Article: Polygamist sweep raises legal query

Well Juantoo..

We'll have to part company on this one..where i see exploitation and control you see constitutional issues.

What measures would you advise the good people of Texas take..looking back at it now with 20-20 vision to preserve the constitution as you cherish it in the face of a group that exploits young women and keeps them basically in the nineteenth century or earlier?

As I see it the State has a mandate to protect children.. this is conferred by the legislation and regulations of society.. so how far would you go to "look the other way"?

- Art
 
I have to agree with arthra on this one. I don't believe that the United States Constitution protects the rights of a "prophet" to teach a "religion" that promotes violence, hate, illegal control and exploitation over their followers, sexual and physical abuse of women and children.

In his own words:

FLDS 'prophet' Warren Jeffs offers up some harsh opinions:

On Blacks:
"The black race is the people through which the devil has always been able to bring evil unto the earth." "[Cain was] cursed with a black skin and he is the father of the Negro people. He has great power, can appear and disappear. He is used by the devil, as a mortal man, to do great evils."

"Today you can see a black man with a white woman, et cetera. A great evil has happened on this land because the devil knows that if all the people have Negro blood, there will be nobody worthy to have the priesthood."

"If you marry a person who has connections with a Negro, you would become cursed."

On Homosexuality
"The people grew so evil, the men started to marry the men and the women married the women. This is the worst evil act you can do, next to murder. It is like murder. Whenever people commit that sin, then the Lord destroys them."

On Violence
"I want to remind you what the prophets have taught us, that whenever a man of God is commanded to kill another man, he is never bloodthirsty."

Former FLDS Church member Robert Richter reported to the Phoenix New Times that Warren Jeffs has repeatedly alluded to the nineteenth century Mormon teaching of "blood atonement" in church sermons. Under the doctrine of blood atonement, certain serious sins can only be atoned for by the sinner's death. (from the Wikipedia article)

Personally, I really like the fact that anyone can add more information to wikipedia and if one follows the notes' links, one can verify and do more research on the accuracies of many of the statements.
This is true democracy at work in the world of information and knowledge; something that those who want to control both of those freedoms, seem to forget with the argument: "well anyone can add to wikipedia."

Besides, there are policies and guidelines:
see:
Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Back to Warren Jeffs' teachings:

The End of the World
"For our God has a controversy with the nations, and He is about to stretch forth His hand and sweep the wicked off this land."
"Today the Lord rules over this people through President Jeffs, yet we're under the bondage of the gentiles here in America. Soon the Lord will overthrow our nation and the priesthood people will rule over this land because the priesthood people will be the only ones left."

I admire the Amish people who have lived out their faith convictions for centuries and yet have NOT had any problems with the State attempting to interfere with their lifestyle choices that is based upon their religious beliefs. There are prophets and then there are those who claim to be a prophet who break the laws of the land and need to be held accountable. Hiding behind "freedom of religion" is a sham, IMHO.

Here is another article with more articles about what is happening within the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS):
Abuse is Rampant

Here is another link with more news articles, affidavits, legal notices and other interviews about the recent FLDS YFZ Ranch compound in Eldorado, Texas.
Breaking News
 
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Namaste Jamarz,

You back up much of what you say in quotes, and much of it is nonsense that many churches have used biblical scripture to support regarding homosexuality and race relations over the years...currently protected speech.

However in your statement you end with " sexual and physical abuse of women and children." Yet provide no quotes which support that claim. Have you any?

I am not trying to defend in any way, trying to learn. As we know the courts are now returning the kids due to lack of evidence and due process.
 
Greetings Wil,
If you read the information provided in the breaking news and abuse is rampant link, you find many articles over the years about the FLDS treatment of women and children, not only in Texas but also in Utah, Arizona and British Colombia. There is wealth of information about the work of the Hope Organization along with many newspaper articles, testimonies and other legal documents. The HOPE Organization is a non-profit group dedicated to assisting survivors of abuse within polygamous relationships on their courageous journey to personal freedom.

Also, I just read a recent article dated May 24th about the court case.
Texas asks state Supreme Court to keep polygamist sect's kids in state custody | Denton Record-Chronicle | News for Denton County, Texas | Latest News

And one dated today:
Children removed from polygamist ranch could be going home | Denton Record-Chronicle | News for Denton County, Texas | Latest News

I know that if you read the stories of women who have managed to escape from these compounds, you will hear their frustration at how the legal system ignores the plight of many other women and their children who are trapped in these abusive polygamous relationships.
I understand that hate speech is protected under the United States Constitution; however, if that speech leads to unlawful acts, then the State has the right to act, IMHO.
 
Does the state have the right to act on a fraudulent phone call? Does the state have the right to hold all as guilty until proven innocent and break up every family?

Why not just barge in with a bulldozer and flame throwers and torch the place to the ground?
 
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