Heard about HBO's new series Big Love (I discovered it here) and couldn't believe the idea of HBO making a television series based upon the concept of polygomy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised...with the sucess of Desperate Housewives and Sex in the City why not try to reinvent the superban middle-aged sex comedy series. In the show Bill Paxton plays a man who has 3 wives and 7 children in Salt Lake City.
But you've got to w
onder who's going to get into a show like this? If this becomes successful it will either because (a) the writings amazing...or (b) we are that deeply drawn to unhealthy views of sex and love.I've got to say, I do hope this series is unsuccesful, but of course they probably won't replace it within anything better. But I think you can expect the Mormon community to be very displeaced with this show...in fact...here's an editorial peace from the Salt La
ke Tribune with an e-mail they are encouraged to send around and send into HBO about their discontent.Big Love actually has some pretty strong talent...Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn (I know her best from "Waterworld")Chloë Sevigny (you've seen her in a movie before I almost promise...but she also got an Oscan nomination for "Boys Don't Cry"), Ginnifer Goodwin (she's Jaoquin Pheonix's 1st wife in "Walk the Line"). You might be able to recognize them in the pictures of the various families posted in this article.
Related Tags: Big Love, HBO, Polygamy, Bill Paxton, Television, Mormon, Salt Lake City
6 comments:
After you read this you might think I'm a freek so first off - I don't support Polygamy!
That being said, some friends and I were talking about this subject a few weeks ago and were discussing that, regardless of how we feel about it, were does God forbid it in the Scriptures? It definitely disqualifies you from being an Elder, Bishop, or Deacon...but does that mean it's a sin? Where does it say in the Scriptures that having more than one wife constitutes sexual immorality?
Just curious what you think...I've done a cursory look at the Scriptures since our discussion but I admit I haven't spent a whole lot of time on it.
Saw two back-to-back previews for the show at the movie theatre the other night. (Before Failure to Launch.) Even though I'm not supporting this, the show looks intriguing. I don't think it's interesting enough for me to want to tune in though. Definitely shakes up the typical American family dynamic though!
To recovering...When Paul is speaking of marriage in general in 1 Corinthians 7, he does constitute it as one man and one woman. Jesus also refers to the "two becoming one" in his discourse concerning marriage and divorce in Matthew 19. He said the "two will become one flesh," not three will become one, four will become one, and so on and so on. So, I would say that scripture teaches that polygamy is wrong. God designed the marriage covenant to be two people (see Genesis 2). Otherwise he would have created more "options" for Adam.
Requisite - I do not support polygamy - tag here.
I understand what you are trying to say, but the Bible never explicitly states that it is wrong. We can make suppositions that it is wrong, but we can't quote any very specific and explicit chapter and verse. Perhaps it was assumed that most people would be one man and one wife because most men could not afford to keep more than one wife? Polygamists of the past were wealthy men, who could afford it and the wealthy have always been in the minority.
There are plenty of reasons not to support polygamy, but we should accept that the Bible is not very clear on the subject. We can draw our suppositions from scripture, but in the end we may have to concede that our objections are based on long standing cultural mores that have become "gospel".
Moses’ law said, the king “shall not multiply horses to himself… Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).
http://www.eadshome.com/polygamy.htm
is another good link.
It's interesting how Mormon culture, both positive ("Napoleon Dynamite") and questionable ("Big Love") is getting increasing attention in this country. The Utah-based religion may be pretty shaky in terms of its foundations but it has produced a very wholesome, family-oriented society not just in Utah but throughout the world. I can understand why LDS folks are up in arms over "Big Love."
Note: according to the review on slate.com, the show doesn't even include the religious angle.
As far as the Bible's position, however--for me, the anti-polygamy vibe has always come not from any laws against it but rather from the biblical creation story. When man needed companionship, God didn't create a group of women over which to preside as head of household; rather, he created one. Which makes me think that marriage was always intended to be a partnership between just two people, an intimacy that can't be found when a husband has to be "shared".
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