ylop said:
Thanks for all your advice. I should mention, fear of the gold digger is not my solitary concern about expanding my family. It is not even a concern directly related to polygamy, in the sense that if my wife should ever die (God forbid) I would face exactly the same issue. It is just that it is something my wife has brought up as an issue, and it seems quite valid to me. Actually I also think of the gold digger issue due to my business experience. My main employees are females aged 16-30, and I have employed a lot of them over the years. They all start off so cheerful and pleasant, then down the track some of them turn into vicious bitches that attempt to steal from my company, manufacture lies and make legal claims (ok it is rare but does happen and to switch to marriage imagine if you had a child with that person). I have to engage lawyers, paperwork, etc, win in the end but it is a huge time and money drain. So I cant help but see that possibility in a second wife.
Regarding property rights, Australian marriage law does acknowledge foreign polygamous marriages for the purpose of divorce hearings. I am confident that a polygamous 'wife' would be able to lay claim to at least some assets and ongoing payment, particularly if children were involved.
I think is is smart of a young lady to make sure her potential husband is in a position to support a family. In biblical days, you paid a dowry (like 7 years of work), for your wife. To make sure you don't just take her and dump her. If someone is willing to pay a dowry, that means he must have some REAL interest, and not just wants to "have fun".
I think that to decrease the risk, the young lady in question should have a serious and keen interest in the Bible and the things of God. Meaning, she should be evidently spiritual, and concerned about the things of God. Maybe in the beginning she is not, but different girls may react in different ways, when presented with the Bible. I would not marry a person who reluctantly accepts the Bible, or what it says. I think you would be able to tell, which women are spiritual, and which don't care. If a girl doesn't care about God, or about the Bible, she's not eligible for a Christian.
I think that if you do take a second wife, she deserves immediately to be acknowledged as an heir, as well as her children. If you take, let's say, a 20 years old lady as a wife, who may have claim to some of your property if separation occurs, she does deserve to have such a claim, because by being with you she is forsaking all other opportunities of being with someone else. She's basically (if she's being genuine) putting her life in your hands.
I think that if you select well and wisely, and your second wife never abandons you, and she entered the relationship being sincere, and genuine, and not to take advantage of you, she deserves to be a substantial heir (which understandably, your first wife may be reluctant to allow).
But if someone cohabits with you, just in order to get money off you and then divorce you, you should talk to a lawyer, to see her potential of harming you.
If a younger woman gives you a child, of course she should have a claim to your fortune. But you don't want a heathen to mother your children, but rather a good, honest, faithful christian. I think a faithful Christian would be unwilling to divorce, in the first place.
I think the potential for a girl to damage you financially is limited. I don't think you should sleep with a girl who has not agreed to be a wife for life.
I think the agreement should be very clear, before you enter a marriage. And before entering a marriage, I think the EMPHASIS should be on discipling the girls in the Bible, and in the things of God.
I think that the objective, rather than marrying them, should be to help them strengthen their relationship with God, to help them be better, even if they end up marrying someone else. Their best interest should be sought, above your desire to have them. I believe that if you are able to support them and their children, and provide godly guidance for them and their children, which otherwise may be hard for them to find, it is very possibly in their best interest to marry you. But their relationship with Christ should be the primary goal. I think that after a while of discipling them, you would be able to see who has a good heart, who is reliable, and who isn't.
Of course, no man (or woman) should be fully trusted, but over a period of time, you get to know people better.