POLYGAMY – AN OFFENCE?

This is an issue that has generated some heat. Some religions like Islam do not frown at polygamy. For Christians, some say its not biblical, others say its allowed as several great kings in the bible were polygamous and its only for priests/bishops or ministers of God who can not multiply wives.

If priests/ bishops or ministers of God can not multiply wives, it generally means that anyone who aspires to work in the Lord’s vineyard as a priest/bishop/deacon/etc must not for any reason have more than one wife.

Apart from the two religious viewpoints, I know as a woman, that women do not like rivals. The first wife does not want the husband to take another woman as wife and the new wife does not like the old wife and would rather be the only one or the apple of the husband’s eye. I have had one on one discussions with women who found themselves in polygamous marriages. Even those with strict religious upbringing, have to put up with it. Should a 1^st wife walk out of marriage because her husband took another wife and it does not go with her Christian beliefs? Is the 2^nd/other wife an invader/home-breaker? Is it just that the men are insatiable, greedy or intolerant? My paternal grandfather had 4 wives. That’s not even the irony. He was a catholic as I was made to understand. Is it just too much money and lack of self control?

Who does polygamy really offend? God? The women? Their children? All of the above? Is it a sin against God or a man made sin due to other issues/squabbles in the home? Is it due to our own weaknesses like lust and self-righteousness by condemning others? Is a polygamous man accepted before God even if he’s not a priest/bishop etc?