I'm a thirty-something year old guy from Southern Alberta. My family has been in the church since 4 February 1844. I'm disillusioned and "less-active" since 2002.
View all posts by Jeff Milner
11 thoughts on “Polygamists Fight to Be Seen As Part of Mainstream Society”
I have no idea why it should be illegal to have two or more simultaneous marriages, as long as all the parties give competent, informed consent.
Would you be ok with it if it was your wife who wanted to be married to more than one man?
As I just said, I have no idea why it should be illegal to have two or more simultaneous marriages, as long as all the parties give competent, informed consent.
In the case of a woman married to two or more men, there is the added complication of uncertainty as to parentage; that would take some careful ironing-out before any additional marriage took place. You’d need to provide for how each husband would provide and care for his own offspring. However, it’s certainly not more complicated than the hodgepodge of nonmarital parenting that is becoming mainstream in Western societies.
…and it would be a good idea to iron out ahead of time a husband’s obligations to each wife and her children before a married man takes on an additional wife.
Pre-nuptial agreements should be able to accomplish these goals.
Imagine having 4 wives all having their period at the same time.
Do the men support their children or is it the women supporting their children?
Think of the tax deducions you could get for each kid.
I would expect the fathers of children to support them financially. This is already a component of existing law, and applies whether the parents are married or not.
I don’t think polygamists fathers support their children. The wives turn to social services for help and commit welfare fraud to support their children.
Could you support another family?
Most men cannot and for men who pay child support and have a new family, they have a hard road to ahead.
George, I’m sure your vast personal knowledge of what polygamous fathers do is unquestionable, so I won’t bother introducing any of the numerous examples of those that do support their children and wives.
ltbugaf said: “George, I’m sure your vast personal knowledge of what polygamous fathers do is unquestionable, so I won’t bother introducing any of the numerous examples of those that do support their children and wives.”
I doubt you know any polygamous fathers or have any dealings with them since to do so would put your membership at risk.
I am very surprised that you would support a position that is opposite of what the church puts forth. The mere you support polygamy in an open forum puts your memebrship at risk.
Even the book of mormon teaches the evil of this practice.
I’m not so sure I’d be against polyandry or polygyny or any variation thereof, as long as the practise was restricted to those people capable of making an informed decision.
Perhaps if it were restricted to people over the age of majority with a requirement of blood tests for all parties.
The main problems for me are the isolation, intimidation and coercion in the polygamy that is currently practised, not to mention involvement of minors.
I doubt you know any polygamous fathers or have any dealings with them…
By pure coincidence, you’ve actually guessed right. I don’t have any direct interaction with them. However, the well-documented histories of many polygamous fathers who provide for their wives and children are many.
… since to do so would put your membership at risk.
No it wouldn’t.
I am very surprised that you would support a position that is opposite of what the church puts forth.
My position is not the opposite of what the Church puts forth. The Church teaches that we should not practice polygamy, not that it should be illegal. I agree that we should not practice it. I also think we shouldn’t skip Sunday School. I don’t believe people should be imprisoned for doing either.
The mere you support [sic] polygamy in an open forum puts your memebrship at risk.
No, it doesn’t.
Even the book of mormon [sic] teaches the evil of this practice.
More accurately, the Book of Mormon teaches us that we should not engage in this practice unless the Lord commands us to do so. (See, in particular, Jacob 2:30)
I have no idea why it should be illegal to have two or more simultaneous marriages, as long as all the parties give competent, informed consent.
Would you be ok with it if it was your wife who wanted to be married to more than one man?
As I just said, I have no idea why it should be illegal to have two or more simultaneous marriages, as long as all the parties give competent, informed consent.
In the case of a woman married to two or more men, there is the added complication of uncertainty as to parentage; that would take some careful ironing-out before any additional marriage took place. You’d need to provide for how each husband would provide and care for his own offspring. However, it’s certainly not more complicated than the hodgepodge of nonmarital parenting that is becoming mainstream in Western societies.
…and it would be a good idea to iron out ahead of time a husband’s obligations to each wife and her children before a married man takes on an additional wife.
Pre-nuptial agreements should be able to accomplish these goals.
Imagine having 4 wives all having their period at the same time.
Do the men support their children or is it the women supporting their children?
Think of the tax deducions you could get for each kid.
I would expect the fathers of children to support them financially. This is already a component of existing law, and applies whether the parents are married or not.
I don’t think polygamists fathers support their children. The wives turn to social services for help and commit welfare fraud to support their children.
Could you support another family?
Most men cannot and for men who pay child support and have a new family, they have a hard road to ahead.
George, I’m sure your vast personal knowledge of what polygamous fathers do is unquestionable, so I won’t bother introducing any of the numerous examples of those that do support their children and wives.
ltbugaf said: “George, I’m sure your vast personal knowledge of what polygamous fathers do is unquestionable, so I won’t bother introducing any of the numerous examples of those that do support their children and wives.”
I doubt you know any polygamous fathers or have any dealings with them since to do so would put your membership at risk.
I am very surprised that you would support a position that is opposite of what the church puts forth. The mere you support polygamy in an open forum puts your memebrship at risk.
Even the book of mormon teaches the evil of this practice.
I’m not so sure I’d be against polyandry or polygyny or any variation thereof, as long as the practise was restricted to those people capable of making an informed decision.
Perhaps if it were restricted to people over the age of majority with a requirement of blood tests for all parties.
The main problems for me are the isolation, intimidation and coercion in the polygamy that is currently practised, not to mention involvement of minors.
By pure coincidence, you’ve actually guessed right. I don’t have any direct interaction with them. However, the well-documented histories of many polygamous fathers who provide for their wives and children are many.
No it wouldn’t.
My position is not the opposite of what the Church puts forth. The Church teaches that we should not practice polygamy, not that it should be illegal. I agree that we should not practice it. I also think we shouldn’t skip Sunday School. I don’t believe people should be imprisoned for doing either.
No, it doesn’t.
More accurately, the Book of Mormon teaches us that we should not engage in this practice unless the Lord commands us to do so. (See, in particular, Jacob 2:30)