Category Archives: Polygamy

1. Polygamist leader had at least 20 wives, mostly minors, documents say  NPR
2. Arrested polygamous leader had 20 wives including some minors, FBI says  PBS NewsHour
3. 3 of polygamous "prophet" leader's 20 wives charged with kidnapping: "These women have proven that they will stop at nothing"  CBS News
4. Arizona polygamy case linked to Lincoln  KLKN
5. Polygamist leader and 'self-proclaimed prophet' had 20 wives, including minors, affidavit alleges  ABC News
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Polygamist leader had at least 20 wives, mostly minors, documents say - NPR

Polyandry is a marital arrangement in which a woman has several husbands. In Tibet, those husbands are often brothers; "fraternal polyandry". Concern over which children are fathered by which brother falls on the wife alone. She may or may not say who the father is because she does not wish to create conflict in the family or is unsure who the biological father is.[1] Historically the social system compelled marriage within a social class.

When the People's Republic of China annexed Tibet, political systems in many regions of Tibet remained unchanged until, between 1959 and 1960, political reforms changed the land ownership and taxation systems.[2]

Since 1981, the Tibet Autonomous Region government no longer permits new polyandric marriages under family law. Even though it is currently illegal, after collective farming was phased out and the farmed land reverted in the form of long-term leases to individual families, polyandry in Tibet is de facto the norm in rural areas.[citation needed]

As elucidated further below, the primary reason for polyandrous marriage among Tibetans appears to be economic: to prevent land, herds, and other assets from being divided and/or to increase the amount of labor available to support the family.

The Tibetan social organization under Lhasa control from the 17th century on was quasi-feudal, in that arable land was divided and owned by aristocratic families, religious organizations, and the central government and the population was subject to those district divisions. The population was further divided into social classes:

These wealthier family units hereditarily owned estates leased from their district authority, complete with land titles. In Goldstein's research about the Gyantse district specifically, he found them owning typically from 20 acres (81,000m2) to 300 acres (1.2km2) of land each. Their primary civil responsibility was to pay taxes (tre-ba and khral-pa means "taxpayer"), and to supply corve services that included both human and animal labor to their district authority.[5] According to Goldstein, the entire family structure and marriage system were subordinated to serve the land and corporate family unit.

The family structure and marriage system of tre-ba were characterized by two fundamental principles:

A "stem family" is one in which a married child is inextricably linked to his natal family in a common household. The "mono-marital principle" dictates that for each and every generation, one and only one marriage is permitted collectively among all the male siblings, and the children born out of this marriage are members of the family unit who have full legal rights.

The family organization was based on these two patterns to avoid the partitioning of their estates. A generation with two or more conjugal families was seen as unstable because it could produce serious conflicts that could divide their corporate family land. As a matter of fact, Tibetan inheritance rules of family land, mainly based on agnatic links, did provide for each generation to partition the land between brothers, but this was ignored to prevent the estate unit from being threatened. Polygamous marriage, therefore arose as a solution to this potential threat.

To elucidate, consider a family with two or more sons. Tibetan inheritance rules gave all males of the family, the right to claim a part of the family estate, so if each son took a different bride, there would be different conjugal families, and this would lead to the partitioning of the land among the different sons' families. To avoid this situation, the solution was a fraternal polyandrous marriage, where the brothers would share a bride. Bi-fraternal polyandrous marriages were more common than tri-fraternal or quadri-fraternal polyandry, because the latter forms of marriage were often characterized by severe familial tensions (reference missing). Different mechanisms were employed to reduce the number of sons within a household, such as making one son a celibate monk, or sending away a son to become an adoptive bridegroom to a family without male children.

Another kind of marriage, although uncommon, is the "polygynous marriage". In a family where all the children were female, sisterly polygynous marriage represented the most common choice. In traditional inheritance rules, only males had rights over the land, but where there were no males to inherit them, the daughters had the right over the corporations land. To maintain the familial estate unit, the daughters would share a bridegroom who will move matrilocally (as opposed to the patrilocal principle where the brides move into the husband's family) and become a member of his wife's family.

Bigenerational polygamy was present as an application of the mono-marital principle. Consider a family in which the mother died before the son was married. If the widower remarried another woman, two conjugal families would have been created, leading to the eventual partition of the estate. Bigenerational polyandry, whereby the father shared a wife with his son, was therefore the solution to avoid this problem. Conversely, when a woman with no male offspring was widowed, she would share a husband with her daughter ("bigenerational polygyny"), thus avoiding land partitioning (reference missing).

In these mono-marital stem families, the family head, who had a dominant role in the family, was called trong bey abo (or simply abo). The abo who managed the property and resources of the family unit, was always a male, and almost invariably the oldest male of the elder generation in power. Sometimes, a younger brother would assume the abo role when the eldest male retired.

In taxpayer families, polyandrous and monogamist marriage were the more common forms of marriage, while much less widespread was the polygynous marriage. Bigenerational forms of polyandry were, however, very rare.

The householder class (du-jung or dud-chung-ba[5]) comprised peasants who held only small plots of land that were legally and literally "individual" possessions. Land inheritance rules were different from taxpayer families, determined by the district authority and not strictly hereditary to the family unit.

The householder family structure unlike the taxpayer families lacked the single marriage per generation requirement to avoid land parceling. When a son married he often established a new household and split off from the original family unit. If taxpayer sons married that created succession for the family corporation and bound them to the estate for patrimonial and land reasons. Householder marriages did not incur that responsibility, and they generally married for love and were more often monogamist. The small number of polyandry cases within the householder class were limited to only the wealthier families.

The landless peasants (mi-bo) were not obligated to and did not have any heritable rights to land. Like the householders, they tended to have less polyandry than the taxpayer families.

As has been seen, fraternal polyandry was a form of marriage that was prevalent among the tre-ba class. Traditionally, marriages were arranged by the parents, often when the children were still very young. As tre-ba marriages were decided for patrimonial reasons, the brides' and bridegrooms' personal preferences were of no consequence. In polyandrous conjugal family, the eldest brother was, more often than not, the dominant person in the household. All the other brothers, however, shared the work equally, and had the right to sexual relations with their common wife, who had to treat them equally.

All children were treated equally, and a "father" was not allowed to show any favoritism, even if he knew who his biological children really were, as biological paternity was not regarded as important. Similarly, the children considered all their uncles as their fathers, and a child avoided treating members of the elder generation differently, even if they knew who their biological father was. The children would usually only address the eldest surviving husband as "father".[7]

Divorce was quite simple. If one of the brothers in a polyandrous marriage felt displeased, he only had to leave the household. Polyandrous marriages were often characterized by tensions and clashes for a variety of different reasons. For example, conflicts might arise because a younger brother wanted to contest the authority of his eldest brother; sometimes, sexual favoritism might occur, generating tension among the male partners in the marriage, especially so when there were significant age differences among the brothers.

Polyandry declined rapidly in the first decade after the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region, and was banned during the Cultural Revolution as part of the "Four Olds". However, it regained popularity in the 1980s as the policies relaxed and the people's commune system broke down. A 1988 survey by the Tibet University throughout Tibet found that 13.3% of families were polyandric, and 1.7% were polygynous.[8] Currently, polyandry is present in all Tibetan areas, but particularly common in some rural regions of Tsang and Kham that are faced with extreme living conditions.[9] A 2008 study of several villages in Xigaze and Qamdo prefectures found that 20-50% of the families were polyandric, with the majority having two husbands. For some remote settlements, the number was as high as 90%.[10] Polyandry is very rare among urban residents or non-agricultural households. Representatives of an American charity working in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, from 1997 to 2010 observed polyandry still being practiced there.[11]

A regulation issued by government of Tibet Autonomous Region in 1981 approved all polygamous marriages before the date of implementation, but not those formed after the date, with no prosecution for violating the regulation. In practice, such a family would be registered as a monogamous family between the wife and the eldest husband.[12]

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Polyandry in Tibet - Wikipedia

1. Why is polygamy in the Vaticans synod document?  The Pillar
2. What does the synod document say about ordination of women, LGBTQ issues, and the liturgy?  Catholic News Agency
3. Enlarge the tent: Synod document sees desire for greater inclusion  Diocese of Scranton
4. Synod's Global Text Backs 'Radical Inclusion'  Church Militant
5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Why is polygamy in the Vaticans synod document? - The Pillar

A man has sparked reactions on social media following his surprise car gifts to his two wives.

A short clip shared by @bcrworldwide on Instagram captured the beautiful moment that was witnessed by a handful of well-wishers.

After the ladies blindfolds were removed, a man could be seen spraying them money as they finally saw their cars.

A saxophonist played his instrument as people cheered the stunned new car owners. The grateful ladies went to their lanky husband and hugged him in appreciation.

The black whips were parked side by side and appeared to be of the same car type. The ladies stood beside their cars excitedly.

Watch the video below:

@janet_francisca_ said:

@sweetcreature305 said:

@ericmoore_mpr said:

@macaulayrume said:

@omaaperry said:

@jenniferjennynancy said:

@chidera6981 said:

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Kenyan man had built identical houses for his two wives.

In the pictures that he shared on social media, the bungalows which are just a few metres away from each other have a similar design, from the roofs to the windows, exterior walls and porches.

He said the project was slowly taking shape and would be soon completed, leaving netizens in awe with his boldness at a time when polygamy was still a matter of contention among a section of Kenyans.

Source: Legit.ng

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"Chubby and Slim, Nice": Loving Man Wows His 2 Wives, Gifts Them New Cars on the Same Day in Cute Video - Legit.ng

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While polygamy is nothing new in Mzansi, when you are in a monogamous marriage and then your husband springs polygamy on you, it could come as a bit of a shock.

With the idea of polygamy becoming more and more accepted, a lot more people are giving the idea thought. Just like a man who went away on a business trip and came back wanting a second wife.

Twitter user @Motla_M shared the shock she got when hub returned from his so-called business trip. Getting slapped with the discussion of a polygamist relationship is not something sis ever expected to have to deal with.

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It was a given that some would be with the man on the polygamist proposal; however, there were also many who felt that the good sis needed to pack her bags and find her own soulmate.

Take a look at the mixed opinions:

@CeceNkutha said:

@PretoriaProudly said:

@Donald_KingPDK said:

@NandoMakamo1 said:

@Erickmabunda said:

@aphiwe_londyy said:

In related news, Briefly News reported that Musa Mseleku, star of Uthando Nes'thembu, has spoken out about the high cost of living. Musa, who has five wives and 10 children, is a polygamist.

According to ZAlebs, the reality TV star revealed that he regularly spends around R30K on groceries for four of his wives.

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Source: Briefly News

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Heartbroken Womans Husband Goes on Weekend Business Trip, Comes Back Wanting a Polygamist Marriage - Briefly

If youre 17 seasons behind on the long-running TLC documentary series Sister Wives, take this blog post as a sign from the God of the Apostolic Brethren that you may start now. You dont have to go into the archives you only need to watch the last five episodes.

Enjoyment of this riveting family drama requires no context other than this: In 2010, patriarch Kody Brown and his wives Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn wanted to show the world how polygamy could be functional in the 21st century. By 2022, Kody and his wives all living in different rental homes in Flagstaff, Arizona are eating crow, admitting to the world that their original situation was not tenable for them or their children (in order of birth: Logan, Aspyn, Mariah, Madison, Mykelti, Hunter, Paedon, Garrison, Dayton, Gabriel, Gwendlyn, Aurora, Ysabel, Savannah, Breanna, and Truely). Christine has left the family, moving to Salt Lake, and taking 11-year-old Truely with her.

Kody, a control-freak whose longtime sole obsession with having sex (or intimacy) with his most favored wife Robyn has transmuted into a similarly intense Covid 19-induced agoraphobia, is requiring the family to shoot every scene on their iPhones without a film crew. Unintentionally, Kody has had his first stroke of divine genius with this directorial decision. What was once a fairly glossy production (although and no disrespect to these women who clearly are spread thin, what with running a small village and all there never did seem to be a hair or makeup budget) is now cinma vrit. Its real and unfiltered.

One of the major set pieces of the 17th season is a mostly unfilled bookcase in Christines house, which would be filled with thrift store books on really any other reality program besides early Vanderpump Rules. Most of the important conversations so far have taken place in front of this unadorned shelf: how Kody never felt attracted to Christine; how Christine used to be smitten with Kody but now feels nothing; how families tend to rewrite their own histories as peaceful and rosy when they were anything but; how Kody wants 50/50 custody of Truely, even though he didnt seem to want that when they lived in the same house for the first years of her life; hilariously, how Kodys biggest fear is that Christine will meet an opportunistic boyfriend in Salt Lake that will try to scam the family out of all their money.

If this sounds too bleak for you, trust me that there are as many moments of levity as there are harrowing terrors, at least in the last five episodes. The worst parts of the show are when the wives and Kody natter endlessly about the apparent hilarity of Janelle buying a fifth wheel trailer to live in, but the editors still have some tricks up their sleeves to humiliate Kody without actually being in one of his homes.

In one confessional, Kody explains that its okay that he lets a nanny into his house with Robyn every day despite his strict quarantine protocols because its easier to pay her $20 an hour than to lose his own work, which he claims is worth $200 an hour. None of the wives seem to have any idea what Kody does all day.

In a scene from the last episode, the entire family serenades Ysabel, who is leaving for school in North Carolina, to Natasha Bedingfields Unwritten. As in the theme song to The Hills. Everyone cries.

Most of the laughs and heartache come in the form of Christine, a woman who I always felt seemed nice enough but is now the beating heart of the show, as well as the audience proxy. In her confessionals, shes enlightened for the first time in 20 years of marriage. Shes had enough of Kodys idiocy, manipulation, and neglect, and shes moving to suburban Salt Lake, goddamnit! Shes a feminist icon, and I cant wait to see Connie Britton get an Emmy for a Hulu show based on the first five episodes of the 17th season of Sister Wives.

So please take this blog post as a call to action the five episodes in question are available on Discovery Plus. Ive suffered through this program for 16 boring and banal seasons (with the exception of season 7, where one of the sister wives got catfished, which ruled), but this season has clawed its way to the title of the best show on television with the word Wives in its title. Thats really saying something.

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Sister Wives Season 17 Is a Triumph of Documentary Filmmaking - Gawker

The protest by Iranian women against the Islamic Republics imposition of hijab has attracted huge support around the world, including in India. But Indian Muslim womens fight for their right to wear hijab in Karnataka and elsewhere has faced stiff resistance. While both Iranian and Indian womens protests seek to push back at men imposing their will on womens choices, and bodies, there is, however, a stark difference in the direction the two protests have taken. In India, the opposition by Hindu groups has had a negative impact on Muslim womens movements and the progress they had made within their own community.

Several Muslim women I spoke to say their efforts to counter compulsory hijab or patriarchal practices in the Muslim society have been hurt by the communalisation and politicisation of their issues and targeting of the Muslim community by Hindu groups. Muslim women say they now feel the need to be more assertive about wearing hijab because of the attack on their identity and religion. And these attacks have increased since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.

In 2019, Muslim women came out against triple talaq. But the way BJPs attack on Muslim society increased has impacted Muslim womens movement. Right now you cannot raise questions or create agitations on issues like polygamy. Because now the question is about survival,said Zakia Soman, a womens rights activist and one of the founding members of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan

Before that,Muslim women weretalking openly aboutissues like hijab, triple talaq, and polygamy,and takingpartin TVdebates as well.But the risingattacks by Hindu organisationshave madeMuslim women see hijab as their identity, which they were previouslydiscussing as a symbol of patriarchy andspeaking against those ascribing it asmandatory in Islam.

Feminists have questioned the patriarchal, misogynist logic behind the veil, the ghoonghat. We cannot reduce the hijab to a matter of identity or community. Surely, there are other ways of asserting ones identity. That the hijab is essential to Islam is also a superficial, reductionist understanding of the religion, Noorjehan Safia Niaz,activist and co-founder ofBMMA,hadtoldjournalist Namita Kohli in an interview in March.

Also read: Study finds recruiters discriminate against Muslim women in hiring at entry-level jobs

Hindutva organisations arent the only challenge that Muslim women in India face, Feminists in the country are also divided on the hijab discourse. While some say that hijab cannot be linked to the identity of Muslim women, another section is clear that there is a need to fight the way Hindutva forces are targeting Muslim identity right now.

One part of the divide is also over the question of whetherhijab is mandatory in Islam or not.

On one side is the Karnataka governments decision to ban Muslim girls from wearing hijab in school, which the high court later upheld. On the other side is theJamiat Ulema-e-Hind, whichopposedtheban as unconstitutional and argued that wearing hijabwasmandatory in Islam.

Caught between them are the Muslim women fighting conservatismand patriarchy in their families and being deprived of education.And their effort to oppose patriarchy gets undone by the Hindutva attack on their religious identity. In a way,Hindu organisations have not only tried to consolidate their supremacy within theIndiansociety buthavealso helped strengthen patriarchy within the Muslim community.

Zakia Soman says that hijab is a patriarchal symbol and women have kept the fight going on against it. But Hindu organisations have reversed the gains and harmed the anti-hijab movement of Muslim women. Earlier they were discussing against compulsory wearing of hijab but now they are accepting and asserting it as a marker of their religious identity.

IfMuslim womenwere notgetting their rightsinherentin Islamearlier,the politicisation and communalisation of their issues meansthey arenowbeing deprived of theirconstitutional rights as well.

Views are personal.

(Edited by Prashant)

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Triple talaq to hijabHow Hindutva reversed gains made by Muslim womens movements - ThePrint

Some angry Nigerians have stormed the comment section of Nollywood actor and producer Yul Edochie, urging him to sign the divorce papers.

Yul Edochie had taken to his Instagram page to celebrate one of his colleagues, Lizzy Gold who turns a new age today, October 16.

Sharing one of her birthday shoot, Yul Edochie celebrated her as he prayed more years ahead.

Happy birthday to you Ghen Ghen. Wish you many more successful years. May God lead you always.

Kemi Filani news did a check on his Instagram page and noticed that his comment section was filled with angry netizens urging him to sign the divorce papers.

It is no longer news that Yul is presently married to two women. The actor had cheated on his first wife, May Edochie, with his colleague, Judy Austin, who he later married.

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Recall that his first wife, in an Instagram post, stated that she wouldnt be numbered as a wife or cajoled to accept polygamy.

She revealed that she and Yul were living together because they had both contributed to the building of the house.

Though, there has been no need about May filing for divorce. It is quite surprising to see her fans urging the actor to sign the divorce papers.

Netizens reactions

One Sugar baby wrote, Sign that divorce papers Yul

Norman Zoe wrote, Sign the divorce paper and stop playing around

Ovie Dolimbaugh wrote, Sign the divorce papers. Stop the distraction

Judy bag of rice babiesmama wrote, Sign the divorce papers.. May has to change oil with some bug guys quick. Your level is juju Austin level now as she has reduced you. May cant change oil with you even in the next world. You are an expired and disappointed dictator. Sign the papers. We want to see the queen changing oil with some big guys. See how fresh she is now strong bulking big string normal breast. The big guys are waiting do that quick.

It is a known fact that the second marriage of Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie to his colleague, Judy Austin will continue to generate controversies.

This, as Netizens exchanged words under the comments section of Judy Austin over her senior wife, May Edochie.

Trouble started when Judy Austin posted behind the scenes pictures of a movie she was working on with her husband.She tagged Yul as the director and other casts.

In the comments section, a follower slammed Judy Austin saying if a say passes without posting about Yul, her heart wont be at peace. She also said Yul keeps humiliating Judy because he was busy chasing his first wife.

This angered another follower who advised May to file for divorce from Yul and move on to another man.

Some worried Nigerians have pleaded to Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Judy Austin to give May Edochie and her children a chance to spend some time with their father.

This came after Judy Austin announced that she had started another movie production with Yul Edochie, just right after he was on same set with her for over a month shooting The Widows story.

This obviously didnt go down well with some fans who took to the comment section to expressed their displeasure.

Kemi Filani news recalls that May Yul Edochie had broken her silence on her marriage to the actor.

May Edochie revealed that she wouldnt be cajoled to accept a practice that does not align with my faith and family values.

The mother of four in a lengthy post on her Instagram page revealed that they jointly own their house, hence, the reason she and the actor live together.

For her, polygamy is a life choice and no one should be compelled to accept it.

May hinted at forgiving her husband, Yul for his mistake as she noted how everyone deserves an opportunity to make things right when they stray.

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"Sign the divorce paper" Netizens fire Yul Edochie as he begins another project with Judy Austin - Kemi Filani News

Following the death of her father, attractive young Haley Lu Richardson (as Julina) moves with her mother Mary McCormack (as Leann) to a cult-like religious community. Implicitly, "Hillcreek" is a Mormon-type village somewhere in Utah; although not officially recognized by any law-abiding Church, these communities continue to thrive, in secret. Mother and daughter settle comfortably into the polygamist lifestyle, with Ms. McCormack becoming the newest wife for kindly Sam Hennings (as Merril)...

In church, Ms. Richardson's teenage hormones kick into high gear after she sees handsome young Jack Falahee (as Ryder). When they meet, Mr. Falahee sinfully has his shirt unbuttoned. Then, we're off to the races. Richardson and Falahee arrange to meet secretly and kiss. The mutually attracted couple decide to be monogamous, of course, but fanatical leader William Mapother (as Ervil, "The Prophet") has other plans. "Escape from Polygamy" may not be possible...

Damon Hill's story focuses on two of the most often related abuses present in these communities. First, there is the initiation of very young women into sexual relations, usually by a Godly older man. Second, there is the casting off of young men when they reach adulthood. The latter reason isn't explained, but it's obvious: this lifestyle needs an improper ratio of males to females in order to survive, so males must be disposed of...

This movie takes a negative view of the practice, but be aware we are left with some "good" polygamists. There are increasingly implausible occurrences, but they are paced in a way which suspends most disbelief. And, there are some plot developments which will keep the viewer surprised and engaged. You can't be sure how this will end for Richardson and Falahee, the attractive starring duo. The elders get little to do, except for Mr. Mapother. Supporting victims Jake Weary (as Micah) and Presley Henderson (as Esther) are impressive playing a tweaked castaway and pregnant girl.

****** Escape from Polygamy (8/24/13) Rachel Goldenberg ~ Haley Lu Richardson, Jack Falahee, William Mapother, Jake Weary

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Escape from Polygamy (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb

Christians who oppose same-sex marriage will often point to the Bible for support, stating that God intended marriage to be the union of a man and a woman. Critics will reply, But the Bible also supported polygamy. In fact, it was even part of Torah law. What, then, does the Bible say about polygamy?

Lets start with Adam and Eve. They were the Bibles first couple not throuple, but couple. Put another way, God did not create Adam and Eve and Evette. His intent, from the beginning, was to join one man with one woman for life.

Jesus reiterated this in Matthew when answering a question about divorce: Havent you read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.

So, the two (not the three or the four) become one, joined together by God.

In the same way, when Paul spoke of the union of a husband and wife as a mystical symbol of the union of Jesus with the Church, the imagery again was clear: one husband/Husband and one bride/Church (Ephesians).

That being said, polygamy was a common way of life in biblical times, and it was accepted under the Law of Moses.

This dates all the way back to Genesis, the first reference to a man having multiple wives, and some of the most famous figures in the Bible, including Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, had more than one wife.

Not only so, but the Torah explicitly allowed Israels king more than one wife. He was just forbidden from having too many wives: And he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. (Deuteronomy)

It is also possible that, in Deuteronomy 25, the Torah required a married man to marry his brothers wife if the brother passed away without having a son, but scholars debate whether this law applied to a man who was already married.

That being said, what is very clear from the Scriptures is that polygamy is a bad practice and in contradiction to Gods ideal for humanity. It was allowed because of prevailing cultural norms and as an accommodation to the needs of procreation, since a couple without children had few or no providers in their old age. And without children, the family line could become extinct.

Thats why Abraham took Hagar as a wife in his old age, thinking that this was the only way for him to have a child, as his wife Sarah was barren.

But, to repeat, without forbidding polygamy by law there is not one verse in the Bible that explicitly prohibits it the Scriptures paint a decidedly negative picture of the practice.

Abrahams wife, Sarah, clashes with Hagar.

Jacob has constant family issues because he has two wives (sisters, in fact, and not by his choosing).

Hannah, the wife of Elkanah and the mother of Samuel, was ridiculed by Elkanahs other wife, Peninnah because of her barrenness before conceiving Samuel.

King David encounters all kinds of familial infighting (including rape and murder) and political intrigues because of his multiple wives.

And King Solomon, Davids son, goes completely off the rails, taking things to an unprecedented extreme: He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. (Kings. Note that in Solomons case, his sin was compounded in that many of his wives were from non-Israelite nations, meaning idol-worshiping nations. Such unions were strictly forbidden by Israelite law).

So, to repeat, while the Bible does not explicitly prohibit polygamy, there is not one single positive example of polygamy in the Old Testament, while every example that is treated at any length is decidedly negative.

This, too, is a scriptural method of teaching morality, by example and not only by legislation.

Continuing into the New Testament, where there are no examples of polygamous unions despite their existence in the Jewish and pagan cultures, none of the apostles had more than one wife (see Corinthians) and, more importantly, church overseers, who were all male, had to be the husband of one wife. (Timothy)

This was of tremendous importance, since the believers in each congregation were called to emulate the example of their leaders (Hebrews) and since it was understood that a man could not ascend to church leadership if he was a polygamist.

So, just as divorce was never Gods ideal but was accommodated under biblical law because of human sin and weakness (as Jesus explained in Matthew), so also polygamy was accommodated.

In distinction, however, from divorce, which is allowed under certain circumstances in the New Testament, polygamy is never expressly permitted in the New Testament, which instead emphasizes Gods plan from the beginning: one man and one woman joined together and becoming one flesh.

Thats why early Church leaders taught against polygamy, although it was not a major focus of their writings. And thats why, with rare exceptions, polygamy was banned in countries that adopted Christian teaching.

In Judaism, while Talmudic rabbis were not themselves polygamous, the first official legal ban on polygamy did not come until around 1,000 AD.

Those looking to the Bible in support of polygamy will not find the support they desire.

Dr. Michael Brown(www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicatedLine of Fire radio program. He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries and is the author of 40 books. Connect with him on Facebook,Twitter, orYouTube.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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What The Bible Really Says About Polygamy | The Daily Wire