Tuesday, February 16, 2010

"Polygamy is not a sin but monogamy is the ideal"

Another similar objection I have encountered is the claim that, “Though the Bible permits polygamy, monogamy is the ideal.” This argument is not so much an “objection” against polygamy since it concedes the essential point, as it is a subversion of the biblical concept of morality. Morality is that which is permitted by Divine Law; immorality is that which is forbidden by Divine Law (see 1 John 3:4). The gradations of “good,” “better,” and “ideal” are contingencies of individual circumstances. Morally speaking, monogamy and polygamy are both ideal and perfect since both are consistent with Divine Law. To smuggle a practical, utilitarian concern for good, better and ideal into the question of Biblical ethics is to undermine the categories of sin and righteousness. Page 25 - MWBL