Comments on: Bravery Amongst Cultists

By: therapydoc

therapydoc — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:36:50 +0000

Yup, you’ve got the point.

By: Leesavee

Leesavee — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:51:05 +0000

Alas, it is not only a Utah paradox; it is a religious nutburger paradox (Jon, thank you so much for introducing that phrase to me). Some of my Southern Baptist relatives had no problems with the suspension of civil liberties… but I guarantee that if one of their own (someone who looks like them, to paraphrase Danny) were impacted by our disappearing civil rights, you can bet they’d be crying foul.

I just want to cry for those poor kids in Texas. What they’ve gone through is tantamount to sexual slavery.

By: Danny

Danny — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:05:52 +0000

Your pointing out of the Utah paradox is right on: Nobody in the land of Zion questions the suspension of civil liberties so long as it doesn’t affect people who look like we do.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:20:47 +0000

Is “nutburger” the technical term for religious crazies? Sounds good to me!

I share in your confusion about Utah conservativism. I also wonder what Utah would be like with out the LDS church telling (But we don’t do that!) its members how to think and vote.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:54:59 +0000

The scary thing for me is knowing that for every one of these cults they find, there are others they haven’t found yet, and more that will be created in the future.

Most of these cult members are so cut off from society and hidden from it that it’s difficult to know what exactly is going on behind those closed doors. I really feel for the kids involved.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:08:47 +0000

This whole thing is scarey. Children born into a lifestyle that is so demeaning. I just can’t believe this is even going on in this century. If there is a God, I don’t believe he or she meant for people’s lives to be lived like that. I wonder how much interbreeding there is there and what kind of mental illness they are breeding. What do those people do all day, make and raise babies? I don’t normally like the government intervening in people’s lives, but it seem very necessary here.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:00:43 +0000

I’m assuming this is the story:

http://www.sltrib.com//ci_8847466?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

It’s hard for me to even follow the whiplashes in position, but I’m sure I could write something as inchoherent about evangelical Christian theology. I’m just blown away by the “one person” has been harmed rhetoric in the article.

I can’t even fathom how this will be resolved. Has there even been a cult deprogrammed on this scale? It seems like in the past this sort of situation has always ended with mass deaths that prevent us from having to figure out how to use social services to get help for hundreds of women and children.

That said, I think their mistake was in choosing Texas. We have a reputation for a very strong libertarian streak, but that’s a myth. We have pretty strong gun laws for a southern state, and conservative Christianity has legislated all sorts of morality laws. Plus, our social service system has been under extreme scrutiny as late, so they are going to make sure to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’. And I’m sure the legislature will jump on any legislation that will prove popular with voters and distract from the Craddick mess. They’ve already proven willing to pass legislation targeted at the FLDS church when they upped the age of consent for marriage from 14 to 16.

That said, I’m honestly somewhat optimistic that this will end well.

By: mel

mel — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:53:40 +0000

I agree with MontanaJen…it would be different if these married couples (primarily the female) were of age (18 in the majority of states) to get married…fine. But these are girls who are age 14+. That….is sick. A 14 year old girl does not need be marrying a 50 year old man. Those men have no right to be protected under civil rights laws.

By: MontanaJen

MontanaJen — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:13:59 +0000

I agree with Mrs Pop - if the plural marriage was entered into by consenting adults, that’s one thing. (What can I say? I adore Big Love)

This? A disgusting display of child-rape, abuse, and control. I cringe, yet again, at the hurt visited upon people in the name of religion.

By: Mrs Pop

Mrs Pop — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:11:19 +0000

Seems to me, from what I’ve read and followed that the “civil” rights of the perpetrators of statutory rape really don’t matter that much… It’s the 401 CHILDREN who have suffered, who received limited protection, were forced into marriage to men who could have been their grandfathers, well, it’s those individuals who matter in this case.

No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, the basis of the FLDS, polygamy, is wrong and is harming children. What parent could protest?

What I find scary, though, is the question, “What happens now?” There is no answer. The fate of over 400 children is hinging on the answer.