The Biggest Cons of Polygamy

For most of us, we have always been taught from a young age that a normal relationship should be between two people only. Anything beyond that is no longer considered healthy. That is called, “polygamy”.

Polygamy is the practice of having two or more partners, whether sexually or not. There are two kinds of polygamy: polygyny (a man having an affair with more than one woman) and polyandry (a woman in a relationship with more than one man). Although such state is shunned by many, it has existed for thousands of years now in various cultures around the world. In fact, having relationships with more than one partner at the same time has been condone in the original scriptures of various faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism and many more. For example, it was stated in the Bible that Solomon had as many as 700 wives.

However, polygamy became controversial in America, specifically the among the Mormon fundamentalists. Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, approved polygamy in the 1840s. But in 1896, leaders in Utah, where the Mormon faith was born, were forced to abandon such practice in exchange for statehood. It later became felonious, yet was not prosecuted at all times.

To this day, plural marriages are still legal in several Muslim countries. Muslim men can have as many as four wives at the same time as long as he can provide for all of them. Some parts in western Africa have polygamous unions, too. And despite being considered a federal crime in the United States in 1862 and outlawed by the Mormon Church, there is still around 25,000 Americans who are currently in a relationship with several partners, though these unions are not recognized and supported by the law.

List of Cons of Polygamy

1. It can be the cause for abuse of power.
In any household, the man is always the head of the family. He has the power to make the necessary decisions in the household. This can be a cause for abuse of power. The man might think that he can be unfair to his wives just because they have consent over the relationship.

2. It brings jealousy.
Jealousy can naturally occur in any household, which could be magnified in a house with more than one wife. This can affect the entire clan, causing misunderstandings and other problems that can make a house chaotic. Favoritism among your children can also cause jealousy and emotional distress.

3. It could prevent a person from spending quality time.
If a polygamous marriage has lots of children, the head of the household might not have enough time to spend with them. Of course, bonding with each of your kids is important to keep a healthy relationship with them. But if you have lots of children, you might not be able to spend a long time to be with each of them. This can also cause problems in the long run, especially when it comes to the younger ones’ emotional development.

4. It can lead to abuse.
Women may feel powerless in this type of union, while men act like they are in control of everything. This leads the wives to becoming more submissive to their husband fearing that they might be replaced with a new wife.

5. It could make women feel neglected.
In this type of union, the husband will need to fulfill his responsibilities to each wife. One of the wives could the get hurt, especially when the man in the house brings in a new wife.

6. It affects the children most.
Kids may find it difficult to grasp why their family is different from other families. Other children might tease them for having more than one mother in their house.