A Scenario for our Male Apologists to Consider...

[_Yoda]

For the record,I would not participate in polygamy, nor would I want my wife participating in taking multiple husbands, commandment or not.

Unless it was with supermodels.

H.

Male super models?

Me, I'll take females. My wife, if she takes a female harem then I know my calling and election have been made sure.

Better be careful what wish for, LDST. This conversation from "Friends" where Ross was involved in a threesome comes to mind:

Joey: So, was it amazing?
Ross: It was... it was okay.
Joey: Just okay? Did you do it right?
Ross: Look, it's just.... Did you ever go to a party and think, Would really anyone miss me if I weren't here?

[_LDSToronto]

Me, I'll take females. My wife, if she takes a female harem then I know my calling and election have been made sure.

Remember the OP: wife gets to choose male supermodels. You get to spend the rest of eternity comparing your male apparatus to multiple male models' male apparatus.

Should be fun for all, yes?

My eternal apparatus will be worthy of comparison.

H.

[_KevinSim]

Madeleine and KevinSim, your conversation seems to be a pretty good illustration to me of how the God of the Bible is either inconsistent and sometimes mean-spirited, or else just a conception of human beings whose traits change based on what people believe to be expedient at the time (my vote's on the latter).

Not entirely sure who "the God of the Bible" is; I don't know how you take a book and define a deity from that book. But I do know that the vast majority of people who believe exclusively in that book sure do seem to believe the God it describes is mean-spirited.

[_KevinSim]

Mary who you like, in whatever combination of pieces and parts, as long as they consent and are of a reasonable age.... 21?

SteelHead, I was thinking more along the lines of 18, but if a law were put forth that would legalize marriage between two or three people, age 21 or older, of any gender combination, I would support that law.

[_KevinSim]

But would you live it if the Prophet told you God required it?
(And remember, the Church teaches you to make clear moral decisions well in advance of being faced with a dilemma. E.g. Decide you are not going to drink alcohol before going to a college party rather than waiting until you get there to think about it.)

It's hard to say with certainty what decision one is going to make, when it's as difficult a decision as that. But my best guess is that if the Prophet did tell Sandy and me that "God required it," and if Sandy was fine with it, then yes I would live it.

[_Cylon]

Madeleine and KevinSim, your conversation seems to be a pretty good illustration to me of how the God of the Bible is either inconsistent and sometimes mean-spirited, or else just a conception of human beings whose traits change based on what people believe to be expedient at the time (my vote's on the latter).

Not entirely sure who "the God of the Bible" is; I don't know how you take a book and define a deity from that book. But I do know that the vast majority of people who believe exclusively in that book sure do seem to believe the God it describes is mean-spirited.

Oh, come on, that was just shorthand for 'the God who is described in the Bible' as opposed to the God who is described in the Koran, or the gods who are described in the Bhagavad Gita or something. But I'm glad you recognize at least that the Bible does show him doing some pretty questionable things for someone who's supposed to be perfectly loving and compassionate.

[_KevinSim]

Mormons and Protestants interpret this as an injunction against divorce, alone. However, Catholics ask the question, "why is it that whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery?" Does anyone under the sun view divorce, alone, as adultery? The "committing adultery" is in the "and marries another". Why would this be a case of committing adultery? The answer the Catholic Church gives is that Jesus indicates, very clearly here, that divorce does not separate what God has joined. The person is still married. Jesus then says, if a person who has divorced, marries another, they are committing adultery.

This is a clear indication, that a) marriage is between one man and one woman...the two become one, and b) marrying another while still married is committing adultery.

Madeleine, you have made a good point. I must admit Matthew 19 does sound very much like Jesus considers polygamy to be adultery.

On the other hand, I have never seen anything in the Old Testament to indicate that Judaism ever agreed with Jesus on that. Not Moses nor any other person who spoke for God ever equated polygamy with adultery. If Jesus thought the two were the same, why did He wait over a thousand years to tell us so?

[_KevinSim]

My question, though, is would you feel the same way were the situation reversed? You still haven't answered it. Would you feel as charitable about the "poor men" who we're left out as you do the women?

Would you be just as willing to give your wife to another, or share her with another? It seems to me that you are afraid to answer or really consider my hypothetical.

Answered it down below. And, just for emphasis, I would "feel the same way were the situation reversed." Both would be extremely difficult; gaining a new husband would be hard for me, but I think Sandy and I are sufficiently one that gaining a new wife would also be hard on me, because I'd feel for Sandy vicariously. In either case we wouldn't do it without first having the mother of all heart-to-hearts about it; I wouldn't consider taking a second wife until Sandy assured me convincingly that she wanted us to do it; similarly Sandy wouldn't consider taking a second husband until I had assurred her likewise.

For the record I would feel "as charitable about the" poor men who were "left out." People are people, and I doubt that even the most anti-social of them would want an eternity alone. If there is a surplus of either gender, then the policy of a really good God can't be monogamy for the lucky and solitude for the unlucky.

[_Yoda]

Kevin, are you ever going to address the hypothetical of my OP?

How would you honestly feel about sharing your wife with another man if the Lord commanded it?

You seem very charitable about wanting to make sure that single women are taken care of in the Celestial Kingdom. What about the reverse scenario?

If polyandry rather than polygany was the norm, would you be as open to it as you have presented yourself here?

ETA---I didn't see your most recent post. Thanks for answering.

[_Yoda]

My question, though, is would you feel the same way were the situation reversed? You still haven't answered it. Would you feel as charitable about the "poor men" who we're left out as you do the women?

Would you be just as willing to give your wife to another, or share her with another? It seems to me that you are afraid to answer or really consider my hypothetical.

Answered it down below. And, just for emphasis, I would "feel the same way were the situation reversed." Both would be extremely difficult; gaining a new husband would be hard for me, but I think Sandy and I are sufficiently one that gaining a new wife would also be hard on me, because I'd feel for Sandy vicariously. In either case we wouldn't do it without first having the mother of all heart-to-hearts about it; I wouldn't consider taking a second wife until Sandy assured me convincingly that she wanted us to do it; similarly Sandy wouldn't consider taking a second husband until I had assurred her likewise.

For the record I would feel "as charitable about the" poor men who were "left out." People are people, and I doubt that even the most anti-social of them would want an eternity alone. If there is a surplus of either gender, then the policy of a really good God can't be monogamy for the lucky and solitude for the unlucky.

Thank you for answering.

I appreciate your honesty.

As a follow up question---If you had that mega-heart-to-heart talk with Sandy, and she said to you, "I'm sorry, Kevin, I have tried, and I just can't do this," would you honor her request?