Is Polygamy a thing where you live?

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
I have been watching the fictional show - Big Love - set in the US.
There is a lot of deception required to hide from society and the law.
Polygamy is illegal in most countries?
 

I'm sure there's many people in the UK living with more than one 'wife'' but not legally married to more than one..

Where I used to work when I was in my early 20's there was a really ugly guy there in his 40s or 50's.. , who had 2 'wives'' both worked at our place.. both of them as ugly as him,.. but one was only 19...
 

Bretrick said:
Is Polygamy a thing where you live?
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No, polygamy isn't a thing where I live. For most people one spouse is enough. Although it exists in certain parts of the USA, it's not legal.
Bretrick said:
I have been watching the fictional show - Big Love - set in the US.
There is a lot of deception required to hide from society and the law.
Polygamy is illegal in most countries?
Click to expand...

I've never watched "Big Love". All I can envision is "Big Headache". 😵‍💫

Polygamy is rare around the world and mostly confined to a few regions > https://www.pewresearch.org/short-r...e-world-and-mostly-confined-to-a-few-regions/

Countries Where Polygamy Is Legal 2023 > https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-where-polygamy-is-legal
 
Bretrick said:
I have been watching the fictional show - Big Love - set in the US.
There is a lot of deception required to hide from society and the law.
Polygamy is illegal in most countries?
Click to expand...
I've never seen the show and never plan to. It sounds like that would be bringing in a lot of misery and unhappiness that isn't mine. That's the same reason I don't watch soap operas in the afternoon. Are they still on and still called soap operas?

So far as I know there's no polygamy in my area. I guess in this age I would have to wonder why a man would want to support multiple wives when he can have multiple hookups for free. 🤷‍♀️
 
Myrtle said:
I've never seen the show and never plan to. It sounds like that would be bringing in a lot of misery and unhappiness that isn't mine. That's the same reason I don't watch soap operas in the afternoon. Are they still on and still called soap operas?

🤷‍♀️
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in the UK they are still on, but mostly at prime time evening slots. Very popular in the UK ( not for me, I hate soaps).. but they are now called Continuing Dramas
 
I do not think they call it as polygamy ..... heard of it referred to as throuples ......
can be many combos 1 women 2 men or 1 man /2 women etc......
think they are generally short lived as sooner or later there would be a odd person out as two seem closer ....
 
Bretrick said:
Is Polygamy a thing where you live?
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Yep, Utah is famous for it. Mostly due to our Mormon heritage. See Mormonism and polygamy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_polygamy

The mainstream church has outlawed polygamy since 1890, it will get you excommunicated. However that has not stopped lots of Mormon church spinoffs from practicing it. Polygamy is illegal here, however the law is usually only enforced when other issues are at play. Underaged women being force or coerced into these marriages is a big one. Polygamy has recently been dropped from felony to misdemeanor in Utah.
Bretrick said:
I have been watching the fictional show - Big Love - set in the US.
Click to expand...
Good show, and though fictional it does show how some of the better polygamists live. Things get much worse, and they do show some of that. A lot of the interaction with the Mormons portrayed on the show are very accurate, whoever wrote it knew the Utah Mormon/Polygamous culture very well.
Bretrick said:
There is a lot of deception required to hide from society and the law.
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The family in the show do try to hide it, and some polygamists do, but not all. Just advertising the fact you are polygamous won't get you arrested, you have to do something else.

The problem of abuse of young women is well known. Less know is what happens to a lot of the young men. To maintain polygamy you have to get rid of a lot of them. Some are pushed out, some just dumped on the street. That was the story of the main character in Big Love.

A friend from High School is married to a lawyer who specializes in defending polygamists. He has some really wild stories...

Sons of Perdition is a good documentary about some of those "lost boys".

 
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I read this book a few years ago.

New York Times bestselling author Tarryn Fisher delivers a pulse-pounding, fast-paced suspense novel that will leave you breathless. A thriller you won’t be able to put down!

Thursday’s husband, Seth, has two other wives. She’s never met them, and she doesn’t know anything about them. She agreed to this unusual arrangement because she’s so crazy about him.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43262893-the-wives
 
fuzzybuddy said:
One thing about those, who espouse polygamy. Males and females are born roughly equal in numbers. Say 10 guys have 5 wives a piece- that's 50 women, but that's also 50 guys, who don't have any wives??????????
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I read a couple of books about women raised in, stuck in and abused in the FLDS and in polygamy. Apparently, the males, unless they are favored in some way are disposable because all these lecherous, usually older, men want those young women. Some of them underage. The boys may be kicked out of the house as teenagers. It's really messed up.
 
The question was asked about how a man would support several "wives".

Answer: Though they are all considered "wives" in the FLDS community, they're considered "single mothers" by the state.....thus eligible for welfare, foodstuffs, etc.

I saw a TV show about this. A very high percentage of the women in this one FLDS community were pulling down a decent amount of help from the state because, technically, they weren't married.
 
Mitch86 said:
Islam allows one man to have up to four wives.
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Yep - Had a friend from Teran, he told me there are mullahs who run short term marriage places. You can go in and, for a fee, quickly get married to one of the ladies working there, then after an hour or so get it dissolved. All Ayatollah approved. They call it a "sigheh", we have other words for it.

Sigheh: A religiously sanctioned legalization of prostitution

Sigheh is legal according to Iranian Civil Law article 1075. Men/boys aged 15 and older and women/girls aged 13 and older can enter into such a relationship. Usually, according to Iranian tradition, virgin girls must obtain permission from their father to marry permanently or temporarily, but according to the Iranian Civil Law Articles 1043 and 1044, girls can obtain permission to become a sigheh wife by simply identifying their husband-to-be by name and providing details about their relationship such as the value of the mehrieh (dowry) and proposed length of the marriage.

A sigheh can last for one hour, a few days, a few months or longer. The couple can sever this relationship without a legal divorce according to Iranian Civil Law Article 1113. A contract for a sigheh does not make the man responsible for financially supporting the woman. She has no right to inheritance or similar rights that women have in a permanent marriage.

Temporary marriage in Iran and women's rights​

https://www.mei.edu/publications/temporary-marriage-iran-and-womens-rights
 
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In years past, it was a common practice I guess, because there weren't that many opportunities for women, and it was better than other alternatives. I don't know how much of the Old Testament is true, but it is said that Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others all had multiple wives. I think Solomon was supposed to have 700 wives and 300 Concubines. But alas, it didn't end well for him.
In today's world, women have many more choices, and except in rare cases, I would think that wouldn't be an acceptable arrangement. I suppose if you had the right mix of people, who weren't the jealous or possessive type, perhaps they could make it work (Albeit outside of public scrutiny). I guess to each his own, but it sounds like a recipe for trouble to me.
 
Remy said:
@Alligatorob Yes, thank you for posting that. Lost Boys. I couldn't think of it. It has to be so hard. They are very conditioned. Then they have to try and go out and make it. Some do, and I'll bet some don't. Super, super sad.
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It really is, they have very little education and no exposure to the outside world. Just dumped on the streets. Many have never heard of Europe and the like.
 
Mitch86 said:
By the way, many wealthy men usually have several mistresses in addition to the one wife.
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Until the wife finds out, then he's gonna need a shield as big as King Arthur's to cover his *ss.
On the other hand, maybe she won't care because she's playing hide the baloney with her personal trainer.
 

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