First Three-Person Civil Union in The Netherlands -- As Predicted, Polygamy Follows Same-Sex Unions

News Analysis
by Dennis E. McFadden

Last year Dr. Albert Mohler took a popular law professor (Jonathan Turley of George Washington University) to task for his argument in favor of the legalization of polygamy. Turley had linked the redefinition of marriage for same-sex unions and polygamy. Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly has also weighed in against same-sex marriage arguing that the redefinition of marriage would lead logically and politically to polygamy. Many thought that Mohler was merely chasing shadows, pursuing a hypothetical that could never happen in the real world.

Now Brussels Journal is reporting the formalization of the first three-person civil union in The Netherlands. According to Mohler’s blog today Victor de Bruijn of Roosendaal (a 46-year old man) "married" two women, Bianca (31) and Mirjam (35).

The report: "I love both Bianca and Mirjam, so I am marrying them both," Victor said. He had previously been married to Bianca. Two and a half years ago they met Mirjam Geven through an internet chatbox. Eight weeks later Mirjam deserted her husband and came to live with Victor and Bianca. After Mirjam's divorce the threesome decided to marry.

Victor: "A marriage between three persons is not possible in the Netherlands, but a civil union is. We went to the notary in our marriage costume and exchanged rings. We consider this to be just an ordinary marriage."

Asked by journalists to tell the secret of their peculiar relationship, Victor explained that there is no jealousy between them. "But this is because Mirjam and Bianca are bisexual. I think that with two heterosexual women it would be more difficult." Victor stressed, however, that he is "a one hundred per cent heterosexual" and that a fourth person will not be allowed into the "marriage." They want to take their marriage obligations seriously: "to be honest and open with each other and not philander."
(http://www.albertmohler.com/blog.php)

Already Stanley Kurtz (a writer for National Review and the Weekly Standard) has built a rather impressive case against same-sex marriages based on his analysis of the data coming out of the Netherlands. He reasons that same-sex marriage has undermined traditional marriage for the following reasons:
· The legalization of Same-Sex Marriage has weakened the moral and historical link between marriage and parenthood.
· Due to same-sex marriage, out-of-wedlock births in the Netherlands have soared to 31% (almost doubling since the 1990s).
· Living together has replaced marriage for more and more Dutch parents.
· Living together represents a further negative consequence for children since "cohabiting parents are 2-3 times more likely to break up than married parents."

Mohler’s citation of the Brussels Journal dramatically shows how prescient the defenders of the traditional view of marriage were in predicting exactly this line of attack on marriage by the innovators. Bottom line: we should not believe the dismissive flick of the hand by the proponents of same-sex marriage. Not only do legal scholars increasingly take the logic of the argument seriously for other social “innovations,” but the social test case for same-sex marriage, the Netherlands, gives us a frightening preview of coming attractions if we continue following this road.

An untranslated report from a Dutch newspaper can be found here: "Een Man Met Twee Bruiden," at http://www.ad.nl/.