Recently, an Australian Islamic leader has announced that polygamous marriages should be legalized by the Australian government. Keysar Trad from the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia said that polygamous relationships should be recognized to make things safer for Muslim women.
He said, “If this woman has wilfully chosen to enter into this relationship and make a lifelong commitment to this person to be married, it shouldn’t matter.”
It would protect the woman as the man would not have any reason not to marry her just because of “I can’t marry you since I’m already married to another woman or “I can’t take you as my wife because I’m not allowed to take a second wife.”
He added that it would not be acceptable for women to take more than one husband but it should be acceptable for men to take more than one wife.
Those who support the practice of polygamy argued that it should be legally valid in order to reduce the number of affairs and men who visit prostitutes because “they do it anyway”
Well, I don’t agree with this polygamy issue. Having more than one spouse does not guarantee fidelity. If you take one wife and you think you will be satisfied when you take a second wife, it is nonsense! You will be tempted to take a third or more wives.
And what kind of protection given to women? Who would want to share her husband with another woman? Is there any woman who willingly accept the fact that her husband is sharing a bed with other women?
Legalizing polygamy won’t make things better. It could even increase infidelity.
Every woman is dreaming to have a one woman man. And every man is eager to have a one man woman as well. It satisfies God’s law on marriage: one husband, for one wife, for life.
I’m not sure about the practice in other religions, but based on Catholic teachings, I don’t support polygamy.
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” [Genesis 2:18]
“Each man should have his own wife (singular word), and each woman her own husband (singular word) [I Corinthians 7:2]
“that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” [Matthew 19:4-6 and Genesis 2:24]
God defines marriage as a man leaving his father and mother and uniting to his wife, so when a man first marries a woman, he leaves his parent’s authority. Once he leaves the household, he cannot leave the household twice! If he does so, it will be against the Bible passage.
When two people are married they are tied together for life; they are bound together until death parts them [Matthew 19:5-6]. Marriage is binding until one of the persons involved dies [1 Cor 7:39]
“For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.” [Romans 7:2-3]
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” [Matthew 19:9]
Therefore, God gives us only two circumstances where a man can marry another woman: (1) if his wife dies or (2) if his wife commits adultery.
It is obvious that Catholic marriages is permanent and exclusive (monogamous). In addition, having more than one wife won’t solve any problems, instead it will definately add more problems: more wives, more troubles which might lead to a disaster.
Don’t risk your household!
For those reasons, I won’t support polygamous marriages to be legalized in Australia, Indonesia or any other countries.
