Polygamy?

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Jerusalem Junkie

New Member
Jan 7, 2008
654
0
0
67
(Gen 4:19 [KJV])And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one [was] Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.(Gen 4:23 [KJV])And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.(Gen 36:2 [KJV])Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;The above verses would indicate that these men had more than one wife....now weather this was approved by G-d who knows?
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
It's never said that any of these men had anything more than two wives. They are not said to be right, they are not said to be wrong. What is a fact is that every time that a man is said to have more than one wife, it is never said that it is wrong, or even substandard that he had more than one wife.What is said to be wrong is the foreign origin of a wife, or in the case of Rehoboam it is implied that he "desired many wives" and thus had too many. This would be consistent with the admonition that a King not have many wives, the word "Rabah" in Hebrew meaning either many or multiply.
 

Jerusalem Junkie

New Member
Jan 7, 2008
654
0
0
67
Whats the difference? Two or twenty two? I would imagine plenty men during those times desired to have many wives....I do not see the point. Desire is a human instinct its in us all we all desire something but that does not mean its wrong.
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
My study of scripture has put the concept of many in between the two numbers 18 and 80. At least when it comes to wives. A Hebrew king was enjoined from having "many" wives. No other such person was so enjoined.
 

stlizzy

New Member
Feb 6, 2008
110
0
0
39
(Hugh McBryde;45567)
The example was about how someone could be one flesh without being one flesh with another wife. You equivocate. Besides, Rachel and Leah had separate tents, Gideon apparently rode the circuit and other kings had their wives spread out in the kingdom.I love it when people cut and paste thoughts not their own, proving they cannot articulate the refutation themselves. I'll quote myself then, from about four years ago.This next one is very lame.So, if your parents die you can't get married, or if you are a widower, you can't marry again.The ratio is worse for women, in the churches, and I never said that half the men should have more than one wife, I have no problem with about one or two out of a hundred having more than one wife.
Quoting others is not lame. You quote scripture- this is not of yourself... how do we ever learn things? Most often it's from one another... I put those quotes up because they made interesting points...
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Make the points yourself. I won't play "cut and paste" wars with authors that will not defend their own views. If "Glenn Miller" would show up and debate me, but he will not, I would pay attention, but even Glenn Miller is plagiarizing Matthew Henry.
 

stlizzy

New Member
Feb 6, 2008
110
0
0
39
(Hugh McBryde;45691)
Make the points yourself. I won't play "cut and paste" wars with authors that will not defend their own views. If "Glenn Miller" would show up and debate me, but he will not, I would pay attention, but even Glenn Miller is plagiarizing Matthew Henry.
well, you're not the only person on the board so.. i guess I won't worry about.
 

FoC

New Member
Apr 11, 2008
165
0
0
58
(Savate;7449)
Are there are any specific scripture that address the topic of polygamy?
Yes, there are plenty that address it in one way or another.Sadly none of them prohibits it.
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
When do we admit that if God had opportunity to comment negatively, many many many times over thousands of years, and did not, that he did not because he meant to. Namely, he has nothing to say or he would have said it.This ultimately cannot be "Sad". It has to be admitted that it was God's INTENT.
 

FoC

New Member
Apr 11, 2008
165
0
0
58
(Denver;9008)
Hugh, you're picking at words and missing what I am trying to say.A type is nothing more than a type, an ideal. That differs greatly from a commandment or God's Word which makes it a sin. Polygamy is not a sin. There's no hedge in what I say so please quit trying to make one. You're constructing the hedge, not me. It's not there.Having a type is just that, a type. We have Nebuchadnezzar as the type of antichrist, but he is not the antichrist. We have Joshua as a type of Christ, but he is not the Christ. Monogamy is the ideal when it comes to man and woman, but that doesn't mean polygamy is a sin.
Yep.This was exactly where I ended up at.I believe we have the 'ideal'...what was called 'good' in the beginning.But the evidence is so overwhelming that one has to really try to overlook it to miss it...which is where Ive been on this issue for a very long time.It was sort of funny because this polygamy issue was one of the few that Ive never discussed with either of my mentors...just never came up.I decided about 10 days ago just to give them each a ring and give them a scenario about a modern day polygamist and to my surprise both of these absolutely monogamous men said pretty much the same thing...that polygamy cannot be defined as 'sin'. The both believe in the ideal, of course, but I wonder if (like with myself) that that might be a cultural thing...we all are US citizens. If they both lived where polygamy was common, would they still hold to the ideal or would they be more likely to not even notice polygamy much ?For myself, one wife is enough. The responsibility of a single wife is plenty.But it is simply self deception, in my opinion, to try to create a prohibition where one does not exist and call something God has permitted 'sin'.
 

FoC

New Member
Apr 11, 2008
165
0
0
58
(Hugh McBryde;45901)
When do we admit that if God had opportunity to comment negatively, many many many times over thousands of years, and did not, that he did not because he meant to. Namely, he has nothing to say or he would have said it.This ultimately cannot be "Sad". It has to be admitted that it was God's INTENT.
You are entitled to your view of that point, hugh.MY view is that it is 'sad'.As a great pirate once said...its about what a man can do and what a man cannot do.You can either accept my view as being my view or you cannot.Either way, it IS my view and that it shall remain...
smile.gif
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Ultimately FoC, our points of view are only of interest if someone WANTS to know what we think. I don't care what you think, what I think is unimportant as well. What GOD thinks is important, and I think the jury is in for you. It is now up to you to submit to God fully and admit that Polygyny is part of God's pattern and plan for marriage for us here on Earth.He would not have forced it on occasion through Levirate law, and regulated it in practice with never a discouraging word if it was sad. It's perfectly fine FoC, nothing whatsoever is wrong with it. There is also nothing whatsoever wrong with monogamy, or being single. If you are content to be as you are, able to be as you are, that is a good thing, I applaud you. But if another chooses Polygyny, he is neither "sad" nor "substandard" in God's eyes. Do not look down on what God approves.
 

FoC

New Member
Apr 11, 2008
165
0
0
58
I didnt say I looked down, did I ?You keep inserting ideas into my words as your usual self.I said its 'sad'...and that is my opinion.
smile.gif
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Ok, as my usual self I've still got to ask you why it's sad. If God sees it as marriage, merely another form of marriage, neither better nor worse than any other form, then why is it sad?Otherwise, I'd like an answer to why you think it's worse than monogamy because pretty much that's what your saying.
 

FoC

New Member
Apr 11, 2008
165
0
0
58
(Hugh McBryde;45935)
Ok, as my usual self I've still got to ask you why it's sad. If God sees it as marriage, merely another form of marriage, neither better nor worse than any other form, then why is it sad?Otherwise, I'd like an answer to why you think it's worse than monogamy because pretty much that's what your saying.
You really have a hard time just letting folks feel about something as they do, dont you?Ive conceded the issue as far as the lawfulness of it and that it is not sinful, but my personal opinion about it is something you will just have to learn to cope with, Im afraid.While I may have to explain myself if Im condemning the polygamist, I dont owe you or anyone else any explanation in the matter of *I* where my own emotional stance is concerned.You can either be mature and accept it, or you cannot...either way youve gotten as much as youre going to get from me on this particular point.
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
It's immature to realize that something is completely moral, and then sigh about how sad it makes you. I don't recognize your freedom or mine to feel as we wish about that which God declares to be righteous.This is not like an execution of a killer, which would make us sad in some way. This is perfectly legitimate practice, about which you seem unable to submit to God.
 

FoC

New Member
Apr 11, 2008
165
0
0
58
(Hugh McBryde;45977)
It's immature to realize that something is completely moral, and then sigh about how sad it makes you. I don't recognize your freedom or mine to feel as we wish about that which God declares to be righteous.
And I dont recognize your authority to determine for me how I should feel about the matter.Im also 'sad' that this young betrothed wife from Deut 22 would have been taken to her own fathers doorstep and brutally murdered where her family could watch on horror because she was found to not have been a virgin because her loser husband wasnt a big enough man to get over it.And is that also any of your concern ?
This is not like an execution of a killer, which would make us sad in some way. This is perfectly legitimate practice, about which you seem unable to submit to God.
My submission is in agreeing that no 'sin' is committed.Beyond that I decide for myself how I 'feel' about something.Im beginning to see why it is that I didnt like you in the past.You are incapable of allowing someone the freedom to determine their own emotional state which is something you are in no position to judge.Im guessing this part of your personality shows in your personal life as well ?
 

Hugh McBryde

Member
Mar 5, 2007
56
0
6
69
Montana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
You're free to feel what you want, I can't control it. I can say it's not important and scold you for injecting your sadness into a conversation about what God says.Your feelings show that not ever thought has been made captive FoC, in addition, you maintain a right to be disappointed in God. I find that immature and irrational.
 

Beano

New Member
Feb 7, 2008
60
0
0
60
Ephesians 5:23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.Ephesians 5:28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself Ephesians 5:31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.Verse 23 the man is the headverse 28 the woman is the bodyverse 31 The two become one flesh (one man and one woman)to me one man and one woman is the scriptural way of things in the new covenant. Here in Ephesians God paints a picture of one man and one woman as one Head and one Body. that picture would look rather odd with one Head and Two Bodies or two Bodies and one Head dont you think.Isnt one woman enough trouble for any man!!
smile.gif
Kevin