More on the FLDS Mormons in Texas
Posted: April 11th, 2008 | Author: Sam | Filed under: Blog Posts, Religion, Scary Stuff, Stupid Stuff |
One of the most irritating things about the ongoing Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints situation in Texas is the infuriating hypocrisy courtesy conservative religious folks. Before we get to that though, this: a bed was found in the FLDS temple which was allegedly used to immediately consummate the relationships between adult men and teenage girls who had been forcibly married. In other words, these teenage girls were forced to have sex in the church right after getting married. In what world do things like this happen? Who still thinks this sort of behavior is not only tolerable, but appropriate?
Perhaps it’s better we don’t get an answer. Maybe Truth Spreader, who commented on the last FLDS post:
…if it was okay to marry a 14 year old two years ago then it is okay today–the only thing that has changed is that the lesbians and feminist managed to amend the marriage statute. well…it is time to amend it back.
I don’t even know how to respond somebody claiming that “lesbians and feminist(s)” ruined it that whole marrying-14-year-old-girls thing for the rest of us.
Still, how can we account for the lack of outrage coming from the conservative religious community, a group that can collectively lose its shit if McDonalds dares to recognize gays? Check out the rest of World Net Daily - there’s nothing under a search for “Mormon.” Nothing either for “Texas.” Search for “FLDS” and you’ll turn up one column describing Warren Jeffs prosecution as unfair because creepy isn’t criminal.
Maybe there’s outrage out there on the conservative religious side, but Lord knows I don’t know where to find it. Meanwhile the articles about the compound’s manipulation of the girls keeps filtering out.
The point that I’m trying to make, badly, is that if one side of the fence is consistently expected to denounce their own members, shouldn’t conservatives, and particularly religious conservatives, be held to the same expectations? Shouldn’t the religious conservatives who regularly tell us about the damage done to marriage by gays who merely want access to the institution have the same courage when it comes to denouncing this sort of abusive nonsense, particularly as it was done in God’s name?
Even the non-polygamous Mormons in Utah maintain - while passing anti-gay legislation at the drop of a hat - that prosecuting polygamists would be unfair. And then there’s this. The message is clear of course: while gays have erred, polygamists, although its practice is illegal, retain the support of even the non-polygamous. Gays should be prosecuted and kept from marrying; polygamists should be welcome to whatever behavior they want, even if it is against the law. Which is how you ultimately end up with this. The state’s attorney general essentially encouraging polygamous behavior (which is illegal) so long as nobody is hurt by it. All of those Christians suggesting that homosexual marriage will lead to polygamy clearly don’t understand that the polygamous seem to enjoy just as much freedom as the monogamous, just so long as they don’t hurt anybody doing so.
The hypocrisy of it is galling. These people clearly believe that while some of us should be judged by a particular set of laws, the laws as applied to Mormons just don’t count. Gays can be prevented from marriage, while multiple marriages can be encouraged amongst the FLDS. That it ended up taking the sexual abuse of perhaps hundreds of children over the course of fifty years for somebody (anybody!) to finally intervene is evidence enough of the inherent corruption of religious conservatives in Utah, Arizona, and Texas. Nobody else would have been given leeway like this.
(This is what I’m talking about. Banning porno to protect the kids. But protesting polygamists who sexually abuse children? Never.)
Truth spreader is completely correct. the utah attorney general this “caiaphas shurtleff” got the legislature of utah to raise the age in utah from 14 to 15 because he knew this would allow the law enforcemtn to persecute the people whose religion he opposes.
And what is the difference between 14 yo and 15 yo anyway. one day??
And i can verify that none of the polyg girls are sluts and none have taken the LBT (low back tattoo). this is why they are being persecuted.
the local govrenment devils want all girls to be whores and sluts like their own wives and daughters. It makes them feel inferior when they think of the pure polyg girls but have to look at their own tattooed up whorish women. to be honest, i sympathize with them. those ugly faded tattoos combined with the stench of cigerette butts is a romance killer for sure.
Lorena: What a beacon of light you are. I thought it was just the creepy old men who were under investigation, but now you’ve convinced me that the state of Utah is actually prosecuting these girls. And all because they refused to be sluts with tattoos on their backs. What a nasty world we live in!
Sam: In fairness to the irrational religious folks in our country, I don’t think many people outside the compounds are interested in defending the rape and virtual enslavement of young women. If the more pedestrian Mormons aren’t actively speaking out against it, we can give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that it’s because the spread of these stories just makes them look bad by association.
The first bad assumption that most people make is that all the girls are 14 and are totally grossed out by marriage. Closer to the truth is that most are looking forward to marriage and would defend their husband to the death. Jeffs community is flawed but most polygs are happy and thriving. Now, that really upsets the straight people even more.
Whatever the local issues might be (such as personal grudges from local law enforcement), there are still broader things to be looked at in the case. I don’t think anybody is saying that fourteen year olds find marriage objectionable, but that a fourteen year old isn’t necessarily experienced enough to make an informed decision about their marriage. The period of time around puberty can be tough, and until someone has some experience dealing with the intense emotions and physical sensations that come with it, it might be best not to allow them to make decisions that so drastically effect the rest of their lives.
“Lorena Jeffs” and “Truth spreader” are the same person.
Compare Lorena’s comment above to Truth spreader’s here:
http://messengerandadvocate.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/texas-the-eyes-of-the-world-are-upon-you/
Apparently, the “truth” being spread is somewhat in question … which pretty much says it all.
Look, everyone knows the real problem with Mormonism is the coffee prohibition. If it comes down to coffee or Hell for me, I’m willing to take that gamble.
Except then I’ll be both drinking coffee and gambling, so I’m almost certainly going to Hell. I might as well get a tattoo.
Boise, I don’t know how many 14 year-old girls you know, but I suspect your choice of the word “most” was just a tad hasty. Regardless of your personal experience with adolescents, it doesn’t really matter what they want — because they’re 14. Perhaps “most” would also like to drive and vote. Doesn’t matter — they’re 14.
When I was fourteen I would have done anything for a Nintendo 64. ANYTHING.
I’m glad I didn’t have to bear children or let some schlub get on top of me though. I guess I was luckier than these girls.
And, for the LDS defenders, most people don’t really have a problem with polygamy. We joke about it, but there’s nothing patently offensive about a man having multiple willing wives. We do draw the line at adults having sex with barely pubescent teenage girls. These are the same girls who scream and faint when Mylie Cyrus dresses up like Hannah Montana and dances around a little. Their judgment has been known to be clouded.