Why Polygamy Should Be Legalized

ALBROCK Blog ^ | May 11, 2006 | Alex Bastardas

[albrock]

Why Polygamy Should Be Legalized

Lately, with the FBI's decision to add polygamy sect leader Warren Jeffs to the Most Wanted list, many shows (Anderson Cooper, America's Most Wanted...) have extensively reported on this particular sect.

Polygamy in the United States is forbidden. That, believe it or not, is what causes all the problems and what helps arise dangerous sects like the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

How so? Well, Imagine you are a fundamentalist Mormon (NOT a member of that sect) and as such you believe that polygamy is right and you decide you want to live your life carrying a polygamous lifestyle. Ok, maybe 40 years later, when you have settled a family with 4 wives and 35 children, you are arrested because you practice polygamy. How do you think the family of this father and grandfather will feel? And, further, isn't the United States a nation that protects religious freedom??

Because the government does not allow these people to practice polygamy, they start to feel alienated from mainstream society and start to greatly distrust the authorities and our laws. This is the perfect situation for a nut like Warren Jeffs to take advantage of. In other words, he can create a sect because those people have been forbad to follow their harmless religious believes by the government and need someone that can protect them from the government's tyranny.


Now, many will argue that polygamy is a dangerous practice perse and that this is not a question of religious freedom but of human rights. Wrong. What certainly is deplorable is how Warren Jeffs has perverted the belief and established a dictatorship within the community. But polygamy perse is in no way tyrannical in nature, it is just a lifestyle. An example of a free polygamous society is Centennial Park, AZ; located a couple miles south of the Colorado City/Hildale area. The citizens of Centennial Park are fundamentalist polygamous Mormons but they do not force anyone to practice polygamy, and everyone can join or leave the faith.

It is therefore a mere question of freedom of religion, and because the government is denying this freedom, sects and hostility towards the government arise.

posted by Albrock @ 12:41 AM  

0 comments  

[linda_22003]

Then the same should go for polyandry, right? It makes more sense. Women have more sexual stamina than men, and it would be pretty useful around the house - one or two men for yardwork, one for vehicle maintenance, a few for earning good salaries...

[albrock]

Marriage is most importantly a religious institution, and therefore it should never be relegated to a strictly civil character. God created and established the marriage institution and therefore His intent and purposes should be followed by both religious and civil rulers.
Well to them, God established marriage as a polygamous institution, and polygamy was also "His" intent and purpose... You can't defend this on the basis of religious believes, since that is exactly what you are denying them.

[Abigail Adams]

"Most of these wives start out as underage girls being traded by their polygamist fathers to another polygamist. Who trades one of their daughters back as a new wife to the first one as well. Organized statutory rape and child abuse. That's what's wrong with it."

Exactly! It's not about men marrying multiple women. It's young girls being forced to have sex with older men which constitutes rape and abuse.

This particular "religious" sect is really a cult that is all about power and control over people.

[albrock]

Yes, of course, if men choose to share one wife, then I dont have a problem with it

[albrock]

NO, NO, NO. That's what that sect and Warren Jeffs do, but not all fundamentalist polygamous mormons defend this nonesense!

[freedumb2003]

How in the world did THIS guy get more than one wife?

Same way this guy married Julia Roberts:

[rintense]

The biggest reason why it should remain illegal is on HBO... Just watch Big Love and you'll see why no man in his right mind would EVER want more than one wife, and why no woman would ever want to be in that situation.

[Abigail Adams]

"That's what that sect and Warren Jeffs do,"

That's what I said.

"...but not all fundamentalist polygamous mormons defend this nonesense!"

I don't know about that. I never said anything about other groups.

[rintense]

He's right! Again, if you haven't seen the show, Big Love on HBO, I highly recommend it. From what I've read, it is a pretty darn real portrayal or LDS and polygamy.

It is kinda hard getting used to seeing Chet having more than one wife. ;) For 80s fans, Chet is the guy Bill Paxton played in the the movie, 'Weird Science'.

[linda_22003]

Haven't seen it; after the Sopranos it's bedtime. :) And I find "Big Love" a more distasteful topic than the mafia, I guess!

[rintense]

I was curious so I watched it, and got hooked. I still can't figure out if the show is a backhanded slap at LDS or just satire. Maybe its both.

That said, what is with all the influx of fringe pseudo conservative groups on FR lately? Polygamists, Free Speech hacks, and of course, the immigration on every thread crowd...

[linda_22003]

I don't know. I'm not the bouncer. :]

[albrock]

Well, I haven't seen the show, but the free polygamous women in Centennial Park said that it was in no way an accurate portrayal, but it was "entertaining", although it had "too much sex".

[pandoraou812]

rofl Well he most certainly is NOT my type for sure. I would run far and fast away from a man who looked and sounded like he does. Watch Big Love on HBO. Its really good. I was thinking about polyandry too. I dont think I could do that either. lol I have enough on my plate now. I wouldnt want 2 or more men ganging up on me . One is just fine.

[linda_22003]

"free polygamous women"

I don't know this term. Does it mean the polygamous women who are not imprisoned, or is it like "free-range hens"?

[albrock]

Well, it means women who are fundamentalist mormons and therefore they CHOOSE (they are not forced to) to live a polygamous lifestyle. It can also mean any fundamentalist mormon who is not a follower of Warren Jeffs' sect.

[rintense]

Seems the LDS people who post on the HBO boards beg to differ. Regardless, I find polygamy appalling and very close to a legal way of forced sex with minors and enslaving women. Using 'freedom' as a way to justify it is the exact same cry we hear from pedophiles, Muslims for beating women, etc.

Too much freedom can be a bad thing, especially when not governed by common sense and promotion of the common good.

[HungarianGypsy]

Most of these wives start out as underage girls being traded by their polygamist fathers to another polygamist.

Polygamy aside, forcing any young girl to marry an old man is disgusting to me. There were even cases in Colorado City of men having their wives (different men in single marriages, not plural) taken away from them and the wives having to marry to old polygamist. The men would end up kicked out of the community.

[rintense]

Hehe! I'd settle for just one guy right now! :) But hey, I wonder how a show about polyandry would go over? Then, of course, you have those who live a polyamory lifestyle as well.

[linda_22003]

Just think of the possibilities....

pollyanna lifestyle - relationship with one or more irritatingly perky girls
polyethylene lifestyle - relationship with one or more inflatable love dolls
polyester lifestyle - relationship with one or more leisure suits from the 1970s *(warning: high deviance factor)
polywanacracka lifestyle - relationship with one or more parrots
polyglot lifestyle - relationship with one or more languages