Imagine this dispatch from the New Yuck Times:
“Tumbleweed, NV, April 21st: Government officials raided an offshoot Baptist compound yesterday following an alleged 911 call from a 16-year-old girl claiming that her husband had beat her with a one-inch-thick stick. In all, 500 women and children were evacuated.
“Said Mustangranch County Sheriff Darius Dust, ‘We had to move. The founder was already convicted of statutory rape and incest. We just couldn’t afford to have any more abused kids.’
“Dust was referring to the founder/pastor of the First Redneck Baptist Church, Reverend Jerry Lee Lulu, convicted last month of marrying his 13-year-old first cousin. Lulu founded the Church because he was concerned that the Redneck traditions of the Old South in Appalachia was becoming lost in the rapidly-modernizing world. Lulu’s group fled their original settlement in Lorettalynn, WV, after local authorities announced a probe of illegal activities. In addition to allegations of statutory rape and spousal and child abuse, Coaldust County, WV District Attorney John B. Goode claimed that there were credible charges of “moonshining,” or making illegal alcohol. However, the group fled the jurisdiction before charges could be filed, and Goode declined to press the matter further. ‘I just figured that it was now Nevada’s problem,’ Goode explained.
“At the request of state authorities, the Tumbleweed Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assisted in the evacuation by providing a caravan of busses and cars, and housing the evacuees in their Mustangranch Nevada Stake Center. Said Bishop Harry Dingy, of the Tumbleweed Ward, ‘What a wonderful opportunity to minister and show hospitality to our non-LDS neighbors!'”
If the details of the above story disturb you, maybe you can see why this article disturbs me.
UPDATE:
I see that I generated some good comments. Many of you saw exactly what I was driving at, others found that I was somewhat obscure, and still others thought I was offensive. So, let me explain some of the obscurities:
a. I changed names in order to not disparage anyindividual persons or religious group. It is the principle I wish to discuss; not to condemn anybody.
b. My use of some far-out names had two purposes:
1. It is a tool to avoid heavy-handedness in discussing those issues. I found in an earlier post that, in a matter so serious, it is easy to get “carried away,” and to “lay it on thick.” I want to avoid repeating that mistake.
2. I wanted to illustrate Point I, below.
These are some of what I’m driving at:
I. The media–and politicians–have an agenda, and use overstatement to cause people to believe that agenda. Fearmongering about global warming, for example, was designed to induce people to accept drastic political control to avert an alleged catastrophe when it would be smarter to take advantage of global warming’s good points (They DO exist!! Two benefits are fewer frostbite and hypothermia deaths, and a longer growing season.), while mitigating its bad ones.
II. I reversed roles, because most people are not LDS, and could more readily see potential church-state issues in a group that is less-than-popular than one that is in the mainstream. Perhaps that is why, in real life, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints declined court offers to participate in Texas’ efforts.
III. Why did the State of Texas evacuate ALL of the women and children? True, there was a 911 call, allegedly from a 16-year-old girl who claimed to be abused and statutorily raped, but did that–and Warren Jeffs’ conviction mean that ALL of them were victimised in that manner?
IV. Is the fact that the target is an unpopular religion an “entering wedge” for an assault on more mainstream faiths? EVERY faith has aspects that seem bizarre to others.
V. What about members of the group that are innocent of wrongdoing? How are they going to clear their names? There ARE instances of false accusations.
VI. What about the psychic costs of separation from one parents–when neither did anything wrong?
VII. Finally, what happened to due process? The kids were innocent–by Texas authorities’ admission. Why weren’t they given legal representation?
No.
Actually, you have me almost falling out my dining room chair in fits of laughter.
It’s 1:35 in the morning. I need to go to bed.
(Honestly, I have some good Christian brothers in WV. They would be sharing the glorious God and His healing gospel with the congregations of the Redneck Baptist and Tumbleweed Ward.)
Thanks for posting about this, the situation in Texas really is surreal. Seriously investigate actual cases of abuse where there is evidence? Definitely. Rip apart every single family, even breastfeeding mothers and their infants? No, that is ridiculous. Texas has trampled these people’s constitutional rights–from the 1st to the 4th to the 14th amendment–and it frankly scares me. If they can do it to one minority religious group who are widely misunderstood, who can they do it to next? I think we as Mormons ought to remember somewhat what it is like for the government to target us and raid our homes and disenfranchise us, etc., and vehemently oppose this kind of lawlessness.
I think you’re mixing up our opponent groups Tim.
The same people who are blissfully contented with the FLDS roundup would also likely have little sympathy for fundamentalist Baptists. Probably would be secretly happy to see the anti-education, creationist wackos off the grid.
This news story is shifting and crossing the old traditional battle-lines that FAIR normally deals with. I’ve seen plenty of Christian homeschoolers who think Joseph Smith was an outright charlatan condemning the FLDS raid.
Which is why I think your example is shooting for sympathy from the wrong demographic.
What is it that bothers you about the news story?
I think this post reflects your own prejudices and is completely disrespectful of the kind actions of concerned local citizens in Texas. If this was a failed attempt at humor then I think better judgment should prevail in your next attempt. For the record I’m LDS and if this sort of thing is supposed to help the public image of our church then please stop trying.
I don’t think the author was trying to disparage the good intentions of what are probably for the most part good Christian people of Texas trying to help out in a tough situation. The troubling aspect–for me, at least–is that these children are being shipped off to foster homes across the state and put under the care of members of a religion that is almost alien to their own, and without any legal cause that anyone can ascertain (except for a small number of young women who quite possibly were victims of statutory rape, the husbands of which should certainly be prosecuted to the full extent of the law). But as for these innocent children whose parents were not abusing them or putting them in danger of abuse, what do you think these Baptists are going to tell them about their FLDS parents? Will they be brainwashed into thinking that their fathers and mothers are horrible people? That their beliefs are an abomination? That the Book of Mormon is of the devil? Who knows. I certainly hope not; I’m sure there are some tolerant Baptists who will open their homes to these poor children and help them out a great deal, but at the same time I think it’s most likely that there will be very negative and intolerant things taught them by some of their foster parents too. I fear that the religious and cultural shock will do far more damage to these children than leaving them in homes with their parents and siblings. The state is basically forcing these children to become Baptists–not by direct decree, certainly, but by placing young children of a minority religion into the care of a more widely accepted one. It basically boils down to a state saying that the FLDS faith (not any criminal practices that some of its members may commit, mind you, but their belief system itself) is not acceptable. I personally find that quite troubling.
If the state were to punish criminal behavior, then by all means they have my blessing. But taking away ALL children–the vast majority of whom have not been shown to be in the least degree in “immediate danger of abuse” which is what the law purports to require in these cases–of that religion in their state boggles my mind.
I too am LDS, and I certainly don’t agree with the vast majority of FLDS doctrines or practices, but I am scared when a state has the right to basically dismantle a religion based on a false phone call, wild allegations, and as far as anyone can tell a number of cases of abuse that is about average among most American communities of comparable size.
Hi Gang!
See my update.
The article looks like it rolled off the press from our Churches (LDS) PR department. Why are you so concerned about the Baptist bragging to their own, about the contributions made by their local members to help the victims of this terrible incident?
Now to the point of your post…your post tells us more about you and your prejudice than it does about the situation in Texas.
I would suggest you spend a little time researching what is actually going on in the FLDS community. Dozens of Women have made accusations of child and adult sexual and physical abuse against the men in the FLDS Church over the past several years. The FLDS Church is a dangerous cult that destroys the lives of its members. Its current Prophet Warren Jeffs is a convicted child abuser, and is serving time in jail. He set up a system of institutional abuse of children and young women. For you to provide this dangerous cult cover is unconscionable and creates more public relation problems for the LDS church and mainstream members.
The state of Texas had a court order to raid the compound. They have followed due process, have not violated the constitutional rights of anyone and everyone involved has court appointed legal representation; too suggest they don’t only illustrates your ignorance of the situation in Texas.
Moreover I am confident that the authorities in Texas will have overwhelming evidence of child abuse and molestation when they have completed their investigation. If they don’t, they will owe everyone involved and the entire country a huge apology and will likely be liable for their (the state of Texas) wrong doings.
Unlike Utah which still doesn’t have a “Jessica’s law”, they, the state of Texas, takes accusations of child abuse very serious. The authorities are not rabid anti-Mormons consumed with a crusade against our church. They are upholding the laws of the state of Texas, and will not tolerate the abuse of children, nor will they tolerate a community openly thumbing its collective nose at the law, by openly practicing polygamy.
The FLDS church has had a long record of abuse, even the Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtliff, has written and spoken at length about the abuses of the FLDS. He has pointed out that the obstacle to bringing charges in Utah against abusers has always been the problems associated with proving that the crimes took place within Utah’s jurisdiction. Apparently Texas feels they have met that burden of proof.
I too am LDS and I find yours and others defense of the FLDS to be an embarrassment, especially when you mock other religions that are not dangerous cults, in an effort to illustrate your point.
Best,
Johnny Rotten
Hi Johnny!
A few points:
1. I am NOT defending the FLDS. Their views are apostate, and, at least in the case of Warren Jeffs, visciously criminal–one hundred years ago, a rapist faced the death penalty in most jurisdictions (the UCMJ still does), and I think he should STILL do so.
Let me remind you that defending due process in dealing with the FLDS is NOT the same as defending the FLDS.
As far as I’m concerned, anybody caught abusing underage children or their spouses–sexually or otherwise–should have the full weight of the law fall on them. *I* was sexually abused as a child, and I have NO sympathy for it!
2. Who have the Texas authorities taken into custody–the alleged rapists and spousal and child abusers? As far as I’m aware, not one out of 400+ people taken into custody.
3. Whose religion did I mock? The Baptists? In my little story, these weren’t normative Baptists, but CLEARLY criminal renegades. I used to be a Baptist, and still think highly of them. I know of no normative Baptist–no matter how conservative or Fundamentalist–who behaves like the fictitious Jerry Lee Lulu and his followers–in spite of what Sam Harris and other anti-Evangelicals say.
The FDLS? As you rightly point out, the organization is apostate and criminal; mocking seems highly appropriate here.
4. I’m aware that the Baptists and Methodist want to do good–God bless them. But you miss my point that if we were to state that similar situations are golden prostelyting opportunities (Those “ministries to the cults” are set up to prostelyte so-called “cultists.”), we would have been justly hammered for it.
5. The State of Texas may have felt that they met the burden of proof, but so did other government agencies 15 years ago, in another Texas city. While David Koresh was clearly a nut case, his group wasn’t as evil as alleged.
There HAS to be a better way than using assets of other religions to displace women and children, separating them in the process!
Well, I think this has nicely covered the opinions. (I mean that sincerely)
Let’s all be friends!
I have nothing against anybody! 😉
God bless you all!