polyandrist situation would be best where there were different types of spouses available in general. Maybe one is more domestic (cooks, cleans, raises children) and another brings home the bacon, and another likes to mow lawns and garden, and yet another homeschools the kiddos... you never know.

[awake]

Being yelled at by 5 or 10 wives is much more fulfilling than one. Those who only see the sexual side should be free to find this out. lol.

[MelissaWV]

Being yelled at by 5 or 10 wives is much funner than one. Those who only see the sexual side should be free to find this out. lol.

Maybe you should choose to be around people mature enough not to resolve arguments with yelling?

[awake]

Maybe you should choose to be around people mature enough not to resolve arguments with yelling?

Joking...

[FrankRep]

LOL.

I asked a liberal friend of mine if Polygamy should be legalized.

She says: "I don't have a problem with that"

I asked her to be one of my wives.

[Anti Federalist]

Chop chop, dig dig, chop chop, dig dig.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2FjhXdydI

[thoughtomator]

Two wives is a terrible mistake.

You need three wives - that way two of them gang up on the third, and leave you alone.

[PierzStyx]

so, there seems to be a unanimous opinion that it shouldn't be outlawed.

Why are people against poly? What is there to fear? I just don't get it.

Well its because 19th century Christians hated Mormons and the government feared the Mormon impulse towards self-sufficiency. So the politicians hooked up with the moralists, got the populace whipped into a frenzy of anti-Mormon hated, and passed a series of laws that justified the government in seizing all the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's assets, money, homes, buildings, land, you name it, and imprisoning all their leaders, or making them flee into hiding to stay out of prison. Can't have any power outside the State after all.

[RickyJ]

If two women (or men) want to voluntarily get involved with one other person, why is this a crime?

It isn't a crime as long as you don't involve the government. Why do people need the government's blessing for their marriage?