Are polygamy and pedophilia biblically wrong?

McCulloch

The reason that I bring this up is that christians and other religionists use the thin edge of the wedge argument against recognition of same sex marriage. Their argument usually goes something like this, "If we recognize same sex marriage then we will eventually have to allow polygamy and pedophilia." Saving the logical flaws of the thin edge of the wedge argument for another thread, there is an implication that christians believe that polygamy and pedophilia are worse sins than homosexuality.
As a humanist I agree with them on the point about pedophilia. Homosexual relations between consenting adults is a choice which cannot adversly affect anyone else. Pedophila is a crime. Sexual relationships should only be between consenting adults. Children are not capable of giving consent.
As a humanist I am more ambivalent about polygamy (and polyandry) but as a pragmatist, I don't believe that our society is ready for the legal quandary that multi marriages could pose.

What does the Bible say?

Polygamy is taught by example and is never explicitly forbidden. So, is Polygamy right or wrong from the biblical point of view? Can one be as absolute about the answer as bible believers are about homosexuality, which is explicitly condemned in the bible?

Pedophilia does not appear to be addressed directly in the bible. Now I know that sex with our own children is explicitly condemned in the bible. Sex with someone who is not your spouse is explicitly condemned in the bible. And sex with someone who is of the same sex as you are is explicitly condemned in the bible. But does the bible explicitly condemn marriage to a child? I think that we all agree that it should. But does it?Is there any validity to the position of opposing the recognition of same-sex marriages based on one's opposition to pedophilia? Do christians believe that the crime of pedophilia is as bad, worse or not as bad as the sin of homosexuality? Is there any biblical basis for that belief?

Atheist

Christian · Post 12: Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:26 pm Post subject:

Your Genesis chapter 4 quote is not correct, at least it's out of context.

Agnostic · Post 13: Wed Jun 28, 2006 2:18 pm Post subject:

Post 14: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:27 am Post subject: The answers are in the examples

Polygamy is mentioned many times in the bible and there is no negatives mentioned except for basic household rules for running a home with multiple wives. As long as the man can take care of his family and provide for them the bible allows as each case to decide what there own limits should be.

As for pedophilia, the Bible leads by example. Back in the days of the Bible the women generally married young So for a woman of childbearing years to be at home with their father and mother would be a rare thing if she stay very long at all after her first period. Even now in the middle east its not age that says your old enough to marry its when the girl has her first period. Our teacher mentioned justa couple weeks ago that it was in the paper that a girl was married two weeks after she had her first period in a prearranged marriage. The girl had just turned eight. As for some comments that the woman or girl had to be married to have sex. Lot when the townspeople came to his house offered his daughters to the entire crowd for them to have sex with. Since these girls were still at home and unmarried it is a good assumption that they were under the age of their first period, probably 6-11 years old, Lot did this for two reasons, one was to protect his guest which were angels from God, and the second was a custom that urged the host to offer the best he had to a guest at his home. In this case though extreme to us now days was probably not that infrequent at the time for a host to offer his daughter to special guests.

Incest is another story, the Bible contradicts itself in so many places on this. There are many examples of religious and important figures in the Bible having sex with their daughters, even case where the young daughter initiate the sex with the father. On the other hand in some places in the New Testament it says its bad. My personal feeling is that it became morally wrong as alternate to their daughter became more available and easier to find.

So as for me I cannot judge a young girl wrong if she wants an older man even if it is her father or brother. Even as hard as it would be for me to swallow allowing my husband, when I get one, to have another wife I don't think its biblically wrong, I'm just glad its politically illegal.

Christian · Post 16: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:53 pm Post subject:

I'm not sure that the argument you cite is biblically based. Perhaps those that use it are referring to polygamy and pedophilia beacuase they are condemned by society and are deviations from traditional heterosexual monogamy.

The argument is from the lesser to the greater, not lesser in a Biblical sense, but in the eyes of the public.

It also seems to make sense that once we abandon the traditional definition of marriage and sexuality, then how can we prevent the admittance of other deviations.

This includes polygamy. Though many men might not have a problem with it, I am sure women do, and the law currently does.

Post 17: Fri Sep 01, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject: Not necessarily so.

Individualist · Post 18: Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:30 am Post subject:

The Biblical times says, the old testement people who interfeared with children would be tortured and killed (not exactly humane)

The marriage practice in scripture is actually PolyGYNY. A lot of commonplace marriages in Biblical times might have qualified under laws today as child abuse or pedophelia. Discussing these two topics together though, disturbs me.

Hugh McBryde

2006 Most Civil Debater · Post 20: Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:17 pm Post subject:

I think we can safely conclude that polygamy is not Biblically wrong. Even in the New Testament, polygamy is condoned.

For example: