Have You Been Watching HBO's New Series "Big Love"?

The characters are interesting, funny, complicated. Several sub-plots are developing... and the relationship between the Bill's three wives is definitely stressful, competitive, and filled with jealousy.

It's a very interesting look at the different aspects of Mormon life and Mormon beliefs (from the mainstream LDS to the splinter break-away groups).

But I wonder... even though the life of a polygamist would be challenging... as long as everyone is open about it and as long as all the spouses know about each other... WHY SHOULD THIS BE A FELONY?

I think it's nobody's business if someone has three wives (as is portrayed in the show "Big Love") and if that's what they want, then the state should just BUTT OUT. --- Even so... at the very worst, why is it a crime punishable by imprisonment?

Why isn't polygamy merely "illegal" to the extent that the first marriage takes precedence over the others and any subsequent marriages are simply null and void?

Those Mormons are certainly an interesting group.

Didn't know about this series, sounds worth checking out.
Thanks for the info.

You might want to do a bit of research into polygamy before making those statements.

A man having many wives at least in the case of LDS is causing incest, pedophilia (girls married to their uncles at 12), forced marriage, poverty, religious misinterpretation and mysonginy.

It is one thing to say "a marriage contract can be from 1 to 1 or 1 to many, I don't care" and another to actually see the pratice of polygamy in Utah (and in other places) ruining the lives of so many women.

The television show you're watching ins't quite the correct picture of polygamy. Here are some real life cases:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/15/national/main606473.shtml

(book review) http://www.culticstudiesreview.org/csr_bkreviews/bkrev_godsbrothel.htm

(book review) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1888106743/ref=sid_dp_dp/102-0406716-1220143?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

to the nth degree. It goes beyond an open marriage concept into a human slavery society, where the men are sultans and the women are their harems.

Perhaps in abstract, having more than one wife would be fine, but in practice, the only societies willing to adopt it are those who wish to subjugate women.

... with his minions to "handle" the books and to intimidate those who don't bend to his will. He's a pretty scary character.

one of the elders of a splinter group (living in some sort of compound).

That's pedophilia and indeed that's horrible. Perhaps there are polygamists who engage in pedophilia and incest... but polygamy itself is not pedophilia, and it's not incest.

Are you also in favor of outlawing traditional marriage because it leads to wife-beating? It can also lead infidelity... and divorce... and leaving women with no credit, no money, and no place to live. :eyes:

to accuse the other poster of wanting to outlaw traditional marriage is over the top and unwarranted. They're pointing out the reality vs. the tv show, and YOU"RE attacking THEM?

er...ok.

<< to accuse the other poster of wanting to outlaw traditional marriage is over the top and unwarranted. >>

I've made no such "accusation". I asked a question using the same slipper-slope-it-naturally-follows-one-is-the-cause-of-the-other type of logic that the previous poster was suggesting.

Here's what I really said: "Are you also in favor of outlawing traditional marriage because it leads to wife-beating?"

<< They're pointing out the reality vs. the tv show, and YOU"RE attacking THEM? >>

Attacking? Really? -- Give me a break! Talk about "overreacting"... take a look in the mirror, big guy.

<< er...ok. >>

:eyes:

face on polygamy. I am glad it is showing the crazy fringe of the Mormons as well. I have a very good friend who is Mormon which after many years of close friendship, I still cannot understand. I frequently tell her she is nuts and she just laughs and says she is not like most mormons, but in the "liberal" minority.

Nevertheless, she will not leave and spends unbelievable amounts of time doing church business.

A smarter, funnier, kinder person you could not meet - also a Democrat - go figure. She doesn't get HBO, so haven't even asked her if she has seen it.

I remember when that girl disappeared in Utah - I predicted that to her that probably some crazed fundie thought she would make a good wife. I forgot about it, but when they got the guy, she called me to remind me of my prediction and laughed about the fact that I, a relative heathen, had guessed right and that she, a Mormon, had not.

So far, I am sorely disappointed.

Not a single bare female nipple yet.

Just one shot of the guy's naked ass at least once per episode.

He's got a nice ass, but that's not my thing.

Titties.

I want to see titties.

I've wasted three hours of my life that I will never get back waiting to see titties.

What good is a series about polygamy without titties?

Come on, HBO.

... on at least two occasions. Give it time... I imagine there'll be some titty shots eventually. :thumbsup:

You are subscribing to the wrong channel. Showtime + L Word = TITTIES!

it takes an old societal structure, and then creates humor by updating it to modern suburban situations. Polygamists and Mafiosi as soccer moms and dads.

I find it mildly interesting at best, and I do think of it as an apology for polygamy.

In practice, it's been horrible with underage marriages, women intentionally kept in the dark and financially imprisoned. Nasty crap. Saw a documentary not long ago reinforcing that reality.

But in theory, I'm big into the "let consenting adults do what they want" line of thinking. If everyone enters into the agreement fully informed and willingly, I really can't think of an objective reason why they should be prohibited from doing so. And yes, women should be able to take multiple husbands, too.