I don't think a wife will ever fully understand (and by this I mean fully, literally, and emotionally understand) how their husband can love two (or more) women at the same time unless she's actively participating in adultery. (Or has been in a situation where she's in love with 2 men). Since that's not acceptable the next best scenario that I can relate to are my children. But before I had 2 children, I couldn't understand that either. So why do we struggle so much with PM?
I'm going to say something that might be controversial.....I think it has to do with the woman's curse at the Garden. "Your desire shall be for your husband." Now, I haven't done an exhaustive word study here, but here me out for a secular second, and I'll come back around and tie it in together.
On Netflix, under the British TV section, there is a documentary called "3 wives 1 husband". Go watch it if you can! It's about a polygamous community in Utah. (as an aside, pay attention to Enoch's family and his wives versus Abel's wives. I'd like to have a separate thread dedicated to this as this is the best documentary of PM I've ever seen). Yes they are fundamental Mormons and believe some weird stuff but it got me thinking. Here is a community, who are surrounded by like minded people, are extremely devoted to their religion, many of the women have grown up in poly homes, and yet they struggle with the same things I do!! The exact. same. issues. This, to me, eliminates (or reduces) the "Its our culture" argument as to why it is so hard and feels so unnatural to a woman (ahem....me) at first. There are many many Muslim women with fairness, selfish, and envy issues too. I find the similarities fascinating.
I also have a tendency to not place as much emphasis on "the enemy's attacking you" argument either. I say this because, if you examine other 'non-saved' polygamous societies (as stated above), they struggle with the same issues as well and my thought is: why would the adversary care about disrupting 'non-saved' people's family's lives? It just doesn't make sense to me. What makes sense to me is a woman's desire for her husband.
This brings me back to my controversial statement, I think the biggest reason women struggle so much with PM is because of their curse, their desire for their husband. That's why it feels so unnatural and goes against everything on the inside regardless of our upbringing, religion, or cultural acceptance of PM. Obviously, the aforementioned contribute heavily, but you get my point. And if I'm not mistaken, in biblical Hebrew the exact same phrase about desiring one's husband in the garden is the same phrase Adonai says to Cain regarding sin and how it crouches at the door and "desires" him.
What do yall think?
Also, here is a post with a similar view on a woman's desire for their husband but uses it on a different take for Idolatry. https://theologyforwomen.org/2010/04/her-desire-will-be-for-her-husband.html I"m sure this writer never intended the post to be applicable to PM!!
I'm going to say something that might be controversial.....I think it has to do with the woman's curse at the Garden. "Your desire shall be for your husband." Now, I haven't done an exhaustive word study here, but here me out for a secular second, and I'll come back around and tie it in together.
On Netflix, under the British TV section, there is a documentary called "3 wives 1 husband". Go watch it if you can! It's about a polygamous community in Utah. (as an aside, pay attention to Enoch's family and his wives versus Abel's wives. I'd like to have a separate thread dedicated to this as this is the best documentary of PM I've ever seen). Yes they are fundamental Mormons and believe some weird stuff but it got me thinking. Here is a community, who are surrounded by like minded people, are extremely devoted to their religion, many of the women have grown up in poly homes, and yet they struggle with the same things I do!! The exact. same. issues. This, to me, eliminates (or reduces) the "Its our culture" argument as to why it is so hard and feels so unnatural to a woman (ahem....me) at first. There are many many Muslim women with fairness, selfish, and envy issues too. I find the similarities fascinating.
I also have a tendency to not place as much emphasis on "the enemy's attacking you" argument either. I say this because, if you examine other 'non-saved' polygamous societies (as stated above), they struggle with the same issues as well and my thought is: why would the adversary care about disrupting 'non-saved' people's family's lives? It just doesn't make sense to me. What makes sense to me is a woman's desire for her husband.
This brings me back to my controversial statement, I think the biggest reason women struggle so much with PM is because of their curse, their desire for their husband. That's why it feels so unnatural and goes against everything on the inside regardless of our upbringing, religion, or cultural acceptance of PM. Obviously, the aforementioned contribute heavily, but you get my point. And if I'm not mistaken, in biblical Hebrew the exact same phrase about desiring one's husband in the garden is the same phrase Adonai says to Cain regarding sin and how it crouches at the door and "desires" him.
What do yall think?
Also, here is a post with a similar view on a woman's desire for their husband but uses it on a different take for Idolatry. https://theologyforwomen.org/2010/04/her-desire-will-be-for-her-husband.html I"m sure this writer never intended the post to be applicable to PM!!