Polygamy Left Its Mark on the Human Genome

[Aragorn]

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/...ine-news_rss20

Throughout human history, relatively few men seem to have had a greater input into the gene pool than the rest, suggests a study of variations in DNA.

Tens of thousands of years of polygamy has left a mark on our genomes that is a signature that small numbers of males must have mated with lots of females.

Over time, such a pattern will spawn more genetic differences on the X chromosome than other chromosomes. This is because women have two copies of the X, while men only one. In other words, the diversity arises because some men don't get to pass on their genes, while most women do.

"Humans are considered to be mildly polygynous and we descend from primates that are polygynous," says Michael Hammer, a population geneticist at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Polygyny refers to the practice of males mating with multiple females, and its most common form in humans is polygamy or multiple marriages.

[SilverKnight]

Yet this is now considered "taboo" in most of the world when this was a normal thing for thousands of years since Genesis

[vandor]

In Orthodox Christianity, polygamy (polygyny) is considered impermissible and contrary to God's design for marriage as a monogamous union between one man and one woman. This teaching is rooted in Holy Scripture, especially the New Testament, and is confirmed by the interpretations of the Holy Fathers of the Church. However, polygamy did exist and was permitted in certain periods of the Old Testament, which requires explanation. Let us consider this step by step.

Marriage in the Old Testament: Allowed, but not the ideal

In the Old Testament, polygamy was not explicitly forbidden, and many righteous figures practiced it: Abraham had his wife Sarah and concubine Hagar; Jacob had Leah, Rachel, and concubines; David and Solomon had numerous wives. God did not directly condemn this and sometimes even used such unions to fulfill His plan (e.g., 2 Samuel 12:8, where the Lord mentions David's wives). This was connected to the historical and cultural context of the ancient Near East, where polygamy was widespread among surrounding peoples, and the Israelites were no exception. The Holy Fathers, such as St. John Chrysostom, explained this as a temporary "condescension" (οἰκονομία) of God to human weakness after the Fall: in the patriarchal era, it helped rapidly multiply the race, preserve inheritance, and prepare humanity for the coming of the Messiah. Nevertheless, even in the Old Testament, polygamy is not presented as the norm or divine ideal. The original Creator's plan was monogamy: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). This is emphasized in the prohibition for kings (Deuteronomy 17:17: "He must not acquire many wives for himself") and in general laws (Leviticus 18:18), where polygamy is condemned as a source of strife and sin. Examples of polygamy often lead to tragedy: jealousy between Jacob's wives (Genesis 30), chaos in David's family (2 Samuel 13–18), or Solomon's idolatry (1 Kings 11:1–8).

The New Testament: Restoration of the monogamous ideal

With the coming of Christ, the Old Testament "concessions" are abolished, and marriage is restored to God's original plan. The Lord Jesus Christ refers to Genesis 2:24, emphasizing: "So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:6), and condemns divorce as a concession to "hardness of heart" (Matthew 19:8) — the same principle applies to polygamy. The Apostle Paul develops this further, presenting marriage as an image of the union between Christ and the Church: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church... Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh" (Ephesians 5:25–33). Here, unity is implied: Christ is one Bridegroom, the Church is one Bride, not many. For church ministers, the requirement is strict: a bishop, presbyter, or deacon must be "the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6), which in Orthodoxy is interpreted as prohibiting not only polygamy but also remarriage after widowhood for clergy. Overall, the New Testament does not mention polygamy among Christians, implying its complete absence as a sin contrary to love and unity.

Teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Church

The Holy Fathers unanimously condemn polygamy for Christians, seeing it as a departure from the Gospel ideal. Key examples include:

- **St. Basil the Great** (4th century) in the Church's canons emphasizes monogamy as the norm and polygamy as a pagan remnant impermissible for believers.

- **St. John Chrysostom** (4th century) explains Old Testament polygamy as a temporary measure for increasing the race, but in the New Testament it is abolished: "Marriage is an image of the union of Christ and the Church; therefore polygamy is impossible." He notes that polygamy leads to jealousy, discord, and spiritual harm.

- **Tertullian** (2nd–3rd centuries) states outright: "Marriage is lawful, but not polygamy," condemning it as adultery.

- **St. Justin Martyr** (2nd century) reproaches the Jews for retaining polygamy, citing the patriarchs, and asserts that for Christians it is impermissible: "It is better to follow God than blind teachers who allow four or five wives."

- **St. Irenaeus of Lyons** (2nd century) condemns heretics who attempted to introduce polygamy into the Church, seeing it as a violation of apostolic teaching.

- Other Fathers, such as Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, and Clement of Alexandria (2nd century), also reject polygamy, stressing that it contradicts natural law and the Gospel.

In general, the Fathers view Old Testament polygamy as a "divine economy" — a concession to hard-hearted humanity, similar to the allowance of divorce (Matthew 19:8). With the coming of Christ and the fullness of grace, such concessions are abolished, and marriage is restored as a sacrament of unity.

Why the difference between the Testaments?

Orthodoxy explains this through progressive revelation: the Old Testament was preparation for the New, where God "condescended" to human weaknesses (as with polygamy or close-kin marriages). In the New Testament, with Christ's incarnation, humanity receives the power of grace to follow the ideal. Polygamy is rejected as a form of fornication that violates equality and love in marriage, as well as the equality of the sexes: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). This is not merely a cultural prohibition (though Roman law had influence), but a theological one: polygamy destroys the image of the Trinity in the family and does not glorify God.

In the modern Orthodox Church, polygamy is absolutely forbidden; even in missionary contexts (e.g., in Africa), new converts must abandon additional wives while continuing to care for them. This underscores the eternal nature of the Christian ideal of marriage as a path to holiness.

[Scandal]

[I]In Orthodox Christianity, polygamy (polygyny) is considered impermissible and contrary to God's design for marriage as a monogamous union between one man and one woman. This teaching is rooted in Holy Scripture, es.....

Much more men than women are born, so how does that one woman + one man idea work? God's plan is to make a lot of men incel?

[Dušan]

Much more men than women are born, so how does that one woman + one man idea work? God's plan is to make a lot of men incel?

Much more?
105 males on 100 females by natural order