Majestic - I think the argument/debate is now isn't if people want to or can, but people who are made to be a part of it if they do not want to be.
It is one thing to have a married couple in agreement to bring another into the marriage, another to have it thrust apon you because you have to take it. Everyone agrees that if both want it, they can and in my mind should. I know there are benefits.
PCG brought up a legitimate point that there is nothing regulating abuse of a system that would work if everyone really followed the tenets/guidelines of Islam (and we all know there are Muslims and others of other faiths that do not). We are also debating points like why women go along with it and don't protest :)
That would fall under the classification of "other faiths" and I agree.
But I would say that the man in the US with more than one wife, both know and agree to the situation. If not, he is in a world of trouble legally if one or the other find out. The person who finds out has the option of charging them with bigamy or just taking them to family/civil court and wiping them out. So, in a way there are safeguards in place in the event one person in a marriage that doesn't agree and it makes the other partner think 2, 3, or 4 times before having more than one spouse.
But the practical application of a theory makes it relevant. What good is a pie in the sky principle if it cannot be applied or is constantly ill-applied. Dictat through a patriachal system, religious and tribal,from thousands of years ago, cannot serve as a model. It needs to evolve, by saying a woman in happy in Saudi arabia, doesn’t make it any better for two girls married of to some old ashole in pakistan.
So exactly how many women (wives) are you gonna try? What if the second, third and fourth are all non-productive?. What if you do get a child from one fo them and the child has some deformaity (God forbid). I mean there are so many unknown factors.
I don’t think marrying another woman just for the sake of having children is a good enough reason.
A friend of mine attended this all-women muslim dinner and had some convos with Arab girls. She was shocked to learn that some of them don't mind being a 2nd. or a 3rd. wife to some rich old man!
So sick. How is this any different from the "western women" who are considered "gold diggers"?
Not all Arab girls think like that, so I dont know where those came from. However, as a Arab woman I dont want a rich old man, nor would I allow my husband to remarry. And yes my word goes!!
^ This reminds me of a joke. PCG and minah_pa you will agree with me that it is funny. Here it goes.
Husband walks into the home. Does not say a word to his wife and goes straight to his recliner with remote in one hand. Plops himslef down and says, quick get me a beer before it starts. Wife thinks to herself, SOB, gets home, no Honey How are you? How was your day? but wants a beer, but I am a good wife, I will get it for him. So she gets him the beer. He finishes that beer and few minutes later exclaims, quick get me another beer before it starts. Wife is a bit miffed now, but thinks maybe its some game he is waiting for and gets him the beer. When this happens the third time(him asking the beer), she could not take it any more and cries out, You SOB, you get home and sit down in front of TV and keep asking for beer.... he mutters there it started.....he he he :D
