A thread was started on the rise of polyamory in modern society in a non-debate forum, so I'm going to transfer posts to here to start an actual discussion on it. Polyamory, btw, is the joining of multiple people in uncommitted sexual relationship, as opposed to both Monogamy and Polygamy, which involved marriage and commitment.
The original OP, together with the link he provided:
"Polyamory on the rise." Like there isnt enough of an attack on marriage already. If this idea changes governments laws on marriage then whats next? Kids of any age can marry and take on multiple partners? Only thing left really.
Honestly when women came into the work force america became a dual income society. If we could take on multiple marriages how many people do I need to live at that point? Seems crazy to me.
www.iflscience.com
My response:
Though it was never God's original intention, a Biblical case could be made for polygamy if it were at least between truly committed partners, and not just some cult exploiting its women. Polyamory, however, despite how wonderfully it may be portrayed, is just unprincipled people slopping around together in yet another cesspool of noncommittal, as if sex means nothing more than eating together or going to the bathroom in unison.
There were cases of polygamy in the Old Testament, and indirect references to it occurring the New. Both Abraham and Jacob had two wives, and David and Solomon had dozens. Thus, by New Testament times it was still considered a legitimate way of life for those who could afford it within Judaism, which explains why Paul taught in 1st Timothy 3:2 that an elder must be "the husband of one wife." This was likely taught not because polygamy was regarded as a sin but because any more than one wife and a man would already have too many responsibilities to be worrying about taking any leadership positions in the church. But Christianity went to place a certain stigma on the practice in later centuries which eventually became strongly reinforced after the Mormons went off the deep end with it, and sullied the reputation of "Christianity" as a whole as being a religion of male gratification and self-indulgence.
As a result, it's now a ship that has sailed within Christianity anyway. The Muslims place no stigma on the practice, but then many Muslim men abuse the Hell out of it, so they don't exactly make a strong case for it either. But I think there are in fact some men capable of being a good husband to more than one wife, and some women who would rather have part of a good man than all of a bad one. But again, the issue is whether a man is taking advantage of women and simply exploiting them, or is he seriously dedicated to giving them the best life possible, or at the least a better life than what they might have otherwise.
God looks on the heart, and He knows what their inner motivations are, but this is not always the case with the way mankind operates.
The original OP, together with the link he provided:
"Polyamory on the rise." Like there isnt enough of an attack on marriage already. If this idea changes governments laws on marriage then whats next? Kids of any age can marry and take on multiple partners? Only thing left really.
Honestly when women came into the work force america became a dual income society. If we could take on multiple marriages how many people do I need to live at that point? Seems crazy to me.
Polyamory Is On The Rise And Society Should Be More Accommodating, Research Argues
A new book argues that more needs to be done to support consensual non-monogamous relationships.
www.iflscience.com
My response:
Though it was never God's original intention, a Biblical case could be made for polygamy if it were at least between truly committed partners, and not just some cult exploiting its women. Polyamory, however, despite how wonderfully it may be portrayed, is just unprincipled people slopping around together in yet another cesspool of noncommittal, as if sex means nothing more than eating together or going to the bathroom in unison.
There were cases of polygamy in the Old Testament, and indirect references to it occurring the New. Both Abraham and Jacob had two wives, and David and Solomon had dozens. Thus, by New Testament times it was still considered a legitimate way of life for those who could afford it within Judaism, which explains why Paul taught in 1st Timothy 3:2 that an elder must be "the husband of one wife." This was likely taught not because polygamy was regarded as a sin but because any more than one wife and a man would already have too many responsibilities to be worrying about taking any leadership positions in the church. But Christianity went to place a certain stigma on the practice in later centuries which eventually became strongly reinforced after the Mormons went off the deep end with it, and sullied the reputation of "Christianity" as a whole as being a religion of male gratification and self-indulgence.
As a result, it's now a ship that has sailed within Christianity anyway. The Muslims place no stigma on the practice, but then many Muslim men abuse the Hell out of it, so they don't exactly make a strong case for it either. But I think there are in fact some men capable of being a good husband to more than one wife, and some women who would rather have part of a good man than all of a bad one. But again, the issue is whether a man is taking advantage of women and simply exploiting them, or is he seriously dedicated to giving them the best life possible, or at the least a better life than what they might have otherwise.
God looks on the heart, and He knows what their inner motivations are, but this is not always the case with the way mankind operates.
?