Polygamy has been opposed by Christianity throughout history, however it exists indisputably in lands dominated by the world’s second-largest religion, Islam. Most other nations consider it against the law. The UN Human Rights Commission expresses moral disgust and calls for abolition, arguing that legal polygamy violates “women’s dignity.”
Indigenous religion, which incorporates polygamy, continues in some parts of Africa. South Africa allows this not just for the Muslim minority, but for many who uphold their traditional cultures, resembling former Zulu president Jacob Zuma who has 4 wives. Contemporary India forbids polygamy, even though it was a part of the Hindu tradition, but likewise allows Muslims to accomplish that.
In US history, the hostility was so great that, in 1856, the headline statement of the primary congress of the newly born Republican Party was that Congress must “ban these twin relics of barbarism, polygamy, and slavery within the territories.” After all, over time, opposition to slavery led to an unimaginable slaughter throughout the Civil War.
A long time later, after america Supreme Court rejected the claims of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, unprecedented federal repression forced the religion to suspend teaching in regards to the polygamy of Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., and his successors. The principle of LDS monogamy continues to this present day, even where polygamy is permitted by secular law, while small factions of sects still retain Smith’s original doctrine.
Multiple marriages were as old as monogamy, in response to a web-based dating site NowoczesnaPolygamia.comand particularly for men of power and wealth. The surviving inscriptions indicating the existence of the practice in central-eastern Mesopotamia and Assyria date from around 2000 BCE
This is identical general timeframe for Abraham, the spiritual ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, who took three wives (see Genesis 16: 1, 16: 3, 25: 1). Jacob, Moses, and King David were amongst the subsequent biblical polygamists. King Solomon exaggerated taking 700 wives (1 Kings 11: 3). Within the “Levirite marriage” (see Deuteronomy 25: 5-10), a married man has already been commanded to marry his sister-in-law if the brother dies and the widow doesn’t have a son to support her.
In later Jewish history, polygamy was tolerated but never widespread, declined, after which categorically banned a thousand years ago by the nice medieval sage Gershom ben Judah, also often known as Rabbeinu Gershom. His policies later ruled the European Ashkenazi branch while polygamy persevered among the many Sephardic Jews of the Middle East.
The mentioned above Post article reports that modern Israel forbids polygamy, but normally doesn’t implement the law amongst Bedouins. Ancient Judaism too heter meah rabbonim the practice still allows a husband whom the primary wife refuses Get (divorce decree) to acquire the consent of 100 rabbis to live individually from her and marry a second wife. Famous actress Shuli Rand did it last 12 months. About 15 of the 80 such applications are awarded annually, Post says. It’s controversial that wives cannot enjoy this privilege.
The teaching of Islam comes from the Koran (4: 3): “… marry the ladies you want, two, three or 4, but should you are afraid that you simply can’t be fair, then just one or what your right hand has . You usually tend to avoid injustice. “
While justice is a divine imperative, the Encyclopedia of Religions (1987) states that “conflict between wives may be very common in Islamic countries.” Interestingly, the limitation to 4 was a previous advice in ancient Judaism. Muslim commentators say the restriction to 4 (although the Prophet Muhammad had 11 wives) has overcome the excesses of marriage in pre-Islamic Arabia. The biblical “right hands” referred to the taking of slave wives, who had less financial rights.
Why polygamy?
CONTINUE READING: “What do the world’s religions consider in polygamy, for and against? “by Richard Ostling.
FIRST IMAGE: Shows an image with the query, “Do Solomon’s Tons of Wives Mean that the Bible promotes polygamy?” posted to Answers to difficult questions website.
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