[7luminaries]

Originally Posted by LibraIndigo

I dunno, I looked for it I can't see where Jesus specifically says that, there are countless cases of polygamy in the Bible. It seems to me the idea of polygamy is a western thing. I once met a woman from Africa who explained that polygamy worked quite well (for people from her area) she said it was easier on the women there because they could watch each others children and had more freedom.

I do believe the original intent was for one man and one women...specifically in the case of twin flames. The idea of oppressing women is wrong but if its free will and someone -wants- to be polygamous they should be allowed. I heard somewhere by someone who works in psychiatry for the military that the true reason polygamy is outlawed in the US is because then there would be hords of poorer men without wives...thus they would revolt and become extremists (as has happened in the poorer Muslim countries) he explained that the reason for terrorism is largely because of polygamy in these countries (coupled with economic woes).

When I think of things the mormons have done, what comes to mind that upsets me isnt "polygamy" maybe forced polygamy or oppression of any kind but I can't think polygamy is bad.

Anyway I will post the other striking similarities I have found between Alice Bailey's book on the occult and mormonism when I have time later.

Libra, hello!

Yah, definitely the mid-east 2000 yrs ago allowed polygamy, because women had a very low status and were considered as chattel and slaves. But it was not in keeping with the tenets of the Jewish faith, nor the later Christian one. We are shown many instances of polygamy, but it was never preferred by the doctrines...instead, it merely reflects the baseness of the culture at that time that had already existed for centuries, and had not yet sworn off things such as polygamy (not approved) or even indentured servitude (which was still ok then under certain strict time limits).

(And definitely many Muslim and African countries still continue the practice...and YES polygamy is associated with social violence and instability for the very reasons you mention). That doesn't make it a "Western" thing per se, though. Rulers in the far East had harems & concubines too...it is all based on the supremacy of patriarchy and the oppression & exploitation of women for sex and perhaps for breeding.

Here are the passages commonly looked at regarding monogamy as the ideal in both Judaism and Christianity (though I am no Christian scholar).

It starts in Genesis...and I assume that's what you're referring to. Then, in the Christian bible, Jesus refers back to Genesis, because Jesus was an observant Jew:

First, when Jesus was asked about the practice of divorce, He pointed back to "the beginning," (Genesis) and that God made one woman for one man, and that the "two" should become one flesh (Matthew 19:3-9).
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Second, in the New Testament the Corinthians are told "Let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband" (I Corinthians 7:2). That "wife" is singular, and that "husband" is singular.

The 10th Commandment ‘… You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife [singular] …’ (Exodus 20:17) also presupposes the ideal that there is only one wife. Polygamy is expressly forbidden for church elders (1 Tim. 3:2). And this is not just for elders, because Paul also wrote: ‘each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.’ Paul goes on to explain marital duties in terms that make sense only with one husband to one wife.

The example of godly people is also important. Isaac and Rebekah were monogamous—they are often used as a model in Jewish weddings today. Other examples were Joseph and Asenath, and Moses and Zipporah. And the only survivors of the Flood were four monogamous couples.

Here's some additional background on the culture of those days, regarding monogamy. What it is, is that the culture was pretty debased in some ways if you did not strive to transcend that baseness (much like today in other ways), but yet many were debased, and so they partook of the exploitation of women because that's where they were at and because they could. Not because it was holy or good or condoned by their faith traditions or what have ye.

A very important point to remember is that not everything recorded in the Bible is approved in the Bible. Consider where polygamy originated—first in the line of the murderer Cain, not the line of Seth. The first recorded polygamist was the murderer Lamech (Gen. 4:23–24). Then Esau, who despised his birthright, also caused much grief to his parents by marrying two pagan wives (Gen. 26:34).

God also forbade the kings of Israel to be polygamous (Deut. 17:17). Look at the trouble when they disobeyed, including deadly sibling rivalry between David’s sons from his different wives (2 Samuel 13, 1 Kings 2); and Solomon’s hundreds of wives helped lead Solomon to idolatry (1 Kings 11:1–3). Also, Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was humiliated by her husband Elkanah’s other wife Peninnah (1 Sam. 1:1–7).

Interesting stuff...

Peace & blessings
7L