Making the Right Choice Towards the Issue on Polygamy - Research Paper Example

?Making the Right Choice Toward the Issues on Polygamy: Is it a Religious Right or a Criminal Act? People have varied interpretations of what is rightful or wrongful. What is right for one can become wrong in the eyes of another. Oftentimes, religion plays a key role unto how the individual makes choices and judgments in a certain situation. One debatable issue that most religions have been arguing about since then is the issue on polygamy. What is polygamy? Why did it receive such an overwhelming attention from critics of different races and religious beliefs? Polygamy refers to an act of a man or woman having more than a single wife or husband at one time, with the consent of the original or previous husband or wife (Burrill 146). In other words, an individual will undergo marriage to another individual with knowledge that one of them is already married. A man having two or more wives is called polygyny while a woman having more than one husband is called polyandry (Selverstone 216). When talking about religious beliefs, the issues of faith, principles, and morality are being dragged into the center of everything. Tension usually arises when religions argue about matters that question their stand on ethicality. The issue on the continued practice of polygamy is only one of the many unresolved concerns of the various religions existing in this world, yet, it has remained unclear whether it will be accepted as a religious right or converted to a criminal act. To some people, this practice is acceptable to the moral laws of God even pointing to it as a part of his commands to humankind. On the other hand, there are people who strongly disagree with it, referring to it as something, which is undeniably immoral and out of sanity. At one point, some people may think that the right of their religion to express their faith is violated when polygamy is criticized. In other respects, there are those people who affirm the abolishment of this practice, condemning it as an act that is not only against the laws of the court but also the laws of God. All these reactions show how divided the world is when it comes to issues that involve the family, most especially when it already takes into account their religious beliefs and principles in life. American Mormons, at some point, practiced polygamy, in spite of their knowledge that this practice is illegal in the country and in other countries, as well (Zeitzen 7). They are open to the idea of having more than a single wife or husband living in a single roof, sharing their intimate moments alternately with their partners every single day of their lives. With this kind of setting, many people wonder if the multiple number wives or husbands feel jealousy because it seems that they have already rejected this emotion and replaced it with the belief that what they are doing is right--that there is nothing wrong with marrying a man or a woman who already has two or three existing wives or husbands. However, some Mormons are denying the allegation that they still do practice polygamy in recent times. Although they have not admitted its practice, still they have not rejected the idea that polygamy is acceptable as written in the book of Mormon. Other than the American Mormons, polygamy is also being practiced by those people under the religion Islam. Muslims practice polygamy (polygyny), but it is limited only to the male members of their religion. Hence, women are not permitted to marry more than one man, and they are to respect this commandment or else they will be bound to suffer the consequences. According to the Qur'an, which is the holy book of the Muslims, the male members of their religion are allowed to marry more than one woman, but this will depend on the given conditions (Joseph and Najmabadi 248). The two circumstances when a Muslim man may commit polygamy are only during times of social hardship or for humanitarian purposes (Joseph and Najmabadi 248). Catholics consider marriage as one of its seven sacraments, a once in a lifetime dream event of a man or woman who falls in love (not unless death will do separate a couple, then marriage to another man or woman is impossible). In the Catholic religion, entering into the sacrament of marriage is one decision in life that has to be thought of a million times because once a couple has tied the knot in the eyes of the church and in front of God, then that is equivalent to making a promise of a never-ending love that will last a lifetime. To them marriage is a decision between two persons, a man and woman who have not engaged in any marriage before. In other words, Catholics do not agree with the idea of polygamy, and they have long been condemning this act ever since it existed in the society. Members of the Catholic Church consider polygamy as a violation to God's law (Baker 343). Catholics will never consider it rightful in whatever way the other religions justify its purpose. To them marriage is sacred, and entering into another marriage while there exists the previous one is an act that is immoral and unjustifiable. Figure 1 - Chart of rules that some families are challenging the law to accept, one of which is polygamy Source: (Eskridge 292) No binariness No gendered assumptions assumptions Reform for marriage Polygamy Same-sex Marriage Not yet, open in the future Not yet, yes for future Reform for childbearing Polyparents Second-parent Adoption Unclear, open in the future On the way to yes People have their own interpretation of what is moral or immoral. Maybe to some individuals polygamy does not violate any law, and they even find fulfillment whenever they commit themselves in a polygamous marriage. However, in this kind of setting, the ones who will suffer the consequences are the children. If they are bound to live at a home where their father has two other wives, then it will have an effect on their psychological well-being, which can lead them to confusion and worst to long-term emotional instability. It is as if the children are being deprived of living a normal life that they deserve only for the reason that their parents have chosen to settle down through a polygamous marriage. If polygamy will not be criminalized, the children that are born out of a polygamous marriage are the ones who will be profoundly affected. It may be rightful to others, but personally speaking it will be much better if polygamy will be criminalized, not for the sake of removing the rights of the other religions, but for the children. Children deserve to be treated fair, and they are worthy of living a normal life that will keep them away from the criticisms of people living in this overly judgmental society. References Baker, Kenneth. Fundamentals of Catholicism, Volume 3. New York: Ignatius Press, 1983. Print.  Burrill, Alexander M. A New Law Dictionary and Glossary: Containing Full Definitions of the Principal Terms of the Common and Civil Law: Together with Translations and Explanations of the Various Technical Phrases in Different Languages, Occcuring in the Ancient and Modern Reports and Standard Treatises: Embracing Also All the Principal Common and Civil Law Maxims Compiled on the Basic Spelman's Glossary, and Adapted to the Jurisprudence of the United States: The Copious Illustrations, Critical and Historical. New Jersey: The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2008. Print. Eskridge, William N. Gaylaw: Challenging the Apartheid of the Closet. Massachussetts: Harvard University Press, 2002. Print. Joseph, Suad, and Afsaneh Najmabadi. Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures: Family, Body, Sexuality and Health. Masachussetts: Brill, 2006. Print. Selverstone, Harriet S. Encouraging and Supporting Student Inquiry: Researching Controversial Issues. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited/Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 2007. Print. Zeitzen, Miriam K. Polygamy: A Cross Cultural Analysis. New York: Berg, 2008. Print. Appendix A Video Link: Polygamy and Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLGxc3j18ME Appendix B News Article The Tragic Stories of Children of Polygamy BY LIFESITENEWS.COM Fri May 30, 2008 11:15 EST By Pete Vere May 30, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Texas law enforcement authorities removed 416 children from a fundamentalist Mormon compound after receiving a phone call alleging sexual and physical abuse. While information has since surfaced to suggest that the phone call was hoax, Texas child-protection services continue their investigation. The children are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." The FLDS is one of the most well-known polygamous offshoots of the Mormon movement. Its leader, Warren Jeffs, has frequently been in the news over the past couple years, first when the FBI added him to its Ten Most Wanted list and secondly when a Utah state court convicted him of twice being an accomplice to rape. The sect extends into Canada, where it runs a commune in Bountiful, B.C. Yet, the B.C. government fears following in the footsteps of its Texas counterpart. With the passage of Canada’s same-sex “marriage” legislation, B.C. officials are concerned any action against the commune would lead to the courts declaring anti-polygamy laws unconstitutional. Yet, as Texas courts decide whether to return the children or place them in foster care, several former FLDS members have stepped forward and said the sect’s polygamous practices are harmful to women and children. Rena and Kathleen Mackert are sisters who were born into the FLDS. The women spoke to The Interim through Tapestry Against Polygamy (Polygamy.org), a Utah-based organization that helps adults and children leaving polygamous relationships. Tapestry spokeswoman Roweena Erickson, a refugee from another polygamous sect, said the sisters’ experience is common to that of women and children raised in polygamous organizations. “I was severely beaten as a child,” Rena said, “and my father sexually abused me from the time I was three-and-a-half yearold.” Kathleen recalls trying to commit suicide when she was six. “To me, as a six-year-old, I would rather end that life I was trapped in,” she said. “I felt I was being raised as a slave in modern-day America.”The FLDS forced Kathleen to marry her step-brother when she was a teenager. The marriage only added to her emotional turmoil. “One day, he’s your brother and the next day, he’s your husband,” she said. Additionally, she would break down emotionally whenever a man admired her beauty, because the compliment triggered memories of her father’s words whenever he sexually molested her. Rena was also forced to marry a step-brother as a teenager. The marriage was loveless, she said. Shortly before the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary, Rena’s husband abandoned polygamy, Rena and the couple’s three children. The FLDS then ordered Rena to marry another sister’s husband. She refused. She was in her early 20s, while the man was close to 60. While being taken to task by the FLDS leader for her disobedience, she denounced her father for having sexually molested her as a child. The leader excommunicated her.“They took my children away, placed them with my father and mother and told (the children) I had abandoned them,” Rena said. The FLDS forbade any contact between Rena and her children. They would be whisked away whenever Rena tried to visit. Yet Rena’s biggest concern was that her children were now under the care of her father, who had physically and sexually abused her as a child. Rena’s children were returned a year later after a chance encounter with an attorney at the restaurant where she worked. Yet, Rena’s plight is common to most vulnerable adults and children who are born into polygamous sects and then try to leave. They have nobody to turn to, as they are not permitted to socialize outside of their sect. Additionally, poor education and few job skills limit employment opportunities in the real world. And because these polygamous groups operate secretively and little is known about the particulars of their inner workings, finding a qualified therapist is difficult. The children seized in Texas will need a lot of support, Rena said. “Most believe they’re condemned to hell. Many will end up alcoholics, drug addicts, strippers, prostitutes, criminals and prisoners.” Polygamy has this effect on teenagers, because girls are seen mainly as sex objects, while boys are seen by older men as competition for the girls. Often referred to as the “lost boys of polygamy,” many polygamous sects excommunicate large numbers of their teenage boys for the most trivial infractions. Once excommunicated, the boys are left on the street without any financial or emotional support. The girls are then given as wives to men as old as 70 years of age. “Many of the lost boys have been sexually molested and don’t know how to relate to other people,” Rena said. “Many commit suicide.” This raises another difficulty faced by Rena, Kathleen and others who have escaped polygamy: the lack of a father figure while growing up makes it difficult to identify with a father. Both Rena and Kathleen hope that in the debate over polygamy and its effects upon women and children, the state of Texas will not allow themselves to be drawn into a debate over religion. “This has nothing to do with faith,” Kathleen said. “This is about children being abused.” Read More