This week it was suggested in Federal parliament that if same sex marriage became legal it was inevitable that polygamy would be the next domino to fall. Polygamy is very much alive and well in this country - and has been since we embraced multiculturism.
Polygamy is common in most of the Arab world and in many parts of Africa. When we started to receive migrants from those areas it became the custom to ignore the fact that some people had more than one wife. Provided the union happened overseas we ignored the departure from local custom, but banned any new multi marriages here in this country.
Perhaps we should look at this whole question in a broader context. Until recently homosexuality was illegal in many parts of Australia and practising gays were hounded and prosecuted. Gradually the cohabitation of same sex couples living together got grudging acceptance - and now there is pressure for the final step - to recognise the union as a legal marriage - the same as is applied to " straight "couples.
What it really comes down to is that dreaded subject of - sex !
The churches have long been uncomfortable with the sex act. They vigorously demand that it not exist outside of marriage - and some churches forbid it for pleasure and insist it should only take place for procreation.
The sticking point is sex between same sex couples, and here we have the moral dilemma.
Some churches now condone gay priests or ministers - provided they remain celibate. There is no complaint against companionship and friendship between same sex couples - provided they do not indulge in that dreaded subject - the sexual act.
The same voodoo curse attaches to those who have more than one wife. Society goes into a frenzy the moment they think of a man having sex with more than one woman.
So - we have the extraordinary situation that in this country thousands of same sex couples live openly together - and are not having their bedrooms raided by the sex police - and many migrant families exist with a plurality of females - and we continue to ignore this - provided they refrain from wanting a marriage certificate to formalise the union.
It seems inevitable that eventually this last bastion will fall. It has in other places - and yet the sex bogey seems so deeply implanted in our psyche that we may never be comfortable with taking sex seriously as part of life without severe inhibitions.
And the crazy thing is sex is the driving force that motivates our entire commercial world !
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