Why is polygamist marriage illegal in most western countries?

[hellionthesagereborn]

Well one, "love is love" has nothing to do with marriage and neither does being consenting adults. Marriage is specifically a reproductive contract stating that two people will trade what they have (the man his resources, the woman the rights to reproduce with her) and enter a life long contract in order to create a stable enviroment for children (monogamous marriage is a proven benefit to children). So none of that applies to polygamy as it has nothing to do with creating the best enviroment for children, thats why its perfectly legal to do all of these things but not when it involves marriages because it is not what a marriage is.

[AshleyTaylorDanny]

My husband and I live in a Poly relationship with my girlfriend. Her and I are bi-sexual and have been intimate with each other since we were 14. I was 24 when I met my husband who is 10 years older than me. I didn't tell him about my girlfriend until about 3 months into dating because other guys in the past either thought it was sick or assumed we were sluts that would want random orgies with them.
My girlfriend grew to love him for how he treated me during the 2 years of our dating. About 6 months after we got married my girlfriend and I decided to give him a special night with the both of us. It was nothing that he begged for or ever dropped hints for... it was our choice.
The past 11+ years we have all been together and all of us love each other deeply!! The law might not recognize our union but we feel we are one Soul and regardless of the laws we are married to each other.

[Daniela1982]

Well the marriage vows do say "forsaking all others" and it is supposed to be one man and one woman. But since with cheating and divorce the meaning of marriage has been profaned, I guess anything goes these days.

[slatyb]

There is a stigma against plural marriage because most polygamist societies also practice child marriage. Consensual plural marriage is mostly illegal because it’s too much work to modify the laws to allow it. The changes would be extensive. Not just divorce but social security and a host of others. If multiple adults want to live together in a polygamous relationship nothing stops them.

[RoxyFoxx]

It often takes some time for laws to catch up with society. Don't forget that while the sexual revolution was in the 1960s, the last US states to abolish abolish their statutes against "sodomy" didn't do so until 2003. For example, in the US, the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act dates back to 1862 and was passed to oppose the Mormon religion.
Another thing is that unlike the LGBT movement, there has been no organised movement to legalise polygamy. It's just some people practicing it privately.

[Am_and_Pm]

As far as I can tell. There r cults build up of men and women who force or brainwash children into thinking that having one men and multiple women is ok.

I for one dont agree with this. I say do it while ur single. Dont bring the good Lord into ur twisted ways. And I dont mean u.

[someginger]

I think it has partly to do with the chruch since a lot of laws back in the day were written from the moral stand point of the bible. Hence why homosexuality eas illegal for a very long time.

A kot of laws that were written bc of the ibke are still around and i think this is one of them. Personally i don't give a shit, as long as everyones consensual marry who ever the fuck you want.

[cth96190]

Because Western Civilisation is based upon Christianity and the Bible prohibits polygamy for Christians.
1 Timothy 3:2
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behaviour, hospitable, able to teach;
1 Timothy 3:12
Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Titus 1:6
if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

[Anonymous]

Most western societies had a well recognized form of marriage done by the church. The state just effectively accepted church marriages and then built laws around them and eventually offered a civil alternative.

Anyway I have heard some calls for polygamy to be recognized but I doubt it happens quickly due to the entrenched interests - specifically first wives. Note that it’s totally -legal- in most countries for a man to sleep with multiple women and have kids with all of them. But if he then leaves all of them - half his money goes to wife #1. Recognizing polygamy would give these other women a claim on assets. First wives don’t want that.

[Liam_Hayden]

Roman influence upon the early church and thus upon the West.

Also the lack of constant high-fatality warfare makes it unnecessary. In Ancient lands it was not unusual for half or more of men to die in warfare before 20. In such lands, women often outnumbered men better than two-to-one.

[BeyondCuriosity]

It should be legal. The only practical reason I can think of that it might have ever been made illegal is that some people were going in with the intention of making as many children as possible, then went too far, then children got neglected. Even then, it's a matter of child neglect needing to be outlawed and not marriage involving multiple partners.

[Teyfet]

Aside from the religious arguments presented here, there is also the sexiest belief that men should be the moneymakers, and that, because women (& children) are expensive, a man can't afford to have more than he can manage [namely, one woman & however many children]. Moreover, many such relationships are cultish & give the man/husband complete authority within the family. Thus, the 2 main reasons it's illegal are Religion & Women's Rights.

[jshm2]

Erm... it isn't. You can have polyamory. But polygny and polygamy are recognised, provided they are legal in the country they are from.

Hence the reason most South Indians wed a couple in India, and will often move one or both to the USA over time.

[Reaperbot666]

you don't have to get legal married to your partner's if you want a polygamist marriage. could just have a religious based marriage that is not legal under the law.

[Alyssa11]

Because the law wants to regulate our lives and speaking in strictly legal terms - marriage creates an avenue for the government to control even further aspects in our lives. Making marriage polygamous is just going to complicate that.

[RolandCuthbert]

Yeah, I think most folks at GaG would be all for it.

[martinxdenver]

Simply because it's a return to order... Whoever has read Canterbury tales knows why the feminist imperative has made sure to shame men marrying traditionally.

[likelyOK]

Most polygamous marriages favor men we are not culturally inclined to adopt it I would personally rather be shot and killed or become a nun than be an a poly marriage.

[Anonymous]

Because there needs to be some type of a limit?
At some point we would all be married to each other.
It starts of with 1 male and 2 females. But then the 2 females become 10 females, the females don't get enough attention and want another dude. Then 10 year later you maybe have 3 males with 20 females who all are in love with each other. At some point it will get out of control.

[andreasderjuengere]

To reduce the number of victims in case of a divorce?

[pigoat]

That's fucking sexy

I wanna go to a poly wedding

[Anonymous]

As you can see the women get hurt and jealous as the right girl shows.

The male is happy AF and is not giving a fuck.

[laurieluvsit]

That's a good question. I am not sure.

It seems like people should be able to do what ever they want and agree on in that regard.

[anon1903]

Because its fucking one sided. You can have a hockey team of women but more than one guy and you're a slut