Why The FDLS Raid Is Religious Discrimination

First of all, so far, there has been lack of grounds. If all kinds of teens were being married off, the informant would have spoken up about it, and I saw the t.v. footage of the Officer or Sheriff myself, where he says they had someone in there, but couldn't do anything because nothing of a criminal nature was observed. Suddenly, after one phone call, it seems everyone "knew" all these bad things were happening. It sounds like hysteria to me, including the bit about finding something about how to treat cynanide poisoning in the "compound" (more bias in word choice). The documents were not about how to administer poisoning, but how to treat it. So maybe this was mixed with other documents in how to treat other injuries or problems and this was selected from the pile, or maybe there was one somewhat paranoid person who was afraid an outsider would attempt to poison someone, possibly, to destroy their group or faith. No, my friend, it would not be cyanide poisoning to guard against, but something more incidious, which affects a lot of lives through rash and prejudicial decision-making. It is called CPS.

The entire hysteria is about teen wedlock. These kids who are not up to puberty are NOT in danger of being married off. Yet even small babies are torn from their mothers.

Also, there is zero evidence that teen marriage was commonplace with this division of FLDS. If there was, the informant and police would have blown the whistle earlier.

The reason this is religious discrimination is because this entire group has been torn apart, and I've read, "must be deprogramed". Really. I suppose the state now has authority to "deprogram" all the fundamentalist evangelicals, muslims, jews, and catholics? Or just the ones which are more rare and have not been included in the "approved" Bible of "state-recognized religions"?

If teens are forced into marriage and sexual relations, this is child abuse, plain and simple. But it sounds to me like the main source of hysteria is polygamy, privately practiced. The reasoning is that if this group would go outside the box enough to practice polygamy, which most of America must believe is immoral, they are likely to also go outside the box and practice other immoral acts, such as child abuse. The women, they claim, wouldn't go along with such a set-up, voluntarily, so the kids must be "abused" too.

Try telling that to the Islamic countries which have legal and government sanctioned polygamy. The idea, from their standpoint, is that any woman a man marries, must be provided for, fully, by her husband. There is much more responsibility which goes along with having multiple wives, in Islamic countries, than in consorting with an occasional woman. The FLDS group not only believes this as well, that there is a responsibility and shared protection, but that this is key to the practice of their religion.

This group believes that polygamy is what the original Mormon church held as a tenant of faith and that it is biblical, following the practice of caring for the women whose husbands have died, or who will not marry otherwise, and who knows what else. They believe that EVERY child which is conceived, brings an unsaved spirit from a void or damnation or something like that, and that these "lights" which are given life will then go to HEAVEN, and that it is their duty to make sure as many people get into heaven as possible.

I'm not saying there isn't the strange pervert out there for his own gratification, but I am willing to believe most of these men and women TRULY BELIEVE they are leading "holy lives" and that they are only following the will of God as they know it, in the practice of their religion. They choose not to simply believe it is true, but to show their faith through outward expression of religious practice.

I imagine these mothers are extremely devoted and kind to their children, and that they meet the emotional and physical needs of their children. I imagine most of them are better mothers than half the haraungers from CPS who stand by with arms crossed, disapproving, and thinking at last they have a chance to "break them up" and force this group into conformity with the majority and accepted social view.

They've done the same thing with parents who are homosexual. And by the way, there are many "practicing homosexuals" who have a "marriage" that is not government sanctioned. Their practice of a marriage doesn't make their actions "illegal". The only thing that is illegal is to have a government approved document which gives them the same rights as other heterosexual married couples.

These FLDS were receiving some state assistance, because they were viewed, technically, as "single mothers". So they, I've heard, were able to receive some state aid, and did. Unfortunately, this gave CPS an elbow in, and the state had not only a social interest, but a financial interest to put an end to their contributions.

These families of FLDS told their kids the outside world was hostile. I would have to agree. The outside world IS hostile, and has shown this hostility through a cruel, unreasonable, and rash act. It is not unlike WACO.

This kind of behavior, from government sanctioned citizens of the U.S., is why others nations have a problem with the U.S. This is why there is prejudice and misunderstanding.

America is supposed to be about diversity. Increasingly, it is not. It has become hostile to discourse, free speech, free practice of religion and vocalization of political viewpoints which are not of the majority, and it is hostile to poverty of any kind. We are attacking the most vulnerable, hoping to get them into a vulnerable position first, and then build on assumptions and prejudice and hysteria. The same thing the FLDS is accused of--extremism, has been practiced by the State of Texas.

It is a primary tenent of those in this faith to have their hcildren raised with certain values and religious teachings, and for secular officials to come in and tear families apart, with the motive of "deprogramming" people is not insensitive, it is wicked and it is a violation of civil liberties.

Many people have been raised in groups or families with unusual viewpoints, or been indoctrinated with beliefs that are fundamental or counter-culture. People are able to decide for themselves. At some point, everybody has a chance to question their environment.

When my brother was coming off of drugs and staying at my house, years ago, when I owned a house of my own, he said he couldn't go to church until he was "clean". I told him he could go to church whenever he wanted, and that God takes everybody, exactly where they're at. Change sometimes happens from the inside out. When people receive encouragement and support, and acceptance and respect, they know no one is perfect and everyone is in a different place in life, and you give them this, and people can grow. You don't try to make people fit a conformity model and then hope something sincere changes within or that they question their own behavior.

The "ideas" of the FLDS are not inherently dangerous and emotionally, physically, and sexually damaging. People claim peyote is dangerous and illegal, but courts recognized peyote may be recreational for some but it integral to the faith and practice of some Native American tribes. It is the same with polygamy. The practice of polygamy is not simply "recreational" to some old men--it is a revered practice of faith.

Again, if there is forced marriage or statutory rape or assault, that is flatly illegal, regardless of religion. But I believe there are not facts to support what has happened here.

I believe it was a tragic mistake to keep these children, especially the ones who are under age of puberty or whenever people think there MAY be a belief that younger teens may "marry", apart from their families.

It's wrong, and I hope someone brings a civil rights lawsuit on their behalf, in federal court.

I would, if I were a lawyer with means.

I would also like to know what religion most of the CPS workers belong to, who are involved in this.