Is Polygamy Morally Wrong

Is Polygamy Morally Wrong

Although polygamy has been around for decades, it has just recently become a hot topic in the news and on the television. The topic blew up in 2008 when Texas Rangers raided the Yearning for Zion Ranch in 2008 and seized 400 children and arrested only three men suspected child abuse. Polygamy continues on as TLC kicks off another season of the reality television show called “Sister Wives” while HBO ends its five year series called “Big Love”. Both series tell the story of polygamous families in the United States. Does the popularity of these shows mean that polygamy is becoming morally acceptable, although illegal, in North America? Should the polygamy banns be lifted or should they stay in effect? Are the laws against polygamy a violation of individual rights or is polygamy a violation to the sanctuary of marriage? Should what is moral and what not moral be determined by cultural relativism?

Identify the Problem

Is polygamy morally sound? Polygamous marriages are recognized civilly in nearly fifty countries, yet North America outlawed all forms of polygamy in the 18th century when the U.S. Supreme Court cites that “polygamy in all its forms is a recipe for social structures that inhibit and ultimately undermine social freedom and democracy” (polygamy. n.d.). Although polygamy is illegal in both the United States and Canada there are an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 men, woman, and children in polygamous households as the laws are not enforced by the government (polygamy. n.d.). Those few cases that have went to court are usually dismissed because the government has a hard time proving that the laws against such practices aren’t a violation to The First Amendment, freedom of religion (Estin, 2009). Some laws are derived from “moral” perspectives but who defines what is morally right or wrong? In some cultures, polygamy is a way of life. Most polygamists do not enter into plural marriages for purely personal reasons, but...