Monogamy predates humans, and certainly as a marriage system predated Christ, although the Romans normalised it as a legal contract in their later empire. Augustine discussed the idea of marriage as religious, seeking to reconcile the contradictory demands of the desiring body and the aspiring soul, although the sacrament of holy matrimony as a 3 way contract between man, woman and God was not introduced by the Catholic Church for several centuries. The Protestant Reformation reestablished it as a 2 way contract.

I think that in pagan Rome marriage was considered as holy.

Bigamy and polygamy are prohibited in Christianity due that God created for Adam just one woman which is Eve. Also, Christ told Jews about the possibility of divorcing their wives that "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," and said them :" Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery." From these verses and the fallowing verse “Therefore a Man Leaves His Father and. His Mother and Clings to His Wife” , appears that according to Christianity that only one woman is allowed to man to marry.

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

Thank you for the answer and interaction .

Stephen Andrew Linstead

Thank you for the answer and interaction ..

The information you mentioned is useful and important.

Joachim Neumaier

Thank you for the useful addition.

Fadi Habash

Thank you for the answer .

How to address the problem of the increase in the number of women versus the number of men in many human societies? This results in a surplus of women who do not have the opportunity to marry, which leads some of them to deviate.

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

I liked your interaction with the question. I think we need to try to understand the people's need for any kind of marriage (mono or pluralistic) and who can deal with social problems?

One early justification for monogamy in Christian teaching comes from I Timothy, chapter 3, verse 2, which describes a bishop (overseer of a local congregation) as "the husband of one wife." Other Christian commentators have noted that the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) descriptions of polygamy do not describe it as commanded by God (e.g., Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar).

Christianity doesn't prohibit polygamy. However, it's position is based on ring-slavery, that is, a man with women. However, with futanarian 'woman's seed', that is, women who have penis' semen, the position is of a single species independent of adultery and host womb slavery in parasitism, which is Christian polygamy. In that context there's a very real role for conversion to Jesus' teaching, 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' (Mk: 12. 31) However, racism and xenophobia remain as unresolved issues, which is why the New Testament of Jesus' disciple John's Revelation describes 'war in heaven' between slavers and liberators as a fact.

To: Michael Hamilton

In Judaism polygamy was officially eliminated by the rules propounded by Maimonides (Rambam: Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon), 12th century.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam share the Prophet Abraham. He had two wives Sarah and Hajar. Where does the prohibition of polygamy come from?

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

The system of polygamy in wives exists in the origin of every celestial message and the question of its application is left to society and its circumstances.

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

I mean the heavenly religions

Dear Agnieszka,

I think your argument about Adam and Eve is very convincing (for a believer).

However, the Muslims are not too much impressed by al-Tawrat (= Tora, Old Testament for the Christians) since in their perspective, the "celestial" revelation of the Qur'an (and the polygamic example of the life of their Prophet) abolished whatever truth might have been brought to humanity by al-Tawrat or by al-Injil (Gospel, generally New Test.).

Ah, yes! You're right.

I've missed the Christian context. I was looking only at your answer and the preceding comments of the gentleman from Iraq by the name: A.D. Mashtaaq Bashiir al-Ghazzaalii (if I decipher it correctly; - short vowels are not spelled in his name, and my Arabic is rather poor).

You're very welcome, Agnieszka!

([email protected])

After the First World War and after the Second World War, the European community suffered from a large shortage of men compared to the number of women. Did the Christian marriage system address this problem?

The question is still open

This question is related to the first question. If the Christian marriage system is true why have a large number of women been denied marriage? Is depriving women of marriage fair?

Our Lord Jesus Christ restored the original plan of marriage. Genesis: St. Mark: St. Matthew: St. Paul Marriage is part of the Natural Law as well as Divine Positive Law. The Catholic Church's marriage laws simply re-affirm and clarify (by adding the forbidden degrees of kindred) what God has given.

My dear Agnieszka

The answer to your question: It is normal for some women to accept to participate in one husband, while others reject it. This is optional and not compulsory for men as well as women.

God also made this legislation the number in wives as a solution to the problem of Increase in the number of women compared to men and remains the matter of marriage optional and not compulsory so I agree with you that the human race has very few refuse to marry.

Sister Maria Philomena

Thank you for participating in the dialogue on the Christian marriage system.

Dear Mushtaq,

You write "God also made this legislation the number in wives as a solution to the problem of the shortage of women..."

"Shortage" means that women were few, men - numerous (just the opposite to the situation in Europe, after the two world wars of the previous century). But the logical solution would be to give the women a chance to have several husbands. Do women have that right in Islam?

Dear Witold

Thanks to this observation, I mean that God made this legislation to address the increase in the number of women compared to the number of men. This increase in some societies may be present at high rates due to wars or others. Multiplicity is an appropriate solution. Other societies may not have such an increase. Multiplicity. It's all optional .

My dear Agnieszka

Polygamy is not a rare phenomenon in the world as you say, it is a religious legislation that some societies believe in and apply and other societies do not believe in.

In Eastern societies, especially Islamic ones, this legislation is applied. In the past, the level of application was higher, but now it is still existing legislation, but the proportion of application less than the past, and it depends on the choice and choice of men and women as we said earlier.

Yes, it is (polyandry being rare) because it is against the Natural Law.

Polygamy is not against the Natural Law, although it is against positive law (Divine -- since the New Testament, Ecclesiastical, and Civil).

Monogamy dates back to Mosaic law, in terms of recorded human history. It is closely connected to the transfer of wealth and private property from generation to generation, requiring a clear-cut lineage or pedigree for inheritance. The empirical starting point was land-ownership and the transfer of land, i.e. Sumer; under nomadic conditions, polygamy is superior, as it reinforces the labor force of the kin and the tribe (e.g. the Biblical accounts before Sinai). Jesus (of Nazareth) definitely complied to Mosaic law, i.e. monogamy; the matter of divorce (contract law), however, found a new interpretation by the church fathers around 450 CE, being challenged by the Reformation in Europe, starting around 1500CE. According to the Hebrew Bible, monogamy is the preference of the creator, but in certain cases, divorce was (and is)permitted by (Jewish) law, once the material issues were (are) settled. In any case, the haves have the longest reaching pedigrees and the reason for this, I made clear.

Hello, In Christian marriage, the union between a man and a woman is instituted and ordained by God as the lifelong relationship between one man as husband, and one woman as wife. The Apostle Paul gave a similar directive when he wrote, "Let marriage be held in honour among all". Conservative Christians consider marriage as the most intimate of human relationships, a gift from God, and a sacred institution. Protestants consider it to be sacred, holy, and central to the community of faith. Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians consider marriage a Sacrament.

Monogamy is certainly not only practiced by Christians, as others have correctly pointed out. And even more to the point, not all who call themselves "Christian" are necessarily monogamous. In fact, Mormons call themselves Christian, and at least some of them practice polygamy.

Human beings tend to invent whatever laws they want, and then some feel obliged to rationalize their laws by referencing texts that they call "holy." But at the same time, those basing their rationale on "holy texts" ignore texts that other humans call "holy." So to me, those are not terribly convincing arguments. "Holy" seems to be in the eyes of the beholder, eh? Also, as an aside, I would suggest that there are more places where there is an excess of males, than vice versa, due to some perverse idea that male babies are preferable to female babies. I don't buy the excuse that polygamy is ever justified on the basis of demographics.

Let's just say, more credibly, that as long as men write the laws, men will tend to write laws that benefit them? Just a thought.

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

Natural Law

History of Marriage

Moral & Canonical Aspects of Marriage

Family

And, note the last paragraph of this Catholic Dictionary entry:

Agnieszka, I think your comment can be addressed dispassionately. By saying that religions, all of them, were created as a tool to make societies function. In large measure, the role of religions has been replaced by secular governments with secular laws, these days. Days if work, days of rest, holidays, and so on, were once established by religions, and have now been set by secular governments.

So, to me, it's not all that surprising, to see that the religious reason for marriage, in Christianity and also other religions, is as an institution to help bring up the young in a healthy environment.

Religion (oral, written and legal rules) definitely forms the foundation of ethical norms and standards in any given human society, at least since Sumer. It must also be noted here that monogamy and marriage are not identical social concepts; the divine concept of marriage in the Biblical accounts clearly confronts the nomadic stage of humanity, where polygamy was predominant as survival function of kin and tribe. Bio-genetic testing documents a greater shift ca.18000 years ago, when the the female/male ratio* became more relaxed, which has to to with agricultural activities. Once land and wealth could be inter-generationally transferred (since Sumer), monogamic marriage structures (including the law of divorce) emerged. The marriage system(s) seems to reflect civilizational stages of humanity, where the dynamics of divinity** and ' changing reality' seem to be in a constant cultural battle.

*https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/gender-01222015125826.html

**https://www.openbible.info/topics/marriage

..Christian marriage system, a union between a man and a woman, is was instituted and ordained by God and emphasized by men of God...

Mustafa Ali Khan Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

Presentation SPIRITUAL PHYSICS AND TEMPORALITY Of Human Love Relationships

It was necessary for social development.so no matter who did it.

This link, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak, gives some interesting nuances on the question of allowing polygamy.

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/770990/jewish/Why-Does-Torah-Law-Allow-Polygamy.htm

What I find interesting, and credible, is that the rationale is entirely logical and practical. As opposed to being masked with some contrived mysticism.

In fact, any question of "morality" depends entirely on circumstances. If there aren't enough men around, say after a brutal war, then "morality" is reinvented. The most pressing need is to repopulate, and the morality of different times may well go out the window.

To me, this applies to all religious teachings and dogma. They became codified in ways that made sense at the time.

And let's not forget, circumstances could also exist when polyandry makes sense, and becomes "moral." Such as, some dreaded disease that sterilizes a large segment of the male population.

Albert Manfredi Yes, Torah (considered as blueprint of reality) is a flexible manual for the survival, life and good life of humanity.

Nature is non-deterministic and non-linear, expresses itself in chaotic

and complex patterns, i.e. ethical ideas and ideals always have to stand the adaptive test of living practice. The dynamic relationship between human ethics and biology (sexuality), with practical reference to marriage systems, reflects the civilizational and moral development of the human race, i.e. marriage contract law emerged for legitimate lineage of inter-generational wealth (private property) transfer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_economics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_the_Family,_Private_Property_and_the_State

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy_in_Christianity

..I strongly believe that if one toes the path of religion, the most valid path is that which God instituted Himself, which is worthy of emulation.. God made Eve for Adam.

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

Sister Maria Philomena

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

Divine legislation does not end with a fixed period of time but is valid for all times. Polygamy, if it is not acceptable now according to the circumstances of society, does not negate its legitimacy and its survival as the divine law applied when society needs to apply it.

Mushtaq Basheer Alghazali If, by divine legislation, you are referring to the Mosaic Law, and if you do not accept that Our Lord Jesus Christ was God, then we will definitely have a contradiction. You may wish to read St. Matthew, Chapter 19 . Our Lord is here talking about divorce, but the same principle applies to polygamy.

However, if we go back to Adam & Eve, we will agree. God created one man and one woman.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_divorce

The Christian marriage system is not uniform, especially not since the European Reformation, where the Roman Catholicism was contested. It is most probably necessary to understand the dynamic difference between natural and divine law in human history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_law

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_law

The Biblical accounts favor monogamy and marriage as ethical principle, do not support divorce; we can, however, learn also about polygamy as exception from these ethical principles and ideals.

In any case, there is a great empirical divide between the natural history (bio-genetics) of humankind , the human socio-biology (inheriting wealth) and practiced ethical culture, e.g. most wealth on earth is inherited by legitimate lineage (marriage contract law).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou_shalt_not_commit_adultery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments

The understanding of the commandement against adultery is definitely essential, concerning the law of G-d.

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

I think monogamy is a law passed by the church later

Agnieszka Will geb. Gronek

In your opinion, without regard to religious legislation: What is the best option for a multi-monogamous marriage?

The Christian marriage system achieves equality between man and woman. It establishes for a healthy relationship between married couples. My respect to other religions marriage systems which are achieving such equality and respect for women too.

http://legacy.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Tyndale/staff/Instone-Brewer/prepub/Jesus%20on%20Monogamy.pdf

We can assume safely that Jesus (of Nazareth) was in favor of monogamy.

The Biblical accounts are also in favor of monogamy.

However, monotheism and monogamy cannot be equated, in terms of human ethical behavior. As we live in a very crowded world, polygamy would not be a very rational option. China has a female/male ratio, which would point to polyandry. As living and mortal human beings, we are also part of nature, but our choices are always ethical ones.

I mean one wife for a man

Stephen I. Ternyik

His mention contained ideas worthy of respect

Following responses...

The Christian marriage that prohibits pluralism is not a law that came from God or Christ, but was put up by the men of the church. Abraham, the father of many nations and described by God himself as His friend had more than one wife. Jacob had more than one, David, the man after God;s very heart, even more so. And the wisest and wealthiest, Solomon; you get my drift. So, its the church people that came up with the idea. And if Apostle Paul is mentioned, he only recommended husband of only one wife for the Church positions like a Bishop.

Maurice Ekpenyong The systemic legal norms for clerical celibacy and Christian marriage were worked out in successive church synods/councils between 300-400CE, most probably starting with Elvira https://www.britannica.com/event/Council-of-Elvira . There were no such systemic legal norms in early church congregations; we can understand these institutional rulings best, if we study the dogmatic canonization of scriptures (Hebrew Bible, Greek Gospel, oral narratives, ...) in historical stages.

...maybe a rule put by christian women?

The Christian Marriage System is one of most successful marriage systems in the world due respects woman through just one wife for a man. This is derived from the Holy Bible as God created one Eve for Adam.

Fadi Habash The question of Mushtaq Basheer Alghazali has a normative (ideal as available by scripture) and an empirical dimension (realization as by legal ruling). At the time of Jesus (of Nazareth), Jewish culture was dominantly monogamous; the legal ruling of the 'church fathers' did reaffirm this cultural status quo. Isabelle Faubert From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_Pagels , we can learn a lot about the involvement of women in these affairs, which marks an important point, for sure.

Stephen I. Ternyik But it is necessary to remember that Christ told to Jewish that " “He said to them, 'Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so'” . Is it possible to explain the meaning of (..., but from the beginning it was not so).

Like any marriage

Fadi Habash In certain cases, the Jewish legal system allowed and allows divorce, which is never favored. Jesus most probably criticized (rabbinic) legal practices of his time, which he saw in contradiction to the holy teachings of the Torah, which does not support divorce. Such legal practices were and are generally based on material compensations, etc.

لم يأتي به المسيح عليه السلام بل هو من وضع رجال الدين

Ruqaya Shakir Mansoor الزواج لم يضعه رجال الدين بل ان السيد المسيح كان واضحا عندما قال لليهود "

"قَالَ لَهُمْ: «إِنَّ مُوسَى مِنْ أَجْلِ قَسَاوَةِ قُلُوبِكُمْ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُطَلِّقُوا نِسَاءَكُمْ. وَلكِنْ مِنَ الْبَدْءِ لَمْ يَكُنْ هكَذَا." (مت 19: 8)

Ruqaya Shakir Mansoor, Stephen I. Ternyik . In the Islamic world, it is permissible for a man to marry up to 4 women. It is the right of a Muslim man to divorce one of them and marry another new one, and the marriage moves in sequence. In the non-Muslim world, some men marry one woman and are accompanied by other mistresses. The difference is that this is called a halal wife and the other is called a halal woman. It is my view that there is no difference between the two cases. I think that knowing the fundamental differences between the meaning of the wife and the meaning of the women will solve this problematic.

Emil,

In the non-Muslim world, some men marry one woman and are accompanied by other mistresses.

It's misleading to compare the actual religious rulings of one religion with practices that are not religiously acceptable, at all, in another religion. Having mistresses is not permitted, in Christianity. It's hardly fair to imply that mistresses are the Christian alternative to harems?

But, as I think I pointed out previously, there are some people, who claim themselves Christian, specifically the Mormons, who do allow multiple wives.

Normative ideal and empirical reality of legal marriage systems should be studied and can be best understood in the social and historical context. Emil Sobhy Shoukralla

--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_love

---https://www.thoughtco.com/free-love-and-womens-history-3530392

--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Kollontai

The posed question implies the humanitarian problem of social systems stability (e.g. family economics); as scientific researchers, we can never be satisfied with normative value preferences, but are professionally obliged to investigate into systemic empirical evolution, i.e. concerning Christianity, legal canonization of the marriage system happened between 300-400CE.

Of course Emil Shoukralla, men and women from muslim world or non muslim world do have at times different partners outside the official marriage. But I think we are talking about the christian marriage (marriage at the church) under the church laws which also take its roots from the society (and evolve with) (like any other rule).

Isabelle Faubert Albert Manfredi

I fully agree with you. I did not say that Christianity allows mistresses. This is a behavior of personal will that expresses the self-conviction, not Christian values or teachings, not even ecclesiastical laws.

But I just want to point out that polygamy can be compared to the multiplicity of mistresses with the difference in the name between "halal" and haraam, according to the laws that govern them.

Emil, although I don't claim to be an expert at this in any way, I'm fairly certain that in western cultures, having a wife and multiple mistresses is exceedingly rare. If you do see this at all, it might be among the kind of sailor who has "a girl in every port." And even there, they tend to be single sailors.

A wife, plus possibly one mistress, is more credible, although not usually viewed as being okay. Especially not these days, even if it was more "acceptable" in the 19th Century and earlier (I suppose because more marriages were arranged).

Emil Shoukralla

There is a big difference between polygamy and the multiplicity of mistresses. The first is subject to limits and limits that seek to preserve the rights of women and children and the welfare of society based on religious legislation. The second is that there is no guarantee of women's rights and children.