Recently, the TV show Investigative Reports did a show on polygamy in Utah. It was a two-hour show, which gives you an idea of how big a topic it is.
Now, anyone who's read more of this site than just the Attic will probably know that I'm definitely in favor of plural marriages. I've had the Polyamory Awareness and Acceptance Ribbon Campaign going for quite some time now, and have been outspoken here, in the newspaper, and in online petitions about the definition of "family." (There's talk of me being a guest on a radio show on the topic, too, but nothing confirmed, yet.)
But there's a huge difference between the responsible non-monogamy that I support and the polygamy that goes on here. Naturally, that difference centers around religion.
Polygamy, as practiced here, is based on the bible. They point to the multiple wives of ancient kings in God's good graces and see this as an indication that God not only approves of men having many wives, but in fact desires it. For Mormons, this is further encouraged by the writings of Joseph Smith. And though the LDS church under Brigham Young disavowed polygamy (in order for Utah to gain acceptance to the Union and achieve statehood), it is still practiced widely by those who follow one of several "unofficial" Mormon sects.
Now, as I've spoken of before, Judeo-Christian faiths (including Mormonism) are not kind to women. And that is why Mormon polygamy is such a distasteful thing to me. Women are not equal to men, even in the best of these relationships, simply because it is only the male who may have multiple mates. Women can never have more than one husband.
And no matter how benign the household, no matter how much love and respect a Mormon wife receives, she will never be equal to the husband. But then, that's also in accordance with religious teachings. The bible is full of examples of it, and women in polygamist families are clearly understood to be subservient to the husband.
Of course, the big reason people get outraged over polygamy is because of the things the media focuses on. Things like inbreeding, marriage of minors (often against their will), and sexual and/or physical abuse of children. Granted, these are heinous acts and should be prosecuted whenever encountered. But these things happen everywhere, not just in polygamous families.
Should polygamy, in and of itself, be a crime? Absolutely not. The government has no business in dictating who or what constitutes a family. But the inequality inherent in religion-based plural marriages is extremely distasteful, and should stand as yet another example of the detrimental effects of religion.
