The subject of polygamy has resurfaced in the news. A Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints compound was recently raided by Federal officers over accusations of polygamy, child abuse, and teen pregnancies. This has not been the first time that American Federal officials have had to raid compounds to break up polygamous sects nor will it be the last. As long as the mistaken belief that polygamy is Biblically permitted, there will be more occurrences of polygamy and child marriages. Religious theologians cannot be responsible for the enforcement of polygamous laws; that is up to the Federal and State governments. But we can certainly preach against polygamy to the people and work toward social change which will reduce these occurrences.
Polygamy is defined as one man having more than one wife, or one woman having more than one husband. In practice, men will have multiple wives and conceive children among his wives. It is rare for a woman to have multiple husbands but I will cover it just the same. Polygamy has been outlawed by the US government despite court challenges.
Before I begin, I first frame this debate in terms of the authority of the state. In Romans 13:1-6 is so states:
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.”
So even if the Bible were to allow the practice of polygamy, the state has decided in its wisdom to ban it. That ban should be respected for the following reasons: The ones in authority have authority by the will of God. Thus the laws they pass down, are in general, to be respected by the Christian people. In most cases, the ones who make the laws are Christians. Those who rebel against the state with acts of polygamy deserve to be punished for their defiance of the state. The ban on polygamy should be respected not just because of the punishments that would be imposed but also because it cannot be defended in good conscious.
There have been occurrences of state abuse in which Christians have rebelled with good cause. Many dictatorships have been toppled because of good men with Christian faiths. But in this case, the United States government would not be a state in which one should rebel against violently. The United States is controlled by legislators who are elected by the people. In referendums the people are able to make decisions for themselves in many cases. If a legislator acts against the will of the people he or she may be recalled or defeated in the next election. Pro-polygamous sects fight the American people’s will by defying the laws of the state.
The laws concerning polygamy are reasonable. The United States government believes that polygamy disrupts the traditional family. Polygamy goes against the traditional norms and is no longer a necessary part of life. The American people, in their wisdom, have deemed polygamy a social evil or disruptive force. Whether one agrees or not with whether polygamy is a social evil or not, respect for the state must be observed.
For pro-polygamy supporters this explanation is not good enough so let us continue with the Bible Study into this topic. A little history is necessary to understand why this practice still exists. In ancient times, war or other violent occurrences would unfortunately cause there to be many widows. These widows and their children would sometimes be ill treated and neglected by society. Many complaints by holy men would be made as to the neglect of these unfortunate women. So, the law of the Israelites ordered that a widow would marry the brother of her deceased husband as a way to protect widows. In Israelite and Muslim societies, men would have multiple wives due to a shortage of men caused by war. This is was necessary at the time to care for widows in need who would otherwise perish without assistance. Widows were particular vulnerable because the laws at the time would not allow them to have ownership of property or employment rights enjoyed today.
Today, this is not the case. Women have property rights and employment opportunity equal to men in American society. A widow is able to own the property of her deceased husband and continue to live without assistance. Even if a widow is in need of assistance the social welfare programs of the state are available. The polygamous husband has now been replaced by the state. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the state is more or less the community as a whole. Simply put, the reasons for polygamy are outdated. Polygamy is not necessary for the continued assistance of widows due to the emergence of the state.
So what are the reasons for polygamy in today’s society? I will dismiss the reason “The Bible says I can,” because that is not a reason in it of itself. Since widows and single women are for the most part taken care of by extended families or by the state, that reason is no longer of concern. There is no need for a brother to become the husband of his sister in law. It’s a nice gesture if it is compatible with both people, but it is no longer required. We would certainly not advocate that a brother be forced to marry his sister in law, nor would we advocate that a widow must be forced to wed her brother in law. If the reason is for wealth or political power, then that is not Biblical but merely selfish desire. In any case, neither wealth nor political power is usually accumulated with polygamy; most polygamous are scorned by the surrounding communities.
The reason is lust; there is no other logical explanation for it. Men who desire to be married to several wives want to be able to have sexual relations with more than one woman. They want to be able to have multiple women serve them as if they were kings. Men may also desire to have large armies of children through their multiple wives as a sign of genetic pride. I will thus make the judgment that polygamy is primarily used as a way for men to achieve lust, pride, and power over a large family. It is the desire to be a king.
The first accusation is that of lust. How can one explain a 50 year old man marrying a 14 year old girl? This is not an exaggeration but a way too common occurrence in polygamy. Society has deemed that anyone under the age of 18 is not to be married. Society has also made it a crime for an adult to have sexual relations with an individual under the age of 18. Since marriage in the Christian sense requires the sexual act for consummation, a polygamous marriage to a girl under the age of 18 is on its face illegal. Society has also deemed that a girl under the age of 18 should not be pregnant. This is not to say that the girl should have an abortion, but rather that a man should not be impregnating a girl under the age of 18. The government has worked hard to curb teenage pregnancies nationwide through rape laws and education.
The second accusation is power. Men want power over women when it comes to marriage and family in polygamous sects. In too many cases, girls are forced to marry under the age of 18. The Christian perspective is that marriage should require love as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. A forced marriage is incompatible with Paul’s teachings on love. Instead many so called wives live in fear of their husbands. The state has deemed that children under the age of 18 do not have the mental capacity to understand the consequences and ramifications of marriage. This is reasonable and thus if a child is unable to fully appreciate the responsibilities of marriage, it should not be allowed. Furthermore, forcing a young girl to become pregnant is also against the spirit of love. The commandment to be fruitful and multiply does not mean that adult men should force their teenage wives to have children.
The third accusation is pride. For what reason is there to have a large family other than being a king in one’s own mind. In many of these cases, polygamous husbands make their wives do all the work around the house and treat them like slaves. These husbands would say they are following the commandment to be fruitful and multiple, but I say that they are simply under the control of an animal instinct that desires to spread his seed far and wide. Those who commit adultery also follow the commandment to be fruitful and multiple and yet they are immoral.
Now I will look into what the Old Testament of the Bible says on the subject. Keep in mind that the Old Testament is key to polygamous beliefs. For the paragraphs below take your Bible and look up the following: Exodus 21:10, 2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3, 1 Kings 11:3, 2 Chronicles 11:21, and Deuteronomy 21:15
In Exodus 21:10 it states that if a man take another wife he should not deprive her of marital rights, food, and clothing. In other words, don’t make your second wife a slave. The purpose of the passage is treating women with respect; not on how many wives one can have. This verse is later trumped by the New Testament and societal norms but this passage will be brought up by the polygamous.
In Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings, it is detailed how King David and King Solomon had many wives. The text narrates the actions of these kings but does not support these actions. Too many people make the mistake that every action taken in the Bible narrative is supported by God. In many cases, the Bible details the sins of Kings and people to show how sin corrupts and destroys. Just because Hebrew Kings had many wives does not make it good in the eyes of God. It should be noted that the prophet Samuel criticized King David for committing adultery with his future wife. Solomon was also rebuked for his choice of foreign wives as well. 2 Chronicles details King Rehoboam, a King many Biblical readers will find corrupt. Deuteronomy states that regardless of whether you love one wife and hate another wife, the first born is supreme regardless of which wife the son comes from. It’s a statement concerning first born rights, not polygamy. In 1 Kings 11: 1-4, God orders that the Israelites shall not intermarry with foreigners because it will corrupt the Israeli people toward pagan gods. This does not mean that God prohibits multiple foreign wives and allows for multiple domestic wives. It simply states that you shall not have multiple pagan believing wives.
In all of these passages the mentioning of polygamy is passive meaning in all of these passages God doesn’t specifically say that polygamy is good and should be allowed. The Bible merely mentions it implying it’s allowed. Thus, one can make a case for banning polygamy and not being against the Word of God.
Now the New Testament: In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus declares that he did not come to abolish the law but fulfill the law. Many in his time thought that Jesus had come to destroy the Old Testament laws and create a new set of rules. This is not the case, but to imply that Jesus meant polygamy in his statement is a bit of a stretch. The context had nothing to do with polygamy. Jesus did however rebuke the Pharisees on many occasions for their interpretation of the law.
In fact this rebuke comes in the form of Matthew 19: 1-12. Jesus teaches that a man shall leave his family and become one flesh with his wife. He rebukes the Pharisees concerning divorce certificates. He states that Moses made such a law because of the hard hearts of the Israeli people. He states that what God has made one shall not be separated. Jesus says specifically that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery. This same rule applies if a man marries one wife and then marries another. Logically, the teaching follows that a man shall have one wife and be faithful to that one wife. It does not imply in any possible way that a man shall be faithful and never divorce his many wives. Now, in this passage Jesus brings up the Old Testament story of Adam and Eve. This does not imply in any way that Jesus, by quoting the Old Testament, is supportive of the Old Testament practices of polygamy.
In Matthew 22: 22-23, Jesus states that in heaven men and women are not married. So, if a wife marries a man and he dies, and then marries a second and he dies, it does not mean that she is married to two people in heaven. Jesus contradicts the whole idea of polygamy existing in heaven and does not imply in any way that it should be allowed on Earth. I will also point out that the passage says that “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives.” This states that Christ, who is supreme to Moses, may change the laws. It also implies that the laws of Moses are not God’s laws but human laws created by tradition. For example, refusing to assist a poor person on the Sabbath is human law to which Jesus rebuked. God’s law states that one can assist the poor on the Sabbath but to also respect the Sabbath. That means, that if someone is need help them, but do not disrespect God’s Holy Day by working on a selfish project. I will thus argue that the passages mentioned in Exodus and Deuteronomy are the human laws of the time which were made based on the circumstances of those times. Christ, being the Son of God, has the authority to trump those laws which he most certainly did. The Old Testament argument used by the polygamous falls apart.
Now let us explore where polygamy is expressively banned. 1 Timothy 3:2 is thus: Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
The overseer is the Bishop of the congregation in this context. At the time, Bishops and priests could marry, but to only one wife. The text states that the Bishop be “above reproach” and then lists how the Bishop may be above reproach. This heavily implies that the Bishop or any other person would be reproachful if he had more than one wife. If the Bishop is expected to have one wife, this does not mean that the general population is allowed to have many. It means that the Bishop shall not have more than one wife. And if we are to follow in example to the Bishop we too should only have one wife. The passage does not imply that the common people should have more than one wife, but rather it states the exact opposite.
1 Timothy 3:12 adds onto this: A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.
A deacon, a lower official than a Bishop shall also have the same regulation. This does not imply that non-deacons shall have more than one wife. It specifically means that a deacon shall not. If we are to follow the example of the deacon, we too should follow the regulation.
For example, if a Bible passage says that Bishops and Deacons shall only believe in one God, this does not mean that the common people may worship many gods. Furthermore we are all called to the priesthood and to follow the example of our leaders. If the ministry is banned from polygamy it makes sense that it should be banned for the common people as well. Why would God ban polygamy in the ministry if it was good? If polygamy was allowed by God and encouraged by God then the ministry should be able to engage it in but this is not the case.
The next argument is that Paul the kind of guy who would contradict himself. Thus, everything Paul says is not relevant. I believe, and all Christians should believe, in the New Testament writings of Paul. We should investigate the context of what Paul says but we should not doubt his words. And even if Paul were to be in error on a certain passages that does not mean that he is wrong about polygamy.
Polygamous will also point out the hypocrisies of current Christians. For example, women in many congregations are allowed to speak up and not wear head scarves as dictated by Paul. Hypocrisy does not negate the commandment not to marry more than one wife. Hypocrisy is a sin that is regrettable, but it does not change the laws or scripture because of it. Another difference is that Paul mentions head scarves and how women should behave in Church, but when it comes to polygamy Christ and Paul both agree. Christ is supreme and so anything said by Christ is law. The fact that Paul backs Christ law concerning marriage is an affirmation, not a negative.
I want to conclude with several arguments. The first argument is that although polygamy was supposedly permitted by God in Old Testament times there is no Biblical command that we as Christian should not be able to ban it. There is no argument the polygamous can make that says that Christians “can’t” ban polygamy. There is no single instance where God states that if you ban polygamy you have committed a sin.
Polygamous laws that allowed for multiple wives were written by men for men. They were not God’s laws, but rather they were humans laws based on human tradition. When Christ came, he trumped these human laws and tradition with his own interpretation of marriage. All references to Old Testament polygamous actions are based on human laws that were corrected with the coming of Christ. For all intents and purposes, the Old Testament permitting of multiple wives is obsolete and irrelevant.
Christ and Paul specifically banned polygamy in the Bible verses of Matthew’s Gospel and Timothy’s letters. If one doubts whether they specifically banned it, the spirit of the passages is against the practices of polygamy. Christ and Paul will always trump Old Testament practices, because they are new revelations of God’s Word to the world.
The state, in its wisdom, has banned polygamy. We should follow the laws of the state as dictated to us in Romans 13. To rebel against the state is against the spirit of Romans 13 and thus polygamous should expect and deserve punishments for their rebellion.
Polygamous relationships in too many cases have gone against the spirit of love. Young girls are forced to marry and have children. They are abused sexually and are turned into slaves for lustful men. In this regard, polygamy is no better than prostitution, rape, adultery, and any other sexual deviations. You can see whether an institution is good by its fruits. What fruits have we discovered from polygamy? The fruits are thus: sexually abused children, pregnant teens, women slaves, seclusion and secrecy, and rebellion against the state.
Polygamy is outdated and no longer required in modern society. The state can care for widows and young single women, and if not there are strong communities and charities. The rational for polygamy no longer exists and the fruit that comes from polygamy is rotten.
Polygamy cheapens the worth of women as each wife is merely a fraction of the whole family instead of being half the marriage. Instead of being one flesh, some wives are looked upon favorably and others are not.
And now for the Biblical sinker: John 4:17-18: Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
Christ defines what marriage is with this passage. A little context is needed. The woman is getting water alone, because she is an outcast. Normally she would be with others in the morning, but she is alone in the afternoon. She is considered a sinner and is disliked by the community. The disciples later ask why Christ is even talking with her. It is obvious that Christ frowns on divorce, adultery, and polygamy.
The solution is to make clear to Christians that polygamy is just another form of adultery and is prohibited by God. If one is already involved in polygamy they should divorce all wives with the exception of his first. No Christian pastor should knowingly marry a man and a woman if the man has another wife. The human family is one man, one woman, and their children. Anything beyond this is a perversion of the nuclear family. This is not isolated to Fundamentalist Mormons. There are real Christians out there who believe the same thing. This is not something that is isolated to one group of people. We should respond to the Fundamentalist Mormons, but we should also respond to any Christian sect or community who also believe in the same theology. We are called to teach, instruct, and to rebuke when necessary. It is time to rebuke polygamy and end the practice worldwide.
