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Originally Posted by TheBigBite  Here in Greece, where I live with my Greek Orthodox Fiance and in a village with hundreds of strict practicing Orthodox followers, Polygamy is not practiced, and considered a sin. |
I couldn't help but notice that you said that you live with your fiance. What about fornication? Is that not considered a sin in that strict little Greek Orthodox village? (I am not here to judge, just pointing out some facts.)
I think it is quite interesting that many people consider polygamy to be a sin, yet they think that fornication is quite acceptable. It's like saying that it is OK to have sex with as many women as you want, as long as you are not married to any of them.
OK, I have 1 question to ask those that think that polygamy is a sin (even if it were not illegal). Obviously polygamy was not illegal in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do you think that these men are burning in hell right now because they had more than 1 wife? Then Abraham's bosom described in Luke 16:22 (And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom...) must really be the place where sinners go?
I don't think so.
If angels carried the begger into Abrahams bosom, then it must not be hell. Therefore God must not consider polygamy a sin. Also, Abraham was never chastized for having more than one wife, and received incredible blessings from the Lord, while in the midst of practicing polygamy.
Quote:
Genesis 18
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
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Ok, this scripture was writen after Abraham had already been practicing polygamy for quite some time. The Lord said that "I know him, and he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord." While he was practicing polygamy, he was keeping "way of the Lord." Is commiting a sin keeping "the way of the Lord"?
Abraham, the polygamist, was given a blessing from the Lord, at the same time that the Lord saw that Sodom and Gomorrah's sins were "very grievous". I think that most agree that the main sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were homosexuality (hence the orgin of the word "sodomy"), among other things, probably adultry, murder, and maybe even fornication.
So the Lord blessed the polygamist, and then destroyed the homosexuals/murders, etc. Hum, so do you think that the Lord REALLY considered polygamy a sin? If polygamy is a sin, why wasn't Abraham destroyed too? Why was Abraham given such a wonderful blessing if he was a sinner? And why would Jesus Christ refer to "Heaven" as Abraham's bosom, if Abraham was a sinner?
Even though polygamy is illegal in the USA right now (and probably other countries), and at this time there really is no need for polygamy, I think that we do a real injustice to the Prophets of the bible, and the early Mormons who practiced polygamy by calling them sinners, when clearly the Lord has never considered polygamy a sin as long as it was not prohibited by the law of the land.