Poly on the Radio

[miss_s_b]

Today's Beyond Belief is talking about poly relationships, and the interview with the poly guy was quite interesting. He didn't make enough of communication for my liking, but he did ok. Unfortunately, they are having a post match discussion and the monogamous Christian guy is making me want to scream and throw things at the radio with his level of Not Getting It. He is going on about how broken promises hurt people and things, and ignoring the fact that in a poly relationship you don't make promises of monogamy by definition. The wanker. There's a very reasonable woman called Lisa who is cheering me up, though.

Anyway, this brings me to a poll:

Poll #2290

Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 32

Is it possible for a person to love more than one person deeply enough to want to spend the rest of their life with them (whether or not you personally could do it)?

Yes
28 (87.5%)

No
0 (0.0%)

Maybe/Don't Know
4 (12.5%)

Marriage should be

Between one man and one woman, for life.
0 (0.0%)

Between any two (previously uncommitted or divorced) people who want to commit to each other, for life
3 (11.1%)

Between any number of people who want to commit to each other, for life
6 (22.2%)

Between one man and one woman, for as long as it lasts
0 (0.0%)

Between any two (previously uncommitted or divorced) people who want to commit to each other, for as long as it lasts
0 (0.0%)

Between any number of people who want to commit to each other, for as long as it lasts.
18 (66.7%)

The state should

Legislate on Marriage, because what happens in people's private relationships affects all of society
4 (13.3%)

Butt out of relationships between consenting adults; as long as there is no coercion, it's nobody's business but the participants.
26 (86.7%)

This poll is faulty!

It should have more ticky boxes
14 (56.0%)

You've worded the questions all wrong!
8 (32.0%)

I can't see how other people have voted and I want to be nosey!
8 (32.0%)

Something else which I will detail at great, mansplanatory length in the comments
3 (12.0%)

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Comments

[ginasketch]

I disagree with the "til death do us part" stuff. I think there's too much emphasis placed on staying together forever. If it works out, great! If it doesn't, then so what? I think this emphasis makes people stay in abusive relationships out of obligation to that oath and the mainstream definition of marriage.

Also, I personally could not live with a partner again. This has nothing to do with the partner themselves, but the fact that I like having freedom and space to be alone if I want to. Living with someone for 5 years under the same roof nearly broke me, regardless of whether that person was a jerk or not.

If I had married Mike, this would have been the living arrangement- our own spaces.
According to the traditional view of marriage, you buy a house together and live under the same roof or you are a "weirdo."

Who cares what the situation is if it makes people happy.

[pmoodie]

I disagree with the "til death do us part" stuff.

Oh, I agree completely. I think you should commit to someone for as long as it works, but if it doesn't, that's it. You shouldn't just walk away without trying to make it work, but neither should you stick with it if one or both (or more) of the people is miserable.

This is why I don't intend to get married. I don't see the need for it. I'm in a relationship with El, we live together and we're happy. Why do we need to have the state put an official stamp on it?