Polygamy Is A Self-Centred And Greedy Act
Editorial: What is your take on polygamy - is it a matter of religion or legality? Samuel Awuni of the Youth Eye Innovations Foundation takes an insightful look at polygamy and why it is a selfish act.
Polygamy simply put implies “the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, which means to have multiple spouses or multiple marriages. Polygamous marriages are recognized civilly in nearly 50 countries, mostly Muslim and predominately African countries. The ultimate drive of many polygamy marriages are mainly inclined by current states such as good wealth, positions, cheap labor, inheritance or Religion. The same factors equally influence decision of most women who decide or get engaged in one way or the other; this comes with less consideration on consequences which may arise in the future.
Although the act still exists in recent times even when both parties may be in total agreement before committing, it seems rather unrealistic, hence this practice defeats the fundamentals known to every marriage; the ability of an individual to equally divide all the component and practicalities of marriage whiles upholding its fundamentals to sustaining it devoid of lies, intimidation, favoritism and partiality make the analogy moot and unrealistic. Mendacity becomes necessity to play keep the marriage in play.
Nevertheless, polygamy has seen a tremendous turn from the days when girls (illiterates) being seduced, subject or forced to marry older men on the bases of some customary practice, but quite Interestingly the act now witness’s women (now literate) voluntarily rendering themselves as additional wives to men based on schmaltzy reasons or that of financial security.
It is therefore appropriate to describe Men who engage in polygamy and women who respond to them as selfish and gluttonous humans. Again, it is barbed, rather impossible for a man to commit the same mind, body, resource and strength to multiple partners, just as for a woman to be satisfied by one man with multiple wives without the woman having any auteur motive seems equally impossible. Both parties will at all times harbor Selfishness and greed as anticipated, whiles exhibiting characters such as lying, disappointing, qualms, misconduct, and ill fate. All these behaviors exist in an environment where ‘likes’ and ‘preferences’ differ, attitudes and behaviors are likely to contradict creating space for unhealthy competition in the aim of pleasing each other which again undoubtedly cannot be possible devoid of predilection and favoritism with children and proprieties involve.
The worst case scenario is when little consideration is given to children as a result of this committing which they have no says in. These children, most of who are confronted with challenges later in life due to poor planning by parents, unfair opportunities at that time, in an extreme case should the man die even worse the ‘’the woman’’ leaving behind children in the care of the other wives, one is left to wonder the sort of quality of life these children are left to live.
Most men haven justified this act on the altar of ‘’societal laws in nature’’, rather than to channel resources, strength and thoughts in building a home, will rather litter children around with no regards whatsoever to women and most especially the children. As it stands in Ghana, the three institution of marriage being customary, religious and legal dimensions. A man can have as many wives as he can reasonably take care of them, Whiles under the Marriage Ordinance, whether in church or in court, it’s strictly one man one wife. Islam on the other hand allows up to an upper limit of 4 wives, and so does the Mohammedan’s Ordinance, granted if ‘he’ the man is capable of taking care and love all wives equally. The biblical prospect which records some men and prophets of God engaging with more women the likes of Moses, King Solomon amongst other, has not given any justification to buttress the act.
The Society haven set the tempo to accommodate the breed of polygamy complicates the subject to a fair critic as to how realist and fearsome the practice is visualized. Having disclosed these essentials will have little influence on the mind of the African man, After all, “Variety is the spice of life” I guess they would argue.
Source: YEN.com.gh
