The Polygamy Controversy

The Polygamy Controversy
   
Polygamy is illegal in most countries around the world.   Polygamy is a marriage that includes more than two partners. Polygamy in Canada is currently illegal; however, the lack of prosecution challenges the validity of the law.   Polygamy remains to be one of the most debated topics around the globe.

The Polygamy Controversy
   
Polygamy is illegal in most countries around the world.   Polygamy is a marriage that includes more than two partners. Polygamy in Canada is currently illegal; however, the lack of prosecution challenges the validity of the law.   Polygamy remains to be one of the most debated topics around the globe.

Polygamy is the marriage of more than two partners.   Polygamy can be divided into three main types: polygyny, the marriage of a man to more than one wife simultaneously, polyandry, the marriage of a woman to more than one husband, and group marriage, where a family unit consists of more than one man and more than one woman.   The topic of polygamy is broadly controversial, where different cultures and religions believe in separate ideas.   While polygamy is illegal in Canada, there are groups that constantly challenge the law, aided by the lack of prosecution and different beliefs. Many argue, “If polygamy is illegal, but nobody wants to prosecute it, is it really a crime?” (Maclean’s, 2007)   All aspects of the society, including social, political and economical context of the century, shape the law. The main argument of the century in Canada against the illegality of polygamy is the infringement on religious freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  

Part One: The Evolution of Polygamy

Polygamy in Canada dated back to the 1880s, where Charles O. Card arrived at Alberta, Canada as a fugitive, having been charged in Utah with polygamy in 1886.   The issue of polygamy prior to the 1800s has never appeared to be a problem, until the idea was introduced in 1886.   The following year,...