Evaluating Scriptural Arguments of Polygamy

Evaluating Scriptural Arguments of Polygamy

"Polygamy is authorized by God" (qtd. in Polygamy.net, 1), "Entering into polygamy is committing adultery." Which idea is right? Will there ever be an answer? What does God say about it? Although all three of these questions may seem easy to answer for topics like murder and lying, they are very difficult when it comes to deciphering the polygamy code. Christian organizations have been debating the topic for many years and sometimes it seems as if it is too little avail. Using scripture verses and their interpretations, these groups contend that their side is the absolute truth. On one side, the pro-polygamists believe that the traditions of the men of the New Testament were right in having more than one wife because they were usually blessed with riches and children or for the very least, not condemned. On the other hand, those who oppose to the practice of polygamy believe the Jesus' sanctification allowed for some of the racy traditions of the New Testament to be obliterated. Either way, their interpretations of the Bible provide all the evidential support used to convey their side of the case.

At the heart of the argument is the use of interpretations from scriptures. The pro-polygamy side uses a couple verses to emphasize their point that polygamy was never condemned in the bible. For example, Abraham is considered a man blessed by God and was one of the few that were ever granted a covenant with the LORD himself. For this reason, the authors of the website use his marital history to prove a point. First, the ancestral history of Abraham is given. It is said that Abram was born of Terah, who had at least two concubines (qtd. in Polygamy.net, 1, Gen. 25:6)). In other words, the authors are saying that Abraham was born into a sinful family if polygamy is prohibited. If this statement is true, then the authors of the website challenge the reader to think about why God would chose Abraham to be the "Father of all nations." The second point the website investigates is that Abraham married at least three wives including Sarah, his primary wife by legal distinctions (qtd. in Polygamy.net, 1). Not only did Abraham correspond with his three wives, he actually had his first son by Sarah's handmaid, Hagar (Gen. 16). Finally, the website offers the detail that Abraham was the father of another son, Isaac, who was considered a blessing because he was born of Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17:18-21). For this reason, it can be concluded that Abraham is apart of a "divinely" accepted marriage that God approved of (qtd. in Polygamy.net, 2). In fact, the Bible may provide permission to practice polygamy based on the blessing of Isaac because Abraham was never specifically condemned for his marital choices.

The authors of the website provide a very convincing position concerning polygamy, but after the interpretation of scripture was further investigated I believed that the verses were vague and the conclusions were "fixed" by their beliefs. For example, in the book A Commentary, written by Claus Westermann, the topic of polygamy is only addressed as a "practice that wasn't forbidden." The use of the word practice may indicate that Abraham's polygamist relations may have been a historical or social custom. Because polygamy is widely accepted in the time of Abraham, it could be said that he is just following the traditional roles put forth by his ancestors (Gen. 11:26-27). If this is the case then the argument used by the website may be inconsistent with the interpretation from the commentary because it could be a reason why the bible never mentions it. A common habit would not be of great importance to those who read and use it for worship during the time of the Ancient Near Eastern cultures. This fact, however, does not explain why God never condemned it.

The second truth that could be used to show flaw against the arguments provided by the website, is the fact that polygamy is never mentioned again in either of the commentaries after its initial passage. As the authors of the website pointed out, this could be either a good thing or a bad thing. For instance, the silence could show that polygamy is an accepted practice by God and the authors of both the canon and the commentaries. On the other hand, the silence could be attributed to the fact that the conclusions drawn by the pro-polygamists were taken out of context. For example, it is hard to say that God is in favor of a topic if He never mentions it himself. After reading through the verses in Genesis, I believed that it could go either way because silence is not always a good thing when it comes to illegal activity. I do believe the absence should not allow for conclusions to be drawn based on someone's bias opinion.

However, there was one point that both the commentary and the website could agree on. Walter Brueggemann pointed out that both of Abraham's sons were blessed in their own way and "God is well inclined" towards both of the boys. Not only does he bless the sons of Abraham, but also Abraham himself. Abraham is granted a long, prosperous life and according to my interpretation, God would not give away gifts like these to someone who should be condemned. All in all, I believe that the website did a decent job in using the biblical passages fairly because the interpretation was both supported and inconsistent with the interpretations of the authors of the commentaries.

The second view in the polygamy issue is anti-polygamy. The members of this faction share the common idea that polygamy is a sin because it is a form of adultery, which is specifically prohibited by God. Their interpretation of scriptures comes from the New Testament and is a passage in which Jesus is speaking (Matt. 19:8-9). The verse from Matthew describes Jesus' beliefs on divorce, saying that any man that marries two women would be constituted as an adulterer and not "simply a polygamist" because he is technically "cheating" on his second wife (qtd. in think-tank, 3). The key point the authors call attention to is that if polygamy is acceptable in the Christian world, then the argument put forth by Jesus' message would fall through because "if the first marriage still stands, then a Ð''second' marriage is adultery"(qtd. in .think-tank,3). The Christian Think-tank website further suggests that God speaks of adultery and divorce and seeks to punish those that partake in either. The underlying attribute to the case presented against polygamy is their ability to relate Jesus' dialogue to the fact that adultery