More thoughts on FLDS

I have been watching the story regarding the removal of children from the Fundamental Latter Day Saints compound. While I do truly empathize with some of the mothers involved, those who may only know that lifestyle or may be afraid to leave, I still find the whole situation frustrating at best. This is not an issue about Religion or about cultural lifestyle, it is an issue about abuse, plain and simple.

To me, it really is all about choice and about respect for the law, not so much about the life they choose. The issues here are not about people choosing to live a more simple modest life. They are not about a culture where polygamy is accepted. They are not about the freedom of people to choose a religion and to act within the boundaries of that belief system.

The fact is that there are a number of subcultures that exist peacefully within our society. The Amish, many Native American Tribes and the Shakers (the Shakers are a small dying religious sect in the New England area). All of these groups have varying opinions on how to live their lives, on how to educate their children and on how to practice their religious lives. The fact is that they are different from mainline America, but they exist and even thrive within their own culture.

The difference here is that these other groups also share a basic respect of humanity. They do not force women into loveless marriages with random men. They do not throw their teenage boys onto the streets without a home to lessen competition for young pretty brides. They do not subject young girls to being raped by middle aged men in the guise of ‘spiritual marriages’.

The fact is I don’t think that most Americans would care one bit about their polygamous lifestyle as long as it was something chosen by consenting adults and not forced on young girls by older stronger men who can abuse and control them at will. In fact, I would welcome making their marriages legal so these men would have to be responsible for their children rather than letting their wives run to the local welfare office and claim they do not know who the children’s fathers are to collect welfare benefits that you and I pay for.

Americans in general would not care about how conservatively they raise their children if the children were properly cared for and properly raised. But again, the issue here is not that they are raising their children differently, the issue is that they are using their ‘religious freedom’ to abuse these children.

They rape teenage girls and expect these girls to bear the children of their rapist and live as a spiritual wife to their rapist. They throw their own sons out on the streets for minor offenses to ensure that there is less competition for child brides, with no regard to what happens to these youngsters once they have been cast to the roadside. They abuse their children in a wholesale manner and do it all in the name of God.

I have seen recently that this group has set up a website trying to solicit donations from mainline America. They are trying to get you to use your dollars to allow them to continue in their reign of terror over women and children. Interestingly enough, they have a donation link and are happy to take your funds, but they do not offer a comment link to hear your opinions. Please do not be fooled by the emotional video’s that they display, please keep in mind that they do not take the time to video the 13 year old brides of 60 year old men after their ‘honeymoon’. They are using emotional pleas to cover the darkness and wickedness of their lifestyle, DO NOT BE FOOLED INTO GIVING THEM YOUR FUNDS SO ANOTHER CHILD CAN BE RAPED OR LEFT BY THE ROADSIDE!