While reality TV may make up the bulk of TLC’s programming, that doesn’t mean the channel doesn’t have an educational mission. In this regard, we may cite the long-running series Sister Wives. The purpose of the show is to show that polygamists are much like the rest of us by chronicling their daily lives and demonstrating that they have nothing unusual about them other than their desire to be accepted by the mainstream.
However, viewers who are unfamiliar with polygamy may still wonder how a single man can maintain peace and happiness in a household with so many female companions. Please scroll down to read all about the insights we’ve gained into polygamy from watching Sister Wives on TLC.
What is polygamy?
A man may legally have multiple wives at the same time, a practice known as polygamy. How Stuff Works notes that this way of life may be traced back to the Bible, and that there are examples of polygamy in many religions. But the religion with the largest number of active factions is fundamentalist Mormonism, also known as The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS).
Mormon fundamentalists like the Apostolic United Brethren are represented by the polygamous Brown family on TLC’s Sister Wives.
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Can a man legally have more than one wife at a time?
Some males can have as many as four wives in certain faiths. Mormon teachings, however, do not place any restrictions on the number of spouses a man may have.
Do sister wives sleep together?
Many polygamous women report that this is the most frequently asked question they field from the general public. The women do not engage in sexual activity with one another, but they do maintain distinct, intimate relationships with the husband, as is generally accepted.
In short, a big-NO, sister wives don’t sleep together.
Do sister-in-laws experience jealousy?
Each situation is unique, but it appears that many women in polygamous relationships play down the possibility of jealousy.
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Is polygamy legal?
Although polygamy is not sanctioned by the federal government, it is not prohibited in any of the 50 states in the United States. A man in a plural marriage is only legally married to one of his several wives, even though he may be in a committed “spiritual unions” with the others.
While polygamy is illegal across the United States, it is practiced by families like the Browns who are able to keep their secret life under wraps from friends, colleagues, and even family.