Just some thoughts and ideas going around in my head while trying to figure out where I am and where everyone else is going.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Sex and Religion

One of the things that I will miss not being able to ask Mitt now that he has disappeared from the political arena, at least until the RNC Convention, is "What's up with your church?"


I know that's unfair. It's not his church that I would be asking about, but the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, an offshoot, a rogue branch of the Mormon Church headquartered in Utah. But apart from the Osmonds and the young men dressed in white shirts and ties in West Philly, he is the only person who I know belongs to the church with a bit of pull.


I am not going to go into the story of the abduction or rescue (depends on what side of the fence you're on) of the 400 plus children from the church's FYZ Ranch in Eldorado TX, you can follow the link if you like. I am firm believer of not guilty until proven, and the story is still being written. All I know is that there are allegations of child abuse, of girls 15 years old and younger being forced into sexual relations with men much older than they are. These children were then separated from their parents, or the people they think are their parents by the authorities. Also there is to be a hearing by the courts on Thursday to determine the future of the children as they bus them off to the local sports arena for rest and shelter ala Katrina. And I want to know why.

I can't pretend that I understand religion. I don't really understand my own church. Maybe that is why I haven't been since my father's funeral. But if I were to try in this case, I would have to find out why. Where is the reasoning behind this kind of thought in Texas? Is there some sort of link to the Branch Davidians. Is there something in the water? Am I just reaching? What's going on?

So again, if Mitt does get the VP running mate nod this year, I hope someone has the guts or maybe the stupidity to ask, "What's up with your church?"

9 comments:

  1. Sadly all of our churches has not so sane off shoots that have us shaking our heads.

    The FLDS church in the Mormon's thorn. I have been making a sincere effort at being less judgmental these day, but images of 14 year old prairie garb brides with babies makes it hard. I think grown folks have the right to live as they chose, but where do we draw the line? My 13 year old daughter is barely fit to be a teenage let alone a wife, so I can't image what grown man could find her attractive as a spouse.

    I don't think Mitt has a good answer and if he is smart he will tow the party line. Any effort to justify the FLDS way of life will sink his career.

    The children complicate this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ingrid - I know Mitt wouldn't be able to answer the question. the FLDS is like that crazy aunt back in the day that people kept in the attic away from the neighbors. You know she's there but you never acknowledge that she exists.

    I don't blame him, I just want to know how we allow this to exist and yet criticize islam or other religions for the practices they have. Mitt is just an easy target. I should actually pick on Dubby since he's from Texas and should know about his neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's all relative... you have Mormons/Muslims believing in poligamy, FLDS having compounds of child brides, catholics and thier priest that love young boys, christian ministers having babies with women in the congregation...too name a few.

    Religion is an ideal, an institutionalized thiking stencil, a foundation for your belief...

    ...but belief is a very autonomous thing.

    We live in a world of many ugly and vile behaviors.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's sad how religion, not God, has led so many people into harms way. Religion can be dangerous, that's why I am so glad I have a personal relationship with God.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Blah - So you believe religion is institutionalized thinking. I couldn't agree with you more and like they say in a Marx Brothers movie, who wants to live in an institution.
    ___________________________________

    Whozhe - I am reminded of a verse from the Beatles song Imagine

    "Imagine there's no countries
    It isn't hard to do
    Nothing to kill or die for
    And no religion too
    Imagine all the people
    Living life in peace..."

    People do so much stuff in the name of religion, it's scary.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am not sure if removing the children into the custody of Foster care is even any better, this made my head heart. Cults!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chet - I'm with you on that. I'm not sure that the cure for those kids will be any better than the cause.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am sad but also not shocked as to the recent events that took place in Texas. This unfortuantly is only the beginning of modern freedoms. Sexual perversions of all kinds are running rampade all over the world and I fear that our Governments conformity to individual choice and freedoms and the dismissal of God in this land will only serve to proove that man can not govern oneself. Now men and women do not have the fear of God (who is the Supreme Authority over all of mankind) and which man or women will tell you or I how to live now? We are all born into this world with equal qualifications and no one has any right over another man except himself. Basicly, our world is becoming a free for all society and without God as our basis of morality things will only get worse.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Momma - Thanks for dropping by. I'm not sure that I agree with you. It seems to me that most crimes against humanity are done by people who are professing to do it in the name of God. The conquest of the Americas and slavery, the Crusades, the attack on the Trade Center for a few examples.

    Other peoples religions scare me. The belief that their way of celebrating and rejoicing their for love for God will justify all that they do scare me even more.

    ReplyDelete

Did you like or dislike what you just read? Go ahead, tell me why. All comments are welcome here, good or bad let's both open up and discuss our differences or our similarities.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Google Analytics Tracking Code