LAST EDITED ON 01-31-13 AT 09:23 PM (EST)I always think of King David and Osama bin Laden as examples of the problems of polygamy.
The Torah/Bible goes on at length in 2 Samuel about all the problems caused by David's many children prior to his death. For example, Ammon raping his half-sister Tamar and then being killed in revenge by her full brother Absalom, which made Absalom the popular choice as successor. Of course, David couldn't stand for that, and ultimately came an uprising, in which David eventually prevailed. That left David's son Adonijah as the clear successor. But Bathsheba, who became David's favorite wife, wanted her own son Solomon to be David's successor instead of Adonijah -- and she finally got her wish with David's dying command. Solomon was so grateful that, instead of being merciful to Adonijah as his mother urged, he instead put Adonijah to death. Nice guy. Wise? Not so much.
We saw something similar play out with Osama bin Laden, who was one of at least 54 children that his father had between wives and mistresses, and we know how he turned out.
So forgive me, but I'll leave the polygamy to other societies. We already have enough murders.