Posted on 06/09/2017 9:25:56 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Popular televangelist Pat Robertson, who serves as chancellor of Regent University and chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, has said he doesn't know of anything in the Bible that condemns polygamy — the practice of having more than one wife or husband at the same time.
"I'm not sure I know anything in the Bible that indicates polygamy, as such, is against the Bible. But we don't do it and there are a lot of laws based on the New Testament [that] don't permit it, and that's where we are," Robertson said in a clip from "The 700 Club" series posted on YouTube Wednesday.
Robertson was responding to a question from a viewer identified only as Margaret who asked: "Why did God allow the men of faith in the Old Testament to have multiple wives and concubines? And when did God change His mind and make marriage monogamous?"
Although polygamy is illegal in the U.S. and culturally unpopular, some researchers estimate that between 50,000 to 100,000 people are involved in polygamous relationships and the arrangement is more common between men and multiple wives. Public acceptance of the lifestyle is also growing due to reality shows such as TLC's "Sister Wives," which gives a real-life inside look into a polygamist family.
"I don't think God changed his mind [polygamy]," Robertson said.
He noted that a man will find it easier to take care of multiple wives that vice versa.
"The truth is that women have babies. And when they have babies they can't fight wars because they are having babies, and they are looking after their babies and they need somebody to look after them — that's why husbands are supposed to look after their wives. And a man can take care of several wives whereas one wife can't take care of several husbands," the CBN chairman said.
"I think in the early days there must have been more women than men. Multiples wives were standard stuff in the primitive societies, at least they still are in Africa. I know one guy, the chief or something, the general, he had 60 wives. That's a little excessive, it is, but nevertheless, God didn't change his mind but came the New Testament. And Jesus gave the standards of marriage, man leaves his mother and father, cleaves to his wife and the twain will become one flesh," he explained. "And so that's the biblical order of the New Testament, but the culture has changed. God didn't change his mind."
Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, told The Daily Beast in 2015 that if polygamy is legalized he believes it could happen within "the next 20 to 30 years."
Earlier this year, however, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to Utah's anti-bigamy law brought by "Sister Wives" star Kody Brown and his wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn.
Brown is only legally married to one of the "wives." The fundamentalist Mormons who are part of the Apostolic United Brethren Church, claimed in their legal challenge that Utah's law banning multiple spouses violated their religious liberty rights under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. They claim polygamy as a religious belief.
Um, Pat, please pick up the closest copy of the New Testament. You will see you are in error.
Huh? What did I just read?
Huh, what is Robertson’s problem? 1 Timothy is very clear.
Robertson is a freaky freemason who’s mind is going.
His organization reeks of that weird greed and avarice.
http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/23/meaning-husband-one-wife-1-timothy-3/
1 Timothy 3
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop (or elder), he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
He’s awfully old, isn’t he?
So, Pat is wrong on this?
How to hell do these men live with multiple wives, that is what I want to know.
Must be like living in a barn with a bunch of gut shot cats.
How many men will ever become a bishop?
Those that qualify, why?
Then how does that speak to all other men? And Jesus isn’t the one saying that, is he?
87 years old per Google.
Give us the scripture reference then
I know the NT says a church leader (a bishop) should be the husband of one wife. Where is there any condemnation or prohibition other than that?
I asked a pastor about this one time. He said something like just with individuals, God wants humanity to get rid of some sins first, then He can help them with the others. Polygamy wasn’t a priority back then. The big one way back when was worshiping other gods. Of course marrying a bunch of women with different beliefs didn’t help - so they sort of went hand-in-hand if you ask me!
God made the first marriage. Adam married one woman - eve.
At no time were we directed to change that up.
Marriage to multiple wives, and use of concubines, is noted in the Old Testament. That doesn’t mean it is endorsed.
Noah had one wife. Abraham had one but used a concubine/maid at her behest. Isaac had one wife. Jacob had two, and used two maids. David had several. Moses had one.
Jesus in referring to marriage speaks of one husband and one wife. Laws refer to one. The epistles when giving directions about marriage assume one.
In short the prescription and the norm as well as the standard for eldership is one.
1 Timothy is also conditional -- if a man desire the office -- a better reference is Jesus's own teaching on divorce in Matt 19:
Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?”He answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”
He said to them, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.”
Chrislam PR man?
Depends on which bible he means. Nothing in the Masoretic texts about polygamy, except that it was common. Jews only gave up polygamy in the year 999 after all.
I know a hundred Freemasons and every one follows the same New Testament I do. Period. They provide services to those who otherwise couldn’t afford them, period. They donate their time and money like not many others. Talk all you want about fake Christians but a group such as the freemasons is above such drivel. I take huge offense to your comment and would ask you to be a man. Or adult of your choice on gender.
Polygamists in the Bible
http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com/polygamists/
I thought modern Israel grandfathered polygamist Jews in from arab countries that allowed it?
Freegards
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