It’s Not About Religion
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints leader, Warren Jeffs, was convicted yesterday of two felonies stemming from a 2001 marriage in which a 14 year old female member of his church was forced to marry her 19 year old cousin. Now, the former husband has been charged as well. I won’t go into all the details here, but the case is a sad one and, if the charges are true, I hope both men have plenty of time to think about their heinous actions while behind bars.
The thing that bothers me about this case, though, is how much it is misunderstood. I overheard some people talking about it today in terms of religion and polygamy. What they were saying is essentially that if Jeffs and his followers want to practice whatever kind of unorthodox religion (including the practice of polygamy, I suppose) then they should not necessarily be tried for that.
Jeffs and his defense team want people to believe this. They claim that he is being persecuted for his religious beliefs. Never mind that these arguments have their own problems (polygamy is illegal after all), that is not what this case is about.
This is the case of a 14 year old girl being forced into marriage (and other things) against her will. It is not about polygamy. It is not about religious freedom. It is about crime… a crime perpetrated by those with power against one who was powerless.
Let’s not confuse this issue.
This is the first I’m hearing about this, but if a minor was abused in any way, it is NOT religious freedom. It is immoral and illegal.
To be quite honest, this sounds like something off of Law and Order: SVU.
I get frustrated when the issue gets confused as well. Amen brother, Amen!
Well put.
No child should be forced into anything this atrocious and against his/her will. I agree; this is not a religious issue at all. I hope the prosecution can get people to see around that.
Greg – Thanks. I wish it were fiction!
Wes – Yep, frustrated. Thanks.
Two Write Hands – Thank you.
Vicki – Thanks. They have in Jeffs’ case – he was convicted. But the idea persists in peoples’ minds.
What angers me the most about this case and this ‘religion’ in particular is the attitude towards women. In this religion it appears that women are nothing more than chattel to be used and abused in whatever way the menfolk seem fit. Disgusting!
And the bride and groom were cousins (is there a barfing smiley?)
The word “Rape” comes to mind.
This is so sad.
And the thing is, she’s got to deal with the consequences of their sin for the rest of her life.
Terrible.
Stacie – It’s usually that way when arranged marriages are involved.
Linda – Actually, I think there is a barfie but WordPress doesn’t have it.
David – One of the crimes Jeffs was convicted is rape.
Carolanne – That is true!
Well said, Art. Oh, and I think if he ends up behind bars, there will be plenty for him to think about besides his past actions—like how he can avoid the advances of his cell block neighbors.
What goes around comes around.
This whole story is a piteous mess. The constitutional assurance of religious freedom should never be bandied around to abuse and take advantage of children. Those parasites cast a dim light on good people of faith by perpetrating crimes under the guise of religious freedom. It’s a shame.
I often have my students write as objectively as possible about polygamy. Only one has ever endorsed it. Yes, it is biblical, but those were times in which there were a great deal of widows, women needed protection through marriage and the world was underpopulated. This incident is neither biblical nor humane.
Susan – That sentiment has been expressed all around the blogosphere… but much less delicately. Thank you.
Fresh Hell – Well said. Thank you.
Enemy – Thank you. Most anything could be justified if we pick and choose our verses carefully.
Hi Art!
Probably you read this site:
http://www.mormondoctrine.net/testimonies.htm
Many blessings to you Art!
Funny how a drowning man will grab at anything. A smart jury won’t buy into any of that crap. Cime is crime, period.
The law has bent over backwards to defend “religious freedom.” The town over from mine won, on appeal, a case regarding animal cruelty and ritual animal sacrifices back in the 90s. It’s not uncommon to find dead chickens on the side of the road in Hialeah and different parts of Miami. It’s sick.
forgive me for being the poo-poo head here, artsie, but i have to disagree.
this may indeed be a religious issue. a God-forsaken, dumb-a**, anti-woman, repressive “religion” (or variant of religion) that legitimizes child rape, but a religion nonetheless.
osama bin laden practices an immoral form of Islam. the aryan nation practices an immoral form of Christianity. this guy practices an immoral form of Mormonism. what people have to recognize is that they are bastardizations of religion, and that the immoral practices that they commit break the law and the moral code (Love your neighbor would be one way to put it).
i’m probably not saying this right (i really don’t wanna give credence to the whole ‘all-religion-is-wrong’/hitchens route or to some sort of slippery slope of anti-religionism), but i guess what i’m saying is, judge the tree by the fruit. that’s a bad man (sure, there’s worse out there) and a bad philosophy/theology of warped desires.
so saith jasdye.
Nicholas – Thanks. I should point out that Jeffs’ denomination is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly called Mormons. The latter has no connection with the former and rejects polygamy.
Scarlet – Thanks you. I agree totally!
Jason – I disagree. Jeffs was not on trial for his religious beliefs. He was on trial for committing a crime. He wants people to beileve that he was tried and convicted for his religious beliefs so that he can cry “persecution”. It is simply not true. However, I do agree with the gist of your second paragraph.
Nicely said Art. Let’s not confuse the issue at hand. She was a child (14 years old) and should have been protected.
Totally unrelated to this post, this comment is just to say hi. I was just cruisin’ by and thought I’d drop in.
It is a disgusting factor that religion is used in such a deplorable manner. I wonder why so many religions have no respect for women out of which the whole humanity is born…Woman a path through whom Jesus himself chose to enter this world…
It is shameful indeed.
Hope you and Stace and your beautiful children are doing well !
Their cult is so wierd. It’s like the entire premise of its theology is sex.
Nadine – Thanks. It is sad, isn’t it?
Carolanne – Hi! You’re always welcome, of course. After all, you’re my virtual stalker
Mona – Excellent point! Thank you. We’re doing great, btw. Hope you are too!
John – It’s true but other, less weird, religious groups have also displayed a preoccupation with sex.
That sure is true. A significant portion of the Christian Left seems to be preoccupied with sexual activity.
I was thinking of the Christian right, John!