Pensees: Polygamy Kids

Bob,

I am still trying to figure out all of their rationale behind taking all of the children from the families. Is it only the allegations of abuse or is it also because of the danger of what they were being taught? If there is a precedent being set for the latter, that is definitely something about which to be concerned.

We’ve been wondering the same thing. This is an easy group to pick on. They hold weird beliefs, they look and act strange, and they are just generally creepy. That however doesn’t mean that the state has a right to put kids in foster care. Having been involved with the foster care system in Minneapolis I find this even more shocking. Out there they don’t pull kids out until there is sexual abuse. Here, it was only an allegation and hundreds of kids were removed from not only their fathers, but also their mothers. This smells like a real grievous rights issue and I’m sure that the state of Texas is going to be paying out millions when it’s all said and done.

You can’t just violate civil rights when the group is unpopular and we don’t like what they doing anyway whether they are Muslims or FLDS eventually the group they don’t like will be us.

I am certain that a precedent has been set that will be used to persecute Christian parents who are biblically training and sheltering their children.

I can’t defend the LDS group - I don’t know much about them, but I am pretty sure that due process (warrant, etc.) was not followed in this case.

Pretty scary.

Hard to say. I have a missionary friend in Utah who is in favor of what was done. I haven’t read all his reasons why. Also, I don’t trust the media. I suspect we are not being told everything.

Up here in BC there is a big group of this sect also. (“Bountiful, BC” is the name of their town.) There is some infighting between some of the major players in the families up here, and the press up here paints some of these people rather sympathetically.

Also, in Canada, now that we have legalized same-sex marriage, it is hard to see how the state can argue against this.

The world is mad. Maranatha!

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

The whole thing is a mess.

And Judge Barbara? I would not want her calling the shots for my family.

I am praying.

I do have to say that I am a bit disturbed by the process and the hysteria that it has generated. While I do have a problem with putting the kids in foster care (seeing how rife with abuse that system is, at least in Vermont) I’m not sure what other option there is.

These parents have forced their minor children into polygomous marriages. So, if we leave the children with the parents, aren’t we guaranteed that pattern will be repeated? The parents have already shown a blatant disregard for the law as well as the welfare of their children. What’s going to make them change now? As soon as our ADD society forgets about this case, they’ll be back to the same predatory practices as before.

I do not trust the media in any situation. However, it’s also possible that the situation might be worse than what we are hearing.

Hard to know what to think. The last thing in the world I want to do is to seem to defend this sort of wackiness.

That said, it’s interesting to compare what these people are doing with what happens with great regularity, say, in the inner city. Men have multiple wives (or girlfriends) and multiple children from them. Women, similarly, have multiple children from multiple men. There’s child abuse, drug abuse, neglect, etc. But since it’s not tied to a religion, little is done about it. At least that’s the way it seems.

Carry the comparison one step further: can you imagine the public outcry if hundreds of inner city children being taken by the state in this way?

To my understanding, no one has been charged with any crime. Also, the action was carried out based on an anonymous tip from a person that has since been discredited. This puts everything in the grey area for legality. Whether the accustions are false or true, this is a very sad situation.