bad arguments against polygyny

[Cobalt1959]

It is practiced in 78% of the cultures of the world, it seems to me that forced monogamy is what is not normative.

From a biblical perspective, that has absolutely no bearing on whether the practice is correct or not.  The numbers of people either doing something or not doing it does not determine whether or not it is biblically correct.  The Catholic Church has been operating in error for over 1600 years and has millions of members.  Do the sheer numbers suddenly make their doctrine correct?  No.  Many children in China are murdered because they are born the wrong sex.  Does that make the practice acceptable?  That is a bad argument and it actually weakens your case.  Actually, if the majority of secular, non-christian cultures in the world practice it, that is a strong indicator that it is, in fact an un-christian practice.  Because secular societies do not espouse or emulate Christian and biblical values.

No one is forced to practice monogamy.  Christians choose to practice monogamy because they are lead to by both the Bible and the conviction of the Holy Spirt as well as the fact that, in the United States, that is the law that we, as Christians are supposed to observe.

I would assume you are a Mormon, or is that incorrect?

[revmitchell]

Actually it is quite easy to support polygyny from scripture. Did God accuse Abraham or David of adultery (much less the others also listed in the scriptures), or any sin for that matter when taking more than one wife? My God does not change, if it was not sinful then, it is not sinful now. If it is illegal now it is only because the men in power have made it illegal to represent their false doctrine. What is the purpose of a law? Is it not to protect the individual or the state? How is it then that an adult man marrying two consenting adult women is harming anyone or the state? Obviously these laws were passed by ignorant "Christian" men in order to promote their errant doctrine. These laws will be overturned, and very soon too (2011 will be the year of marriage freedom I believe).

David was accused of adultery only with Bathsheba, the wife of another man. Why wasn't David accused of adultery and punished (as in the case of Bathsheba) when he took other wives? I will tell you why, because it is not sinful in any way for a man to take more than one wife. Read Leviticus chapter 18, it defines sexual sins. You will find 7 instances where a man is instructed to not take the wife of another man, yet you will not find one instance where a man taking more than one wife is indicated to be sinful much less even prohibited.

It is those who deny the biblical truths that are in error. Monogamy and polygyny are both biblical forms of marriage. The same word "wife" also means "wives" the word is used interchangeably in the New and Old Testaments. But unless a person is willing to approach the subject with an open mind to the Word of God it is impossible for them to see beyond the doctrine that they have been taught, and they read what they have been taught into the scriptures like good little sheeple.

Should you wish to actually approach this topic from a scholarly perspective, start by researching the biblical definition of adultery. What you will find is that adultery only happens when a married woman sleeps with someone other than her husband, never when a man takes more than one wife. Once you realize that the church has been lying to you about adultery and teaching you a false doctrine you will then begin to realize that the monogamy doctrine taught by the church is based on their false adultery doctrine, soon you will realize that the problems that we have today in the church are not from bad people, but rather bad doctrine. If the church was teaching correctly on marriage, divorce, adultery, fornication, and many other related topics we would be an example to society, not a mockery of it. In February 2010 a new study found that teen sexual activity, premarital sex, and marital infidelity were all higher within the "Christian" community than in the heathen community...and you wonder why they laugh at you when you say you are a "Christian"? They have every right to, because you along with millions and millions of others have been duped into believing what the "Church" wants you to believe, not the actual Word of God.[/color]

Your argument fails to support it. And when a scholarly argument is made I will acknowledge it. To this point nothing has come close. For example you try to create support for something based on what you think is lack of opposition. The weakest of arguments and fails any scholarly measure. But then you completely overlook Duet 17:17.

So tell me about this study of teens and sex. How many of them are actually saved or do you care?

The only duped in the area is you. Baptists do not follow the church only catholics do. But good luck with that.

[davidmac]

Polygyny is fully legal only in these nations-
Afghanistan
Algeria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Chad
CAR
Comoros
Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Libya
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Myanmar
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Singapore
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
UAE
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia

Take your pick-but here in the US it is illegal and it is illegal in Russia too!-in fact polygamy has not been very popular ever since the Roman Empire, and I recently learned that during the New Testament era it was not widespread in Israel like it was during earlier times.I seriously doubt that our laws are going to change anytime soon concerning this issue.

[revmitchell]

Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away:

[Scarecrow]

Oh so much good material...I guess I'll just address the replies in order...

"He doesn't approve of unfaithfulness to the wife of your youth