Arizona and Utah have so many polygamists that the Republican state Attorneys General for those two states have stated they will not prosecute child rapists anymore. Better yet, get this. “We are not going to go out there and persecute people for their beliefs,” said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. Then Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff stated: “We determined six or seven years ago that there was no way we could prosecute 10,000 polygamists and put the kids into foster care. There’s no way that we have the money or the resources to do that.” Ain’t it funny how they found the money and resources to arrest, prosecute and jail a couple of million black people for dope, but arresting, prosecuting and jailing 10,000 white child rapists is just too difficult for these Republican law and order type Attorneys General.Forcing little girls to marry an old man just for the sex of it is what passes for religion in this country? And remember, Utah wouldn’t even be a state if it hadn’t outlawed polygamy. I just love the way some religious leaders think they can pick and choose the secular laws they want to observe, the same way they pick and choose the moral lessons they like in the KJV.This goes hand in hand with my previous posting about the Rhode Island Catholic Bishop who doesn’t think he needs to observe the IRS code. What gives with these people?Peter Nuhn
Mormonism, generally speaking and especially because of polygamy, is a perfect example of the down side of religious freedom. Even the choice between imposed religious belief and religious freedom leaves much to be desired it would seem. The only sensible road is atheism, where magical thinking is non-existant and excuses for deviant behaviour cannot be justified.
Comment from: GodFree&Glad
Why…?
The article states that these people are well educated and that they are against “forcing” young girls into marriage…
If this is true…on what grounds is polygamy wrong…?
I suggest that the entire reason why they are becoming bolder and more open about their arrangements IS because of the changes within the US about defining marriage…
They are also challenging all of us to accept “their” definition of marriage…
Comment from: Barbiebrains
Thank you for making my point…
I agree with you…most teachers are good and would never think about having sex with a student. Yet we all know a very small number have…
I’m wondering why you do not give the same consideration to the churches…? You’re doing exactly what you’re accusing me of doing…
What study are you citing that proves churches as the favorite choice of Pedophiles…or is this merely your own personal opinion…?
Reluctantly responding to phreedm who said:
“The article states that these people are well educated and that they are against “forcing” young girls into marriage…
If this is true…on what grounds is polygamy wrong…?”
First of all, people in a religious cult like fundy Mormons are not well educated in real liberal arts, critical thinking and scientific theory. They are schooled from the cradle to the teenage marriage within the religious system for the most part.
Here is the criteria I feel should be required for marriage: INFORMED CONSENTING ADULTS.
This would rule out most polygamous marriages because they are not adults nor informed. Their consent is there, but only because they are brainwashed.
This would rule out any kind of child marriages.
This would rule out the ridiculous claims that legalizing gay marriage would lead to people marrying a dog or tree.
If people can demonstrate they are adults, deemed informed and consenting by the law, I say let them unite in any form people want.
It’s the brainwashing and child protection I am concerned about. I don’t care what one woman and 5 men do (my dream
or what the nice gay couple is doing. I just want families who responsibly take care of their children. I resent paying for polygamists to hog the gene pool when I made the effort to stop at two kids. I resent my gay brother in law and his partner not having the same rights I do.
The informed consenting adults criteria would weed out the abuse of marriage yet allow freedom of diversity. Unfortunately the unchallenged tentacles of religion make it very difficult to genuinely have an informed young adult who can make decisions outside of what his religion teaches. That’s why we should at least make sure they are legal adults before we allow religion to influence their choices.
Phreedm,
Granted, not all pastors/priests, etc., are pedophiles. Pedophiles seek access to children and will find ways into churches, schools, Boy Scouts, etc. The difference is that public schools have measures of accountability (we are paid by the taxpayers and we are civil servants)that many churches do not because of either naivete (it can’t happen among us) or complete denial. Insurance companies have forced churches to face the reality of pedophilia and adopt necessary background checks. The Catholic church is one example of a religious institution run amok and mocking the very laws of this country with its coverup of horrendous crimes. Their track record in the Third World is even more obscene. I don’t have stats on priests vs public school teachers…but I know where I’d place my bets.
Phreedm,
PS…I also believe that ANY public school employee who abuses a child should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Gender is no excuse. R*pe is r*pe. Incidentally, we are warned not to hug our kids, give them a pat on the back or even shake hands. My colleagues are very aware of false accusations and letting a five-year-old give you a hug or letting him/her hug another classmate on their birthday could land you in jail.
phree
yeah because the church did everything it could to put those priests who rapped young children in jail !!!! They just move them to another church far away and wipe it under the pews !!!!
Phreedm,
I still haven’t been able to make sense of your desire to link the responsibility of prosecuting pedophiles discovered in public education to the school system.
Talk about misplaced blame.
If you want these people sentenced to the full extent of the law, then you should be sending letters to your local justice officials.
If your trying to establish a link by correlating these crimes with those of priests in the catholic church (as if there is some sort of double standard between churches and public schools) – sorry no cigar. I haven’t heard of a single school district relocating a teacher to another school once they discovered the teacher was molesting his/her student(s).
The double standard is a social one. A male teacher rapes or commits statutory rape against a female student and he?ll almost certainly go to prison. A female does so, and she may not get any jail time. That?s the double standard. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TEACHERS OR THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.
i hope the voters in these two states will step up and elect candidates who will uphold the law.
furthermore the federal gov’t should hold up money unless those states crackdown on these people.there is a report out that because of inbreeding polygamists have a high rate of mental retardation.
phideaux, “It’s the brainwashing and child protection I am concerned about.”
The following is not about polygamy, but it is about brainwashing.
http://www.cefepa.net/main2/urban.html
This xian douchebag says,
“I learned that I must not just preach the Gospel, but I must “draw the net” as Jesus taught when we “fish for men.” During my evangelism training in Summer Missionary Training School, I led my first person to Christ, little William Avery, age 9, there on the streets of Harrisburg on Market Street after learning how to “draw the net” of souls to Christ at CEF OF EASTERN PA. “
Obviously a predator of children. He continues,
“I also learned that the greatest preachers in the world aim for the children. Dr. Mable Ruth Wray always said that if I was to be blessed of God and succeed in the ministry, I must put priority on preaching the Gospel to children. She gave me a book once demonstrating this, authored by the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, called “Feed my Lambs.” I have been greatly influenced by this book.”
These perverts seem to be too discouraged to try to convert possibly thinking adults.