Just received this recommendation on this article from the Family Research Council:
That blunt title is Stanley Kurtz' lead story in The Weekly Standard this week. Perfect timing. Kurtz, who is a fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, makes a powerful case that you cannot have both polygamy and democracy. In this article, Dr. Kurtz shows how essential one man-one woman marriage is to the life of democratic institutions. He traces the issue of polygamy to its roots in ancient times—and brings the issue right into the heart of modern day Europe. And same-sex marriage is the battering ram to force open the gates for polygamy. He says that polygamous Muslim immigrants in France, for example, are unassimilated and may be incapable of being assimilated. With their burgeoning numbers, they threaten France's very existence. We are already deeply indebted to Stanley Kurtz for his groundbreaking research on the disappearance of marriage in Europe following the liberalization of laws on civil unions. This article is a must-read for everyone involved in the debate overmarriage and the future of our country. In fact, as Kurtz shows, it is essential to any hopes for the development of democracy in the Mideast. (Might this be just one reason why the polygamous Saudis drag their heels in supporting our efforts there?) Stanley Kurtz's article should be read by every one of our 100 U.S. Senators before they vote on protecting marriage next week.
Here are some quotes from the article:
Today, the dominant school of thought in American family law favors recognition for the egalitarian practice of multipartner union known as "polyamory." And since the Supreme Court's 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which voided laws criminalizing sodomy, law journals have begun to publish calls for the decriminalization, regulation, and recognition of the "patriarchal polygamy" practiced today by so-called fundamentalist Mormons (but vigorously condemned by the mainstream Mormon church).
Given the post-Lawrence trend of the law journals, the success of Big Love (recently renewed for a second season), and calls for the legalization of polygamy by commentators at mainstream news outlets like USA Today and the New York Times, it has become necessary to offer a case against polygamy.
He makes an interesting point that in other countries, polygamous marriages are often stabilized at the expense of romantic love. (Also at the expense of individual autonomy and freedom.) How do you eliminate jealous between wives? Make the marriage not based on romantic love. Simple.
I think the upshot of this article is that the polygamy (and polyamory) issues are rapidly coming out in the open. We may see action on them sooner than we expected.
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