[Zelda]

@ satjas, i'm all for your brand of equality. :)


>Either we all, as a society, stick to one
>partner each or allow both sexes entitlement to an X equal
>number of partners.

[ATLian]

>Joe bwana dont try to bend the rules to your favor. it is
>wrong, it is wrong. Remember Jesus told the pharisees that, "
>I tell you, whoever divorces his wife for reasons other than
>infidelity committs adultry".

Kemeniokana, for an all-knowing god like Jesus to state that infidelity is the only good reason to divorce your wife raises questions about his all-knowing-ness. My finite mind can name 1,000 things that are worse than infidelity e.g. if your wife goes all Hannibal Lector on your kids and kulas them for dinner, if your wife completely falls out of love with you and tries to murder you, etc. I can also name you other legitimate reasons for divorce e.g. your wife is sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, your wife denies you your conjugal rights, your wife becomes a lesbian, etc. What are you meant to do in these scenarios, just remain single forever?



> Polygamy is adultry and the
>first wife should divorce you for you have been unfaithful.

In the old testament, god was very pro-polygamy. All his heros had many wives, and god himself blessed them with many wives. We know that god CANNOT change his mind, so why does it now say that he's changed his mind from being pro-polygamy in the old testament to being anti-polygamy in the new? In my opinion, it's the men who wrote the bible who changed their minds about polygamy.

[jarabuon]

@Atlian

As the saying goes, only god and fools don't change their minds.. why? because god knows everything before hand and can then make the best decision.

but why all this stress of trying to figure out different peoples interpretation of what god wants. As i said before, if you can afford it and the women are cool with it, then go for it JoeNM!!!!

[TeamManager]

I hope this will be helpful.

Is polygamy a sin? The standard traditional answer is 'One man is cleaved to one women.', as in Adam and Eve. If you noticed, this does answer the question directly. Yet, this answer alludes that polygamy is sin.

If polygamy is a sin then Old Testament Law forces people to sin: It was a duty to perform polygamy under certain instances in the Bible. If a man died leaving a wife with no children, one of his brothers was duty-bound to marry the widow.
`(Deuteronomy 25:5-6; Ruth 4:10; Matthew 22:24; Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28)`

Also, David and other kings had multiple wives.

If polygamy is a sin then the early Church welcomed sin: In the early church, polygamy was not barred, but regulated.
`(1Timothy 3:12)`

Polygamy can be a sin if it becomes a stumbling block: In '(Romans 14:13-21)', Paul asks Christians to conform to society if nonconformity would cause 'your brother to fall'.

In the West, polygamy is labeled a sin. Western polygamy creates a 'stumbling block' which really is sin.

In contrast are we to require a polygamist Moslem to divorce a couple of wives before he can be converted to Christianity?

Conclusion: Polygamy, though illegal in some countries, is not sin. Yet in current times, polygamy can result in a 'stumbling block'. If we create stumbling blocks for new Christians, we have sinned indeed. In Western countries, promotion of polygamy is a stumbling block. In Arab countries demonization of polygamy is a stumbling block. We Christians have to know the Truth of both God's Word and foreign cultures to be the most effective missionaries as is possible.
http://www.ctruth.com/home/beliefs/polygamy.html

[spairo]

Paul talks of celibacy, as the best option for Christianity though did not rule out marriage.
But according to my understanding, previous prophets according to bible, married more than one wife, talk of Moses, Solomon, Abraham. …This are some of great prophet who did that, so the wording of Jesus condemning those who marry two wives ….I doubt them, as that will condemn other prophets of gods of committing adultery.
They’re so many alterations in the bible that many scholars agree so this point of many wives cannot be an exception

[spairo]

Paul talks of celibacy, as the best option for Christianity though did not rule out marriage.
But according to my understanding, previous prophets according to bible, married more than one wife, talk of Moses, Solomon, Abraham. …This are some of great prophet who did that, so the wording of Jesus condemning those who marry two wives ….I doubt them, as that will condemn other prophets of gods of committing adultery.
They’re so many alterations in the bible that many scholars agree so this point of many wives cannot be an exception

[joeNM]

i think Tm's conclusion clears the air

Conclusion: Polygamy, though illegal in some countries, is not sin. Yet in current times, polygamy can result in a 'stumbling block'. If we create stumbling blocks for new Christians, we have sinned indeed. In Western countries, promotion of polygamy is a stumbling block. In Arab countries demonization of polygamy is a stumbling block. We Christians have to know the Truth of both God's Word and foreign cultures to be the most effective missionaries as is possible.

i had though of adam and eve also and since adam was given only eve and not vivian also that was the original and ideal plan that a man should have one wife . reminds me of that verse in 1 Corinthians 10:23 that says "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

its not a sin to have more than one wife if you are not a church leader but even though its permissible its not beneficial or contructive . most of the great men of God were in problems because of their many wives .

thanks people and am sticking to one and plus i know my grand zaks is not living in sin

[teejay]

>the other day i was listening to radio a christian channel
>and the presenter was talking about aafrica and he mentioned
>polygamy like it was a sin infact he said it was a sin . now
>the funny thing when i read the bible all this great men of
>God had more than one wife but it never ever said that it was
>a sin .so how did we come to the point that it its a sin.

It is good for you to have read the bible. But I would really like to challange you on this one. After reading about these great men of God did you find anywhere the lord tells them to go mary as many wives as they so desired. Your answer will be a No. The did it coz they were human. Adam was given only Eve and Eve and Evelyne. So where do humans get the culture of polygamy? Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died without marrying another wife. To me I would say it lust.

>dont get me wrong but i would really like to know cant a
>christian jamaa have more than one wife if he can handle.

That would be adultry. Its the sam as saying if christian jamaa can handle adultry it is fine.

>i think having one wife would be best but if one wants more
>than one what is the bibilical backing against this or is this
>something europeans/americans have added to christianity

When you read the Gospels and the epistles of Paul you will find that a man is only supposed to have one wife. That is how God meant it to be since the beginning. In Genesis God says " And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him." GEn 2:18

Infact this is the whole creation of the woman below

2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs,(not two of his ribs) and closed up the flesh instead thereof.

2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman(not women), and brought her(not them) unto the man.

2:23 And Adam said, This(not these) is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife(not his wives): and they shall be one flesh.

2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed

[TeamManager]

@Teejay

I agree with most of what you said.

God's plan for marraige (since the beginning) was ... a man leaving his father and mother i.e. single status and then joining his wife i.e. marriage status..... Thus moving from a marriage status to a multiplied-marriage status was a later human addition.
History clearly shows us many problems that arose when even godly men married many wives ..... Abraham, Solomon etc are good examples.
Secondly can you marry a second wife without 'coveting her' (thus breaking the 10 commandments) or 'having the lust of my eyes'?

The questions that still disturbes me is concerning wife-inheritance.....to continue your brothers/family's lineage

[teejay]

>The questions that still disturbes me is concerning
>wife-inheritance.....to continue your brothers/family's
>lineage

Now wife inheritance exixited even In Jewish cultures. If you read about some guy called Judah you will find that He had a daughter in law called Tamar Gen 38:1-30 When Judah's firstborn son died The other two married Tamar. And the fact that the Lord slew one of the Judah's sons for knowing Tamar but spilled his seeds on the ground rather than depositing them in Tamar shows that the there was no wrong in inheriting a wife. This however must be if only the inheriting man is not married.

Again when Christ is answering to his students questions he seem to nesaying that a should move on am remarry if the husband is dead. When people meet in heaven there will be now marriages. I therefore approve of wife inheritance. Although If I personally would inherit I would prefer a woman whose husband is dead and she has bore no kids with his deseased husband. Then again I should be single.