In psychology, psychological projection (or projection bias)
is a defense mechanism in which one attributes one’s own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts, experiences or/and emotions
to other individuals or situations.

Thus, there are always bad consequences from polygyny and none from monogamy?

Perhaps we should exclude from our studies the life of Samuel the prophet whose mother was one of two wives. How amazing that God even stooped to hear her prayer.

Few and far between are the calm responses from Christians to the subject of polygamy; most reactions are basically outbursts of fear. We have a friend who penned the word "polyphobia".

The following words seem prevalent when believers are first confronted with this subject;
Perversion, fleshly, unsaved, Godless, adulterers, homosexuality, fornication, pleasure seekers, evil thinking, lust, and any other word strong enough to capture the abhorrence which seems to have been lying unexpressed within their hearts for a long time.

Yet we have to wonder why such violent reactions occur when most Christians have at least a superficial knowledge of the many plural families so clearly described in the Word of God. Many a faithful servant of God was polygynous, both men and women. God Himself had two wives.

Projection is another possibility. When discussing this subject with a lady she reacted violently basing her objections on her understanding that there was jealousy between Sarah and Hagar. We need to ask is jealousy only evident in polygynous marriages? An examination of the Scriptures will show that jealousy was not the reason Hagar was eventually asked to leave and Abraham had other concubines who were not asked to leave. This lady was in no state to listen to the facts.

Fear is an incredible barrier to both rational and Biblical thinking and we have to ask what is the root of such fears? What is it deep within that brings up such strong reactions? Could it stem from the fear of being wrong on this subject and thus serious doubts cast on all other beliefs? The fear of being asked to live the lifestyle? Or could it be the fear of exposure to things of the individual's past which somehow cultural views of polygyny seem to refresh after years of suppression? Who can answer such questions.

Fearful and hypocritical reactions are certainly contrary to a love of the truth, since if that were so an acknowledgment of Biblical history and the laws and guidelines for polygyny ought to temper such strong reactions.

To many Christians, monogamy is wholesome and Biblical but polygyny is a fleshly perversion yet they are both marriage options under divine provision and command. Our prayer is that Christians who hurriedly use such terms will reconsider after seeing the Scriptures presented on this website.

The wider society has no trouble permitting and in some cases promoting; fornication, sowing wild oats, sexual double standards, unfaithfulness, divorce, adultery, promiscuity, homosexuality, orgies, mistresses, de-facto relationships, love children, prostitution, brutality, the accumulation of wealth and possessions at any cost, destruction, violence of every kind, lying, theft, exploitation, disregard for the poor and deprived, and any other thing which is contrary to that which is good and wholesome but throws up hands in horror when polygyny is discussed. Why such deep hypocrisy?

Let us consider some of the hypocrisy rampant within the Christian community.

First of all many Christians will use this verse in some twisted way to condemn polygyny;
Mat 19:9 And I say to you, Whoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is put away commits adultery.

We remind our readers divorce is the opposite to polygyny and God never declares polygyny as adultery; we search the Word of Truth in vain for one verse which declares so. But here is the twist. In modern churches many divorced folk are welcome whether or not their divorce was based upon fornication and in such cases a conveniently blinded eye for this verse of Scripture exists. If consistency meant anything then all the churches should be condemning all remarried folk not divorced for fornication, as willfully committing adultery, but the silence is deafening.

Law of Land.
But wait, there's more. Remember the law of the land argument? Christians can't have more than one wife because the law of the land is against bigamy (not polygyny). These exponents using Scriptural somersaults, are totally silent when the law of the land decrees "no fault" divorce. If such Christians really believe Matt.19:9 et al, then they should be condemning the law of the land and preaching against "no fault" divorce. Once again the silence is deafening. Yet these same Christians will wave the verse against polygynists with vigor. Perhaps it is more important to have numbers in the pews than be totally consistent with one's position.

Husband of one wife.
Then of course the monogamy only believers cry long and loud from this passage;
1Ti 3:2 Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,
1Ti 3:3 not a drunkard, not contentious, not greedy of ill gain, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous,
1Ti 3:4 ruling his own house well, having children in subjection with all honor.

Notwithstanding that this passage is not an exposition about marriage structure and Paul is only limiting the bishops to one wife, or arguing they should still have the first wife, we find a doctrinal conundrum here. Many of these same folk who condemn polygyny with this passage are the same folk who have single men and ladies as deacons, and not only so, forbid their bishops to have any wives and consequently, as Paul demands, children in subjection. Obviously interpretation is justified of her children.

Polygyny is Biblical marriage, and thus immune from the twisted arguments of the fearful and doctrinally unsound Christians around us.

Forbidding to marry is one of the seducing doctrines of demons which we are to expect in the last times and we see this fast approaching. Single and widowed women in the Christian community, where women outnumber men, are forbidden to marry because they are falsely taught polygyny is adultery. And surprise, surprise, the forbidding usually comes from those who are comfortably monogamously married.

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