I have a personal knowledge of the destructive power of polygamy. I am close friends with people who were brought up in a polygamous religious organization. Mind you, this organization only adopted the doctrine of polygamy about 15 years ago.

Pretty standard I guess for these kinds of sects. One day the “Pastor” declares that “God revealed to him” that he wanted him to marry more than one wife. Then he had his lackeys look up all the scriptures about polygamy and declares that if you don’t believe in polygamy you are going to hell.

Of course, as these closed societies are apt to do, this man already had control of all the money coming into the work. He had conned them into a socialistic mind set that if all the money was given to the church’ he would see that it was distributed as every one had need. All it meant was that he had complete control over ever aspect of their lives. Unwittingly they became indentured servants unable to even leave unless they were willing to leave house, home, family, possessions, without any ability to support themselves.

Already in this short 15 years there are reports of children 10, 11, 12 years old being forced to marry men much older. One girl I know of was forced to marry a man in his late sixties or early seventies.

Here are a couple of testimonials from girls raised in polygamy:

TAMI
“Shortly after T* kicked my husband Randy out, he declared I was to become one of his wives. I resisted. I did not love him. I didn’t even believe in polygamy. I did not want to leave my husband.”
” After his pressuring didn’t work, he hit me where he knew he would get me: If I didn’t marry him, I would go to hell. Something terrible would happen to me. I would die. I would get sick. My daughter would be demon-possessed. “
“On October 15, 1993, I married T* *. He asked me if I wanted to consummate the marriage. I said no.”
” I felt like I was going to vomit. I kept praying for God to deliver me from this mess. “
” I was seventeen. He was sixty-three.”

JODIE
“After hearing him say all this stuff, how I was going to die very shortly and go to hell. I finally told him crying that I lived my life for God and I wanted to do God’s will.
He then made arrangements to take me to Palm Springs to “marry” me. I was terrified and asked to call my mom back in Arkansas. T* told me I could not and he would make sure I never saw my family again unless I “consummated” the marriage. He even threatened to have some of the “brothers” drive me out to the desert and leave me there unless I slept with him. “
“I was dry heaving and couldn’t sleep for days. I would cry the whole time. “
“T* was very careful when he took me for a wife. He didn’t want the church to know because the idea of polygamy wasn’t accepted by his following yet.”
” He then told me about Lizzy and because she was so small, it took her three days for him to break her in. “

I know that it is very easy to liaise-fare about polygamy when it has no real affect on you personally. As men we can even fancy the idea. Our egos latch onto it. Maybe that’s not so bad. When it starts to hit close to home with a sister, or a daughter, or just someone you know, you begin see and understand the devastating effects it has on women. It becomes much more than just an intellectual exercise.

Another thing people seem to forget. Polygamy is against the law in the United States! These laws are there to protect the Constitutional rights of women and children. Their rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness, have been stripped from them. They have become no more than status symbols. Real life is not a “Big Love” T. V. show.

The reality is if you are not the favorite wife’ you often times do without and your children are neglected. If by chance you have a daughter she may well be given to someone that the husband wants to form a business relationship with. This is the norm and not the exception.

Look at every society were polygamy is the norm and there is rampant spouse abuse as well as child abuse.

Do you think that women would be forced in wear heavy birkas in sweltering weather in a society that gave was not polygamous? I don’t! They spent their lives as prisoners. They know that if even an ankle shows they may be beat by any sadistic man who wants to. They are considered as chattel. Lower than a horse or an ox.

There are some things that should not be given the dignity of a debate. We as a civilized nation would not debate whether slavery should be legalized. We would not debate whether the holocaust happened. Polygamy is one of these issues. It is illegal. This is not a freedom of religion issue. It is a child abuse issue and should not be given the dignity of debate.

Also see: http://hubpages.com/hub/Should-Polygamy-Be-Legalized-in-the-United-States-Yes-or-No