Can anyone name a single legitimate reason why polygamy is illegal?

Before I start, I will list a few things that are NOT legitimate reasons.

1; Anything based on religiou beliefs. If you argument starts with "The bible says"....."God says", or any variation of the such, please ****.

2; Any argument with condemns all polygamist marriages as sexist or bias against women. We have heard this one for years from feminists. That all polygamist marriages, without exception, are based on the subjugation and enslavement of women. This is a prejudiced view based solely on traditional Mormon polygamy, which very much was sexist. However, one can not then claim that all polygamists, especially those outside the Mormon Church and it's offshoots, hold those views. This argument completely disregards marriages on an individual basis and generalizes prejudiced views.

 

I will agree with the first restriction, the second restriction IS the main reason we should reject polygamy.

If you look at cultures around the world and in history, there are only a handful of the thousands of cultures known, that have had polygamy that is anything but polygyny (meaning several wives). The only known cases of polyandry (several husbands) has been in cases where low status brothers share a wife. So basically, realistically speaking polygamy means polygyny. It is fundamentally where powerful men have several wives. It is a major power imbalance, and IMHO, all cultures with polygyny have major problems with sexism and women being treated as chattel. In addition, the condition of low status men in those cultures is worsened, and causes instability. In the case of the fundamentalist LDS cults, they kick out most of the young men, as they know that the old men with multiple wives can't compete well with them. (Google Lost boys of Utah for more information). It's not much better in the Muslim countries.

 

It serves to constrict and narrow the gene pool.

 

Again, claiming that all polygamist marriages are based on sexism is a prjidiced view that takes away the rights of the consenting adults to choose how they feel and who they want to be with. You assume that any women who would choose to be part of a polygamist marriage must be either stupid or ignorant. Maybe they legitimately feel that being in this type of marriage is right for them. Maybe it makes them happy. Who are you to tell them they are wrong?

 

Because the social security system wasn't designed with six wives drawing benefits off the same man in mind.

 

The slippery slope ....

 

First off let me say thank you that you recognize the difference between polygamy and polygyny. There are too few who do.

I am not sure if you are aware of it but the poly culture is very steadily on the rise here in the US and is spreading across the rest of the Western world. And we come from all religions, including Wiccan and other pagan religions. My family is a polygamist one, with two wives and two husbands. My one wife has a friend who has two husbands. We know of many other poly families, whether they claim marriage between them or not, of many combinations of men and woman, and even the sexual orientations vary.

So the second restriction is reallly not a reason to keep it banned. We do need to keep on the look out for underage marrying and abuse. Now I willl say that most polys are not pushing for a change in the law so that we can get our marriages legally recognized. But that is due to the fact that most of us realize that there needs to be a lot more change to the overall legal infrastructure before that could happen. Incest marriage could more easily be made legal than polygamy.

 

Same sex marriage narrows the gene pool too. Does that mean it should be banned?

Should we ban people from having affairs because it could narrow the gene pool if they got their other partner pregnant? There is no difference between that and polygamy other than the fact that polygamist are ok with sharing a spouse.

 

If it is by choice, and by choice only.

 

I really do not think we should have two different works for the same thing. I am referring to anyone having more than one spouse, regardless of gender. I have friends who consider themselves polygamist even though they do not meet the textbook definition of the work. Their family is made up of two men and two women, all bisexual, and each of them considers themselves married to each other. They define polygamy as having more than one spouse, regardless of gender. According to them, the very idea of having different words depending on the number of each gender involved is idiotic and pushes the view that they are different types of marriages.

 

Most polygamist marriages, aside from a few offshoots of the Mormon Church which force 12 year old girls to marry, are by choice. That is the point. People want to force their ideals on others and strip of their rights because they don't like how they live The ironic thing is that the biggest opponents of polygamy and other such marriages, are liberals who use the same invalid arguments that conservatives used against same sex marriage.

 

So are the Amish, i.e. We don't restrict them in any way.
So narrowing the gene pool is no sufficient reason.
Please don't get me wrong, I find the idea of poly relationships a bit odd, and know it isn't for me.
But I can't dictate how people live their personal lives.

 

It also wasn't designed for people to live past 70 to 75 years old. What's your point?

 

Actuallly, there is no rule among the Amish that smeone can not marry outside the community.

 

Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden....

 

I answered your thread title question. I don't have a point, not that you refuted the reason I presented.

I do find it ironic that you dismiss the Bible however since that is the basis of a lot of people's opinions. The government recognizing marriage is about gaining approval. Strange that you think disapproval by one segment of a society is not legitimate when you are seeking approval from society. You get that approval or you don't. The reason why you don't really isn't relevant. There is no legitimate reason to need the government to approve of your relationships if it is not about government benefits like social security.

 

The gene pool is severely narrowed nevertheless. Perhaps new studies have come about that I am not aware of
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/genetic-disorders-hit-amish-hard/
I don't want to take this thread off topic, as I was merely responding to the argument made by the member.

 

Actually, it has nothing to do with approval. In many states, there are laws against someone not legally married being named as a beneficiary to insurance. So, if a polygamist couple with three people involved, only the legally married spouse can receive benefits. The other spouse can not receive anything, so, if the legal couple dies, the other spouse is left possibly penniless. The point of legal status is equal access to the protections of the law warranted to marriages.

 

It encourages unfaithfulness. It destroys the integrity of the traditional nuclear family. It increases the risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. It puts mates in competition with each other.

If one looks at what happens when the traditional family is all but eliminated, then look at Detroit and all the other urban crapholes.

Also, look at how terrible life is in almost all Muslim majority nations that allow polygamy.

 

As long as the women are over 21, no objection is really "legitimate."

It is true that polygamist marriage is a sexist institution, however, an adult woman should be allowed to choose that lifestyle if it suites her.

 

There are already inequities in the Social Security system which would be greatly magnified by including all individuals of such arrangements. Once the true cost of acknowledging all same sex marriages becomes apparent, it would be difficult to see the majority of the population willing to proceed further without adjusting the Social Security system's approach to spousal payments in some major ways.

 

Not to mention a divorce with just one getting half of your **** is bad enough. 2 or more and its Arrested Development and your Mr Wendal.

 

A: the government
B: moral authoritarians

 

Funny thing is, I don't hear women clamoring for polygamous marriages, only men. That exists for a reason. There is no real need for polygamous marriages. Do what you want to, without any kind of marriage license. Anyway, the thing is, there are no known cultures that fit your ideals of polygynous by choice. It just isn't the way humans really think, outside of fiction and male fantasies.

 

Regardless, polygyny isn't a good thing for a society. I can't think of a society that should be emulated that is polygamous. Just look in the real world. Yes, there are occasional abberations that are ok, but socieites based on polygamy are simply not societies we should be encouraging.