Apparently there are a number of activists in the PCUSA (Presbyterian Church USA, the liberal branch of Presbyterianism) who object to a proposed rule that all pastors in the CPUSA (oops, I mean PCUSA, easy to get confused) be monogamous. Beyond the obvious "well, this is where you go when you discard Biblical sexual morality", I'm reminded of how Mark Twain responded to Mormons when he visited Salt Lake City. They challenged him on how we can know, Biblically speaking, that polygamy is wrong, and Twain is said to have responded with Matthew 6:24:
No man can serve two masters.
OK, to be serious, the verses about how a pastor ought to be a "one woman man", as well as the numerous disasters and offenses which follow polygamy--strife in the homes of Abraham, Jacob, David, and more, the use of murder to reduce competition for women, etc..--ought to penetrate as well, but I think that while Twain was anything but a theologian in his life, he did hit on something wise. Having a wife takes a bit of work, and I know that there is not a chance I could keep two Mrs. Bubbas happy, let alone multiple wives--and that even if increasing the number of sex partners didn't also greatly increase the odds of "gifts that keep on giving", children with no idea who their fathers are, and the like.
So if I were in a CPUSA (oops again, PCUSA) church, I'd be praying that I wouldn't let the door hit me where The Lord split me...
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