My wife watches a TV show having this title. The basic premise seems to be about a group of young adults who have left their polygamous homes and aid others still "imprisoned" thusly in "escaping". Evidently the "dues" paid for attempting to leave home under such circumstances are harsh, and fear often prevents dissidence. Most of the sect are followers of Warren Jeffs, spiritual leader of the FLDS, Fundamental Latter Day Saints, whom they regard as being sent to them by God. Jeffs is in prison in Texas, convicted of 'marrying" underage girls. FLDS is said to have about 10,000 members. The LDS Church, though now publicly against polygamy, I suspect tries to "look the other way" unofficially, since polygamy was one of their early founding tenets. The show looks highly dramatized, IMO. Still, it is taped "on-location", supposedly, largely in Utah and Arizona. At least the scenery is beautiful! Here are my questions, imponderable though they may be. Knowing polygamy, marriage of one man to many women, is illegal in most places, what of the LDS marriages taking place outside of official jurisdiction? Are they really "marriages"? Suppose a man of legal age cohabits with a number of legal-aged women, all of whom are concensual, but no marriage was performed, are they guilty of polygamy legally? Could that be prosecuted as such? Way I see it, the women in these FLDS supported groups are seemingly adequately brainwashed, perhaps by fear of God, or otherwise, to accept life like automatons. There is never any in-fighting implied, nor jealousy as would be expected of such a set-up. @Patsy Faye I wonder if this program is aired in UK? Just seeking opinion........ Frank
Not this particular programme but have seen a couple on the same lines I wouldn't watch anymore of them as it just irritates me too much I agree they are brainwashed but why and how ? It could never happen to me, so are these women brain inadequate ? Is it that they can't face life on their own ? I just find the whole thing baffling as I do with Scientology and the like The world is a baffling, confusing mix of people that I will never understand
That particular show is highly scripted... However in answer to your question,, yes indeed a man can be prosecuted and in fact imprisoned for having 4 wives ( albeit that he's only legally married to one)... There's a show called Sister Wives, where Cody Brown an ex member of the LDS church but still a Mormon, is ''married '' to 4 women.. he had to escape in the middle of the night from Utah with all of his wives and children after police were preparing to arrest him. He now lives in Vegas, where apparently no-one gives a monkeys' how they live, although not exactly legal, they're left alone. In the current season they're getting ready to move again after 6 years to Flagstaff Arizona.. but still with no idea whether they will be safe from prosecution. The 'wives'' are certainly not brainwashed in any way. They're intelligent woman, with their own minds, ( although I don't condone that way of life ).. they seem to be very content, and Cody certainly is not the head of the household much less someone who is Brainwashing the women.
Just as an opener, I have said to multiple congregations that Solomon was NOT the wisest man who ever lived. Beyond physical limitations, every man has the capability to sire multiple children with multiple women but NO man can meet all of the expectations that are required to be a husband and father of multiple children with multiple wives. I can’t really answer all the why’s of why polygamy is gaining popularity other than the sexual and fantasy connotations that come to mind so any input by me on the subject would be purely opinion and with no scientific backing involved. People can cite all of the supposed Biblical scripture and examples they wish but Romans 13:1-3 still comes to mind which gives a lot of power to the law of the land. All that said, a polygamous marriage is illegal in all of our states but it simply isn’t prosecuted unless there are other illegal entities involved such as statutory rape. If someone says they are married in a polygamous setting, it isn’t recognized by law and like same sex marriages (in most states) there can be no financial claims made such as social security benefits to a survivor. Now, whether or not a state licensed person officiating at a marriage between two consenting adults and with the knowledge that there are multiple wives involved can be prosecuted by law is another question altogether. It would seem that the “enabler” of a polygamous situation would share much of the guilt involved with an illegal marriage. The other question proposed is whether or not people can live together in a polygamous situation and I guess in the secular world the answer would be yes but in a no frills Christian society it’s a no brainer. No. Note: A “no frills” Christian society is one which does not do the “pick and choose” method between scriptures in order to give the basis for the legitimacy of their actions however unacceptable those actions might be. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has feathers like a duck, it’s a duck.
Due to the fact that multiple marriages are not recognized, any wives beyond the first one are considered to be single mothers, entitled to all of the benefits available to single mothers. FLDS members did quite well by this, from what I have read.
That’s certainly something I didn’t think about. Isn’t it rather hypocritical to say on one hand that one is married into a polygamous situation but on the other to claim a totally opposite stance so as to glean some financial gain? No matter what I may think about how someone lives their life, I have a lot of respect for those folks who stand by their convictions but none at all for those who are simply playing ping-pong.
Yes, it does to me, but that was apparently common, according to a book written by one of Jeffers' male children. He also said it was common for boys to be run out of the community when they became men, since polygamy only works when there are far more women than men.
As I understand it, Utah had to outlaw polygamy prior to joining the Union, but many Mormons believed it was an illegal imposition upon their religious beliefs and covered by the First Amendment. Polyandry (multiple husbands) was traditional in Tibet as I understand it prior to the Chinese invasion, and both polyandry and polygamy were practiced among the Eskimos traditionally, but only among exceptional individuals who could satisfy the needs of multiple partners, and in the stone-age society of the Inuit, those were very rare in either gender. I think polygamy was originally practiced most commonly because there were "surplus" women, due to the fact that thousands of men could be slaughtered in a single battle. I don't see how that applies today.
@Holly Saunders My wife watches that one too. I've looked in, and have decided Cody looks and acts like a jerk. Frank
I don't think the question has been addressed of whether a bunch of women living with a guy, no marriage involved, can be considered polygamous under the law. What if they are all "room-mates? Frank
Funny you should say that because on the odd occasion my husband has watched just a few minutes of it, he came to the same conclusion as you...