Polygamy?

[Tigro Spottystripes]

I think i voted wrong, not sure kinda distracted and sleepy, is there a way i can remove my vote and vote again?

[reriddle]

I believe that polygamy should be allowed but only with the consent of every person involved. Not the kind where a person has several different wives/husdands that know nothing about each other. Anthropolgically speaking polygamy has its uses and advantages. Both polygny and polyandry seem logically viable.

I think that polyandry, a women marrying numerous husbands would be the way to go. I am under the thinking that humans are not a monogomous people.

[AquaTonic]

I agree with reriddle on the points that every person in the relationship should be consenting. An example of that kind of relationship is showed on the HBO show 'Big Love' that shows what it possibly could be like if a polygamy did exist out in the open in modern society. There are a lot of negativity associated with the ideas of multiple spouses, but that's all stemming from the horrible compounds from those taking another's right of choice away. Ironically, I lived in Utah for a while and you can still see the compounds in certain areas (seeing is believing, drive south of SLC toward Nephi like you're heading to St. George). From the freeway you can see it, or you could even take a gander at randomly driving some of the off shoot dirt roads.

Anyway, my point is the negativity shouldn't outweigh a person's right to practice what they'd like. If that's what you want to do, then by all means have it. It your life, whatever makes you happy!

[Kurahieiritr]

Actually, Shinju, it tends to be more about the way it gets carried out. For right now the biggest proponents of polygamy in America are some very orthodox Mormon sects, which also tend to think the best age to marry a girl is around 13 or 14, even when her husband is in his mid to late 50s. If it was proposed by another group, one with out the Mormon's history, then I think it would likely pass, especially in today's modern world. We've already accepted gay rights. (Actually, the entire gay rights movement is, in my opinion bull. I was fairly we'd taken care of all that back when we passed the Civil Right's act of the sixties. What was the line again? "May not be discriminated against based on sex, race, age, or creed?" I'm sure we can define homosexuality based upon one of those... Either it's genetic, which makes it a sex, or its a personal choice, which makes it a creed...)

Chuckles. You make an excellent point. Here's the rub: There are several religions that condone same sex and polygamous marriages. However, the uber conservative right screams so loud that those who already have such states of private marriage keep a very low profile. In some cases, it is actually for their own survival. Triadic marriage is the best known. It has had many names throughout history. My favorite is Sword/Shield/Hearth which is rooted in ancient Viking and Celtic lore. Obviously two went to war and protected each other's back in battles while the weakest stayed home and minded the children. Gender had no bearing on which two went A-Viking. It fell out of fashion about 400 years ago. It has been part of Druid and a dozen different Shamanic faiths for several thousand years also. Mormons simply jumped onto a very ancient bandwagon.

The ideal was that the triadic marriages, or more in some cultures, relationship was considered separated from sexuality. Sexuality in all these above mentioned faiths was considered to be a form of prayer. Nobody had the right to tell anyone who to pray with being the underpinning that made it work in ancient times. The regular routines were established based upon abilities, not upon gender in most of these old religions. However, there is little possibility that a predominately Christian country will ever embrace anything organized religion calls satanic despite that tag being a complete lie. Mormons are reviled for accepting a "Paganized Philosophy" even though as was pointed out, bible has polygamous marriages listed.

My aunt and Uncle were in an open marriage with a specific third party for 25 years. Their third lover was killed in a car wreck last year, or they would be celebrating 26 years next month. They of course come from a Pagan religious base, so they have a different world view about making a relationship work. They enjoyed all kinds of fun together for all those years. However, they also understood that moods shift and change. People need cuddles and they need space. Because everything was about the ebb and flow of emotions, they paid attention to each others' needs. That is the only way to make a relationship filled with diverse opinions work.