The image above is that of a large African polygamist family. In the past several decades to centuries, missionaries from the western churches following the Latin or Protestant traditions encounter many such families. Because mandatory monogamy has been established for over a thousand years in Europe and countries populated by those of European ancestry, missionaries have required that the husband, if he wishes to be baptized and become a Christian, divorce every other wife except his first one. That results in plural wives and their children being thrown out on the street, more or less. The human cost is dreadful.

I recently bought a book by a Catholic missionary-pastor, Eugene Hillman, who wrote a book “Polygamy Reconsidered”, published in 1975 and now out of print. This gentleman worked in the missionary fields of East Africa for decades and decided to write a book on the subject of how the Latin Catholic Church should address the numerous African polygamist families without incurring the dreadful human costs of throwing out the plural wives and their children from the husband’s home.

In the Introduction, Hillman exposes the root source of the problem, and seems unaware of what he said, which perhaps is not a surprise after 2000 years of Christianity. In the section titled “Guiding Principals”, he notes

… the Church is not constitutionally bound to the limited world view, the ephemeral forms and ethnic conventions, the local laws, customs and practices of any particular segment of humanity. In the words of Vatican II:

“The Church, sent to all peoples of every time and place, is not bound exclusively and indissolubly to any race or nation, nor to any particular way of life or customary pattern of living, ancient or recent. Faithful to her own tradition and at the same time conscious of her universal mission, she can enter into communion with various cultural modes, to her own enrichment and theirs too”

–Hillman, 4

Let’s not read that too quickly. Hillman is quoting Vatican II as saying the Church is not bound to any particular race nor any pattern of living, ancient or modern. Vatican II is reaffirming the centuries old rejection of the Hebrew/Jewish roots of Christianity. Because of that, the Church is going throughout the world, imposing “her own tradition” through “communion with various cultural modes”. Africans and those of African descent have good reason to complain about European cultural imperialism.

On page 3 at the beginning of this section of “Guiding Principals”, Hillman cites Acts 15:1-30. But he carefully does not explain what happened at that council! Here’s the full passage, and then afterwards we’ll discuss it.

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.”

6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. 8 And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; 9 and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. 10 Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

12 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,

16 ‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
    from its ruins I will rebuild it,
        and I will set it up,
17 so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—
    even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called.
        Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things 18 known from long ago.’

19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.”

22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, 25 we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

30 So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 

Acts 15:1-30 NRSV

James ruled, and all present concurred, that for Gentiles who are converting to Judaism, as it was known then, before the division between Church and Synagogue, only four (4) things would be required of each new convert.

  • no eating food sacrificed to idols, i.e. no idol worship [Exodus 20:1-5]
  • abstain from consuming blood [Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17, 17:10-11]
  • abstain from strangled food [the blood hasn’t been spilled out]
  • abstain from fornication [Deuteronomy 22:28]

Conversion to Judaism and later, Christianity, implies a rejection of the god[s] that the convert may have previously worshipped. As Ruth said, “your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

The food laws are found in Levitcus chapter 11. By following those laws, the people of Israel are holy as the Lord is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45).

Sexual purity is also mandated. No man is to take a woman outside of marriage; as referenced above, if a man forcibly lies with a virgin that has not yet been betrothed, he has to pay a bride price for her, marry and never divorce her. Adultery is punishable by death (Deuteronomy 22:22-25).

All of these things were mandated by James and ratified by the Acts 15 council. If you look through those four statements/requirements, nothing was said about polygyny or getting rid of “extra wives”. Because James also said that in every city, there’s a synagogue where new converts can go to learn about Moses for the past several centuries, he’s making it clear that the laws Moses recorded for God are expected to be learned by the new convert over time.

The Catholic Church during Vatican II ignored all of this. They ignored that there were four basic starting requirements and that the convert would be learning Moses in the synagogue. By saying that the Catholic Church is not bound to any culture, ancient or modern, they again rejected what James said. Because of this rejection, they are substituting Catholic tradition for the four basic requirements and defrauding new converts of much needed instruction!!!

As the scripture says, “the law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2; Isaiah 2:3).

Leave a Reply