Polygamy Shmigamy
Ok. Don't shoot me. I watched Oprah this evening. I went through a stage where I watched her program every night, without fail. And then I went through a stage where I found her over-bearing, fake and irritating. However, I do occasionally tune in to see if she ever has those great shows where she gives all of her favourite things away-which she doesn't anymore- Ellen Degeneres does now, which is why I watch her show every day. It's as close to a religion as I can get!
Today, Oprah went into the Yearning For Zion Polygamist Ranch in Tennessee. There are so many things wrong with that statement! First, what does 'Yearning' for Zion mean? What exactly are they yearning for? There are a few men, who have many, many wives and even more kids, which suggests that they aren't really yearning for anything...if you know what I mean?! *knowing head-nod and crooked smile*
The second thing wrong is the whole Polygamy thing. And this is just my opinion here, but lets face it- this is my blog, so...
Polygamy is defined as any form of marriage in which a person has more than one spouse or the practice of multiple marriages ( Thanks, Wikipedia). This is where everything starts to cloud over for me, right?
These people are seen to be very religious people. They cover themselves from neck to ankle, bearing no skin other than their faces and hands. They don't cut their hair, they have i-pods only for listening to prayer music and sermons and they don't buy their 'groceries', if you can call them that, with money...but with love. BUT, and this is a big but for me, the women all partake in a multiple marriage. They all live in one big ol' house with their husband and numerous kids. They all know that their husband is being unfaithful to each and every one of them at different times because at certain nine month intervals, another baby pops out of a different wife. I don't know, it's just not what I learned as the definition of being a christian, in the 'normal' sense.
Their 'Prophet', whom they worship every day, and who's picture is taped to every school desk, is currently in jail for child abuse. He was married to a 15 year old girl. He is 50.
400 of the children were siezed last year by officials who charged the Ranch with child abuse. These people clearly live in some kind of cloud. Possibly one that has a slightly green, smokey smell to it, that makes them all giggle a bit. I'm just saying...
Religion aside, as I know it is a very tricky mountain pass to navigate. From a woman's perspective, I just don't know how they share one husband like that. When O, ( I'm on first name basis with her) interviewed a few of the teenage girls growing up, yearning for zion, some of the answers left me with my jaw literally touching my chest. First of all, only one of them had ever seen a TV set. Shocking. More importantly, I was so shocked at how sheltered their lives are. They marry, between the ages of 12 and 18, and do not get a choice as to who their husband will be. They marry because that is what is done. They don't marry for love ( which is probably why the sharing thing comes easily to them, and not to me so much) and they learn to "respect" what their husbands do and what their beliefs are. While having none of their own.
Now I have a problem with polygamy because I believe it is fake. I strive, every day, to make sure that my life is filled with meaning, with purpose, with real feelings, happiness and most of all, with love. To me, those things make up a life that is real. I 'yearn' for the feeling of acceptance. I 'yearn' for the ability to be who I am. I 'yearn' to be loved and to love with all my heart. I strive to be a good person, to be an honest and true person. I strive to admit my faults and learn from my mistakes. ( Should I be passing out the vomit bags yet? Sorry if this is getting sickening but bear with me...) I just don't feel that waking up at 4:30am every morning, shrouding yourself from top to toe in heavy fabric ( which they swim in), tending to the many kids around, (who by the way, aren't even yours), and then going out and raking the soil is a real life. Oh, and can anyone spell incest?
Polygamy Shmigamy. I'm a real person with real feelings and REAL jealousy. I may be high maintenance but I'm not greedy. One good man will do just perfectly for me- If I'll do just fine for him too.
Today, Oprah went into the Yearning For Zion Polygamist Ranch in Tennessee. There are so many things wrong with that statement! First, what does 'Yearning' for Zion mean? What exactly are they yearning for? There are a few men, who have many, many wives and even more kids, which suggests that they aren't really yearning for anything...if you know what I mean?! *knowing head-nod and crooked smile*
The second thing wrong is the whole Polygamy thing. And this is just my opinion here, but lets face it- this is my blog, so...
Polygamy is defined as any form of marriage in which a person has more than one spouse or the practice of multiple marriages ( Thanks, Wikipedia). This is where everything starts to cloud over for me, right?
These people are seen to be very religious people. They cover themselves from neck to ankle, bearing no skin other than their faces and hands. They don't cut their hair, they have i-pods only for listening to prayer music and sermons and they don't buy their 'groceries', if you can call them that, with money...but with love. BUT, and this is a big but for me, the women all partake in a multiple marriage. They all live in one big ol' house with their husband and numerous kids. They all know that their husband is being unfaithful to each and every one of them at different times because at certain nine month intervals, another baby pops out of a different wife. I don't know, it's just not what I learned as the definition of being a christian, in the 'normal' sense.
Their 'Prophet', whom they worship every day, and who's picture is taped to every school desk, is currently in jail for child abuse. He was married to a 15 year old girl. He is 50.
400 of the children were siezed last year by officials who charged the Ranch with child abuse. These people clearly live in some kind of cloud. Possibly one that has a slightly green, smokey smell to it, that makes them all giggle a bit. I'm just saying...
Religion aside, as I know it is a very tricky mountain pass to navigate. From a woman's perspective, I just don't know how they share one husband like that. When O, ( I'm on first name basis with her) interviewed a few of the teenage girls growing up, yearning for zion, some of the answers left me with my jaw literally touching my chest. First of all, only one of them had ever seen a TV set. Shocking. More importantly, I was so shocked at how sheltered their lives are. They marry, between the ages of 12 and 18, and do not get a choice as to who their husband will be. They marry because that is what is done. They don't marry for love ( which is probably why the sharing thing comes easily to them, and not to me so much) and they learn to "respect" what their husbands do and what their beliefs are. While having none of their own.
Now I have a problem with polygamy because I believe it is fake. I strive, every day, to make sure that my life is filled with meaning, with purpose, with real feelings, happiness and most of all, with love. To me, those things make up a life that is real. I 'yearn' for the feeling of acceptance. I 'yearn' for the ability to be who I am. I 'yearn' to be loved and to love with all my heart. I strive to be a good person, to be an honest and true person. I strive to admit my faults and learn from my mistakes. ( Should I be passing out the vomit bags yet? Sorry if this is getting sickening but bear with me...) I just don't feel that waking up at 4:30am every morning, shrouding yourself from top to toe in heavy fabric ( which they swim in), tending to the many kids around, (who by the way, aren't even yours), and then going out and raking the soil is a real life. Oh, and can anyone spell incest?
Polygamy Shmigamy. I'm a real person with real feelings and REAL jealousy. I may be high maintenance but I'm not greedy. One good man will do just perfectly for me- If I'll do just fine for him too.
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