Polygamy
Should the state of Missouri legalize polygamy?

Comprising 114 counties, Missouri is a U.S. state located in mid-west of the country. The debate of whether or not legalize polygamy (i.e. one man marrying many women) is ethically evaluated here using ethical method and theories.

Five-point analysis method for resolving ethical dilemmas

Ethical questions are deep rooted in the emotions of individuals as well as the society. It is not easy to present and get accepted a solution to ethical dilemma. The five point analysis method for resolving ethical dilemmas has following steps:

Develop a list of premises: This step is of finding options. Listing the solution alternatives. The method will evaluate if polygamy should be legalized, illegalized, banned with heavy punishment, or allowed under specific conditions where the wife has medical issues that require the husband to marry someone else.

Step 2. Eliminate irrelevant or weak premises: After analyzing consequences, and evaluating all possible positive…...

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References

Bramhan, D., (2011), "Tradition of monogamous marriage traced in polygamy hearing,"

Retrieved from: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Tradition+monogamous+marriage+traced+polygamy+hearing/4087361/story.html

Ethics and Virtue, (n.d.), Retrieved from:

http://faculty.irsc.edu/FACULTY/ECohen/Virtuous%20Therapist%20Ch1.htm

Polygamy, or the practice of having more than one spouse at a time, is a very controversial issue that provides many ethical, moral and practical questions that surround the idea and its implementation into society. The purpose of this essay is to describe the practice of polygamy and why this practice is unwise to participate in due to the many risks toward mental, physical and spiritual health.
This essay will first examine the issues surrounding polygamy and how it has arrived in our society. The pros and cons of this practice will also be examined to demonstrate how polygamy is ultimately destroying our culture and freedom. The effects polygamy has on financial matters, legal issues, health and disease issues and biblical issues will all be addressed in this essay to highlight the true purpose of this disturbing and unwelcomed practice.

Polygamy Basics

Polygamy, simply understood means to be married to more than one…...

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References

Barber, N. (2009). The wide world of polygamy: We hate it, others love it. Psychology Today, 19 Feb 2009. Retrieved from  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/200902/the-wide-world-polygamy-we-hate-it-others-love-it 

Rauch, J. (2006). One Man, Many Wives, Big Problems. Reason, 3 April 2006. Retrieved from  http://reason.com/archives/2006/04/03/one-man-many-wives-big-problem 

Smith, M. (2013). The Dangers of Legalizing Polygamy. Ricochet, 25 June 2013. Retrieved from  http://ricochet.com/main-feed/The-Dangers-of-Legalizing-Polygamy

Polygamy
In recent years the issue of Polygamy has received a great deal of attention. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the practice of polygamy. The research will uncover that although polygamy has some disadvantages including family division, there are also some very real advantages associated with the practice and a balanced view of the practice is often lacking in the western world.

Polygamy is defined as "marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time (polygamy)." In most cases polygamy occurs within the context of certain religions and/or social customs.

In fact Al-Krenawi (2006) reports that In cultures covering more than 850 societies across the globe, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North America and Oceania, such expanded family structures are known to occur (Hartung, 1982; Valsiner, 1989). In some practicing societies, rates of polygamy may include up to 50% of…...

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Works Cited

About the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.. Retrieved March 9 from;  http://www.religioustolerance.org/flds.htm 

Al-Krenawi, A. (2006) Comparison of Family Functioning, Life and Marital Satisfaction, and Mental Health of Women in Polygamous and Monogamous Marriages.

International journal of social psychiatry.

Al-Krenawi, A., & Lightman, E. (2000). Learning achievements, social adjustment and family conflicts among Bedouin-Arab children from polygamous and monogamous families. Journal of Social Psychology, 140, 345-355.

12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel."
David then repented and ultimately he put away all of his wives and concubines. He took physical care of them but he no longer had sex with any of them. It is believed that his first wife had died and only athsheba was left and they bore another son named Solomon. It is obvious throughout the text that David understood that his various marriages and sexual relationships with women were detestable in the eyes of God.

The punishment for polygamy exacted by God can also be seen in the life of Solomon. Solomon's heart was led astray because not only did he have multiple wives, but he took wives who worshipped other gods after he and the Israelites in general had be warned against intermarriage.

They were from nations about which the LORD had…...

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Bibliography

Armstrong, Herbert W. (1963) "Here's the Plain Truth About Old Testament Polygamy.  http://www.eternalcog.org/pdf/hwa/Old%20Testament%20Polygamy.pdf 

The Bible. New King James Version

Thompson, John L. Writing the Wrongs: Women of the Old Testament among Biblical Commentators from Philo through the Reformation. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

A polygamy. (2008). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

Polygamy
On the surface, and with the most shallow of analyses, polygamy would seem to be protected by the First Amendment freedom of religion clause because polygamy in the United States is mainly a phenomenon among specific religious groups -- namely Mormons, fundamentalist Christians, and Muslims (Turley). In fact, even a polygamous marriage that was not rooted in religious tradition could be protected under the Due Process clause, which basically encompasses right to privacy (Hamilton). Indeed, the state of Utah's Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States have heard numerous cases related to the constitutionality of polygamy. According to Turley, "Utah and eight other states make polygamy a crime, while 49 states have bigamy statutes that can be used to prosecute plural families." Yet as many as 50,000 cases of polygamy currently exist in the United States (Turley).

The stigma against polygamy remains strong, and has been powerfully in…...

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References

Altman, Irwin and Ginat, Joseph. Polygamous Families in Contemporary Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Carter, Joe. "Judge Walker's Rational Basis for Supporting Polygamy." First Things. Retrieved online:  http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/08/05/judge-walkers-rational-basis-for-supporting-polygamy/ 

Hall, Katy. "Sister Wives': TLC's Polygamist Family Asks Us To 'Rethink Marriage'" Huffington Post.. 23 Sept 2010. Retrieved online:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katy-hall/sister-wives-tlcs-polygam_b_736551.html 

Hamilton, Marci A. "Utah cases challenge whether anti-polygamy laws are constitutional." CNN.com. July 29, 2004. Retrieved online: http://articles.cnn.com/2004-07-29/justice/hamilton.polygamy_1_polygamy-marriage-argument?_s=PM:LAW

Polygamy began as a practice in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), which was commonly known as the Mormon Church, between 1830s and 40s. The main reason why polygamy was common during the period was as a result of religion to multiply and replenish the earth. In 1890, plural marriages were prohibited by LDS, although the practice continued to exist in small subgroups. Polygamy is a relationship existing between either one husband and multiple wives or a woman and multiple husbands. In social anthropology, polygamy is defined as the practice of marriage to more than one spouse. Historically, polygamy was practiced as polygyny; one man or as polyandry; one woman having multiple husband. Studies showed that polygamy is one of the most contentious issues bearing on women and women's rights (Lyimo, 2001). Traditionally, polygamy was morally objectionable for various reasons, such as it fosters oppression of women.
In…...

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References

Bailey, M., & Kaufman, A.J. (2010). Polygamy in the monogamous world multicultural challenges for Western law and policy. London: Praeger.

Bledsoe, C.H., & Pison, G. (2004). Nuptiality in Sub-Saharan Africa: contemporary anthropological and demographic perspectives. London: Clarendon Press; .

Fenske, J. (2006). African Polygamy: Past And Present. African Polygamy: Past And Present. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from https://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/download.cgi-db_name=CSAE2012&paper_id=115

Hussein, B. (2002). Bedru Hussein is Rector of Meserete Kristos College, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia Mission Focus: Annual Review © 2002 Volume 10 Polygamy: An Ethical Case Study. The Polygamy Issue As Co Nfronted By Meserete Kristos Church. Retrieved December 30, 2013, from  http://www.anabaptistwiki.org/mediawiki/images/5/5f/Vol._10_Hussein,_Polygamy-An_Ethical_Case_Study.pdf

Opposition Argument:

On the other hand, from the legal perspective, the argument that constitutional principles justify reconsidering the issue that polygamy (unlike human sacrifice) warrants

First Amendment protections of the free exercise of religion. For one thing, the modern

Supreme Court has recognized a right of privacy that emanates from the enumerated rights and privileges ever since the 1960s, that could play a role in a modern reanalysis of polygamy at law. Second, while the Equal Protection Clause was available prior to the

19th century decisions about polygamy, equal protection as a legal concept had not yet developed and only became potentially useful to support polygamy in the 20th century.

From a legal perspective, it may be more difficult to uphold anti-polygamy laws today, precisely because, (unlike human sacrifice or the unauthorized consumption of controlled narcotics), the actual act of maintaining multiple sexual relationships is not legally prohibited. Unmarried individuals of both genders may legally…...

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References

Witte, J. (2008). "Can America Still Bar Polygamy? Much has changed since the late

1800s, and many arguments for keeping the ban aren't very compelling"

Christianity Today. Retrieved March 29, 2009, from:

 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/mayweb-only/121-52.0.html

What this practice really meant, though, was that the same amount of income was now expected to support two Nnaife, both of his wives, and all of their children, and especially when the household wasn't operating as a single unit, this caused a great deal of hardship, tension, and imbalance. In addition, it caused emotional and psychological grief for Nnu Ego, who had to listen to Nnaife consummating his new marriage only feet from where she lay trying to fall asleep. Truly nothing was hers after this marriage -- not even the love of her husband.
The Women of Nigeria

This is not actually the first time that Nnu Ego experiences the hardships of polygamy in the novel. She had previously been married to another man, and after a short time of her failing to become pregnant by him he took a new wife, and Nnu Ego had to work in…...

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References

Emecheta, B. (1980). The Joys of Motherhood. New York: George Braziller.

Mashour, a. (2005). Islamic Law and Gender Equality: Could There be a Common Ground?: A Study of Divorce and Polygamy in Sharia Law and Contemporary Legislation in Tunisia and Egypt. Human Rights Quarterly 27(2): 562-596.

Ogundipe-Leslie, M. (1994). Re-creating ourselves: African women & critical transformations. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.

polygamy with specific reference to its practice in the city of Colorado Arizona. Polygamy is defined as the practice of keeping one or more wives at one time, the history and studies regarding polygamy signifies the fact that early leaders used to keep one or more wives at one time, ordinary individuals also adopted this practice. Hence, polygamy became a custom and a rule in many countries of the world. The facts regarding polygamy practices state "Polygamy has been practiced by mankind for thousands of years. Many of the ancient Israelites were polygamous, some having hundreds of wives. King Solomon (peace be upon him) is said to have had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. David (Dawood) had ninety-nine and Jacob (Yacub, peace be upon them both) had four. Advice given by some Jewish wise men state that no man should marry more than four wives. No early…...

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Works Cited

As retrieved at   April 17,2004http://www.arizonan.com/ColoradoCity/On 

As retrieved from A polygamous Mormon group in Utah and Arizona is preparing for an apocalypz ex-members say By ROBERT GEHRKE   On April 17,2004http://www.mazeministry.com/mormonism/polygamy/sect/sect.htm .

As retrieved fromPractical Aspects of Polygamy

The benefits polygamy has for women and the controls it places on men.

Polygamy
Should the state of Missouri legalize polygamy?

Health Management Associates (NYSE: HMA)

HMA is a company established in 1977 that runs acute care health care facilities in America. The HMA offers facilities like internal medicine, surgery, emergency room care, oncology, diagnostic care, radiology, and pediatric services. It also offers x-ray, lab, respiratory therapy, and physical therapy. The company has total 71 hospitals having above eleven thousand beds.

Conduct an internal financial analysis of Health Management Associates

With annual revenues increased to $5.87 billion, the company is showing growth in many areas. The internal financial analysis of the company gave following figures:

Year

2012

2011

2010

Liquidity atios

Current atio

Cash atio

21%

27%

36%

Quick atio

Profitability atios

Operating Margin

10%

11%

11%

Profit Margin

3%

4%

3%

Pre-Tax OE

30%

41%

55%

After Tax OE

16%

23%

29%

Data Interpretation

The company's ratio analysis shows that the current ratio has decreased over period (HMA Company Financials, 2013). The company has 151% or 1.51 current ratio. The decrease in current ration means the company has less cash to pay its debt hence the…...

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References

Financial Analysis, (2009), Retrieved from:

 http://www.ccdconsultants.com/financial-analysis.html 

HMA Company Financials, (2013), Retrieved from:

http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/hma/financials?query=ratios

Bill Against Polygamy
I wonder how many of us would like to be politicians in a world and a country where few groups can get themselves to agree on things. Think, for example, of something as seemingly simple as religious freedom. Of course, most of use agree with the Constitution, that people should be allowed to believe and worship as they want. But what about religious groups that are not "normal," according to most people's views? Polygamy is one such example. Many who practice this form of marriage have religious reasons for doing so. Most of us find his practice strange and disturbing. It is therefore difficult for us to believe that the Constitution should grant such people the right to marry more than one person legally and to provide any other benefits that come with this. So, the debate goes on. And for this reason I do not envy those…...

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References

Kaminer, W. (2013). Why is Polygamy Illegal? Council for Secular Humanism. Retrieved from:  http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kaminer_28_5 

The New York Times (1860). The Bill Against Polygamy. Retrieved from:  http://www.nytimes.com/1860/04/07/news/the-bill-against-polygamy.html 

U.S. Marriage Laws. (2013). Retrieved from:  http://usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/polygamy/index.shtml

Coolidge" in response to learning that the prodigious reproduction of the male roosters involved access to many hens and not just one (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2007).
Objective Evaluation of Criticism of the Polygamous Lifestyle:

Aside from the arguments based solely on cultural beliefs and notions of the definition of marriage in Western society, there are also more objective criticisms to polygamous marriage. When such marriages involve the prospect of child rearing, there are issues of child welfare, at least in terms of how being raised in a polygamous family affects psychological development in the child (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2007). The main concern is that it distorts the view of marriage and family in the minds of children.

However, on closer examination, such criticisms may be less valid on any objective principle and relate more to deviation from establishes norms and biases in mainstream culture. If anything, children raised within polygamous families generally…...

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References

Dougherty, J., Johnson, K. (2007). "Sect Leader Is Convicted as an Accomplice to Rape"

New York Times, September 26, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2009, from The New

York Times database, at:

 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/us/26jeffs.html?_r=1

How could they take out an element that was supposed to aid in a person's salvation? A lot of church leaders continued a "sub rosa" promotion of polygamy, starting what is now called the post-Manifesto era (2011). President Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, sent Mormons to church colonies in Mexico to take part in plural marriages (2011). (Some of those people included Brigham Young Jr.) a great deal of these marriages were sealed in Mexico by Anthony Ivins, who later became a member of the First Presidency. Other post-Manifesto marriages were done in Canada, on ships on the Pacific Ocean, and in Utah as well as other neighboring states (2011).
These marriages were not able to keep their secrecy, and when the news got out, there were many anti-polygamy activists who were incredibly angry. Apostle eed Smoot, a monogamist and member of the Church of Latter-day…...

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References

Abanes, R. (2003). One nation under Gods: A history of the Mormon church. Basic Books.

Compton, T.M. (2011). The four major periods of Mormon polygamy. The Signature Books

Library. Accessed on March 3, 2011:

http://www.signaturebookslibrary.org/essays/mormonpolygamy.htm

Women also do not possess the same rights as men in this country, and therefore have to be subordinate to males.
In the United States, cultural and personal value is often tied to a person's accomplishments. Social status is gained through hard work, social networking, and perhaps success in business or in society. Money helps to define a person's success. Polygamy is frowned upon in the United States largely because of the country's Judeo-Christian background but also because women are seen as equals to men (Embry, 1987). This creates a cultural and social value for women, and they are not to be subjugated or limited by the men in their lives. The Mormon sects that still embrace the practice of polygamy use women as status symbols or symbols of religious power and purity (Altman and Ginat, 1996). Much in the way the Saudi's use polygamy. But instead of changing with…...

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References

Aarts, Paul and Nonneman, Gerd. (2005). Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political

Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs. New York University Press: New York.

Ahmed, Leila. (1982). "Western Ethnocentrism and Perceptions of the Harem." Feminist

Studies, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Autumn, 1982), pp. 521-534.

Brigham Young
At first, Young was ambivalent towards the Methodist -- or any other -- Church. He "held back from joining the Methodists" like his brothers had because of an "independent, deliberate personality" that rejected belief under pressure (8). Methodist revival meetings also turned Young off because of their "loud, crowded, and hyperactive" qualities," (8). Yet while living in the Auburn-Port Byron area, during an economic depression, he was "swept up by religious enthusiasm" and joined the Methodist Church in 1824 (13). The conversion turned out to be integral to Young's "program of self-improvement," (14). The Church prompted Young to give up swearing, one of his self-admitted habits. He experimented with vegetarianism, too, in an attempt to live an overall cleaner and healthier lifestyle. The religion also helped him to overcome his shyness and fear of public speaking (14). In addition to helping him on his personal path, the Methodist Church…...

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5. The Gold Rush altered the course of westward expansion, driving increasing numbers of non-Mormons to western lands and especially to California. The Gold Rush was therefore instrumental in preventing Young from entertaining the idea of moving the Mormon camp to California. Young feared a "renewed Mormon/non-Mormon conflict," (94). Mormon Samuel Brannan struck gold and was later excommunicated because he refused to tithe on his huge fortune (94-95). A large number of fortune-seeking trailblazers had made the path to the Great Salt Lake basin easier, which solidified the decision to settle in what is now Salt Lake City (95). Therefore, the Gold Rush had a huge impact on the geography of Mormon settlement. The Gold Rush also directly benefitted the Mormons economically, as gold seekers would stop in Salt Lake City en route to California.

6. By the 1850s, Salt Lake City's Mormon businesses were prospering due to trade with gold seekers. Young encouraged economic self-sufficiency and diversification from what could have easily been an agriculture-dependent economy. Young and the Mormons had brought "to the Great Basin 75 to 100 black slaves," a fact that Young "tried to conceal from federal officials" due to the brewing controversy over slavery in the new territories (104). In spite of this, Young was ambivalent about the Civil War because it represented for him the spiritual end times. When it became apparent that the North was headed for victory, Young took an opportunistic stance of supporting the Union but for strategic reasons only. Young remained staunchly pro-slavery. In 1850 also, Young encouraged the development of an "Iron Mission" that would take advantage of the wealth of raw materials like iron in the region (108). By the end of the 1850s, Young was involved in three "broad categories" of business: first, deals involving partnership with the Mormon Church; second, those involving partnerships with other businessmen; and third, those in which Young was the sole investor (149).

7. Although the Transcontinental Railroad did not pass directly through Salt Lake City, it benefitted the Mormon economy. At the same time, Young feared the large numbers of non-Mormons it would bring to the territory (179). Young agreed with the prevailing patriarchal view that men have dominion over women; that women were inherently inferior to men; and were also less intelligent (192). Moreover, women represented sin, temptation, and spiritual corruption. The United Order was "a system of economic cooperation that called upon selected Mormon communities to pool their equipment, their property, and their energy and work together," (199). It was therefore a system of socialist cooperatives. Variations depended on different levels of economic commitment to the cooperative.

Women's Rights and Roles in Islam: A Comparison with Other Religious Traditions

Throughout history, women's rights and roles have been shaped by religious and cultural beliefs. Islam, like other major religions, has its own set of teachings that define women's status and responsibilities within society. While there are similarities among different religious traditions, there are also significant variations.

Education

Islam: Islam strongly emphasizes the importance of education for both men and women. The Quran encourages Muslims to seek knowledge and wisdom, and it specifically mentions the right of women to education.

Christianity: Christianity also values education, but the role of women in formal education....