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Article: 18508
[Religious]
Date Posted:
9/9/2007
9:48:22 am EDT
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Views: 7,940
RSS: 16,029
Comments: 19
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Boys Cast Out By Polygamists Find Help
Author: Erik Eckholm Source: NY Times
Title: BOYS CAST OUT BY POLYGAMISTS FIND HELP
Woodrow Johnson was 15, and by the rules of the polygamous sect in which his family lived, he had a vice that could condemn them to hell: He liked to watch movies.
When his parents discovered his secret stash of DVDs, including the “Die Hard” series and comedies, they burned them and gave him an ultimatum. Stop watching movies, they said, or leave the family and church for good.
With television and the Internet also banned as wicked, along with short-sleeve shirts — a sign of immodesty — and staring at girls, let alone dating them, Woodrow made the wrenching decision to go. And so 10 months ago, with only a seventh-grade education and a suitcase of clothes, he was thrown into an unfamiliar world he had been taught to fear.
Over the last six years, hundreds of teenage boys have been expelled or felt compelled to leave the polygamous settlement that straddles Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah.
Disobedience is usually the reason given for expulsion, but former sect members and state legal officials say the exodus of males — the expulsion of girls is rarer — also remedies a huge imbalance in the marriage market. Members of the sect believe that to reach eternal salvation, men are supposed to have at least three wives.
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Community Thoughts: There are 19 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Polygamy Started Long Before Utah | Sep 11th. at 7:06:03 pm EDT
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Lune Argentee (Hayward, California) - Email Me
Joseph Smith never made it to Utah, yet, he had somewhere between 46 and 49 wives during his short period as head of his new church. There were never enough single women for Brigham Young to have to take care of over 50 wives. How can one man possibly do that? He can't. These men don't support or care for their wives; they are dependent on government assistance to the point that some groups pray for disabled children to be born (common in these inbred, often incestuous groups) so that they will get more money.
It's a power and control issue, along with the genetic desire to spread one's genes. Unfortunately, patriarchal religions have used these male desires as the basis for support for the rules that have made women not truly human, that women have no feelings or desires except to serve and obey, or at least proper behaved women do. Women who do not obey are taught that they will burn in hell.
Moslem men are limited to four wives and they are supposed to be able to support and treat them equally. But that's the pretty, shiny version of the real truth, which is the women have no say in the matter; older men regularly take much younger, prettier wives, removing them from the pool available to younger, less successful or lower class men; these women can be divorced on the husband's say so, but have to go to religious court to request a divorce, which is almost never granted, despite horrifying abuse (the women are usually told that if they were good wives and served their husbands properly, their husbands would treat them better) ; if the husband dies, the women are often left destitute, unless they have an adult son who is willing to support them. Widows in Moslem countries are told to remarry, that that is what God wants them to do, not to get a job or take care of their own financial matters.
Anytime a person's sexuality is exploited or controlled by a religion or government, abuse is occurring. That person can never fully be free. To be forced to deny one's feelings and thoughts is destroy that person. And to fear not only the punishment of this world, but the world one will enter after death is to leave these people empty shells, going through the motions of life, but without that which makes us human.
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| Did It Ever Occur To Anyone | Sep 11th. at 2:28:58 am EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
That plural marriage - whether multiple wives or multiple husbands usually begins with an excess of one sex or another? For instance, in the good ol'days in utah there became an excess of women in the group - more women are church-goers than men - much of the early polygamy was due to the widows needing care and the excess female population needing the "protection" of a husband. In the beginnig you were usually called by the bishop and informed that you needed to marry another woman - and who it would be. Not necessarily trophy wives or young ones either. Probably not totally altruistic either, knowing what I do about men. However, it was nothing like this modern group practices, marrying little girls and treating women like S**t. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior and no excuse for the government to let it continue. The practice in india and other countries of child brides of 5 or 6 years old is equally disgusting. We are going to have some interesting times in china in the near future since they have been restricted to one child for some time now - and have been having male children in much larger numbers than female - where will all those men go for women?
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| Can Someone..... | Sep 10th. at 11:15:33 pm EDT
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Elwin Shadowstrider (Bartlett, Tennessee) - Email Me
......tell me just how multiple wives is the key to salvation? What kind of donkey dung were these people smoking? This type of behavior only belittles women to a substandard and to be treated as sex objects as opposed to real mates. Any faith that mistreats women I personally have a huge problem with. Just where do all these male chauvinists think they came from? Women, only Women. To dehumanize any woman on the basis of this faith or that faith really needs to be examined.
Now, any faith that all the sudden changes their lines of doctrine to "fit in" I have a problem with as well, just do what their buy-bull tells you and you're ok and you just can't miss heaven. Posh! Whatever.....stick to the original story, stick to your real faith......otherwise you're just parlor pink!
Brightest Blessings to the Free Thinkers!
Elwin Shadowstrider ) O (
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| I'm Curious. | Sep 10th. at 10:47:56 pm EDT
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Badger Breaking Ground (Denton, Texas) - Email Me
Does the government have laws against the declaration of having multiple wives, the act, or just the attempt to file with the government for tax purposes?
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| We Should Pay Attention | Sep 10th. at 3:35:12 pm EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
po·lyg·y·ny, n.
The condition or practice of having more than one wife at one time.
pol·y·an·dry, n.
The condition or practice of having more than one husband at a time.
po·lyg·a·my, n.
The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Also called plural marriage.
polyamory, n.
The condition or practice of having more than one mate/spouse at a time -- often (but not always) practiced as a form of plural marriage. Literally translated, it means "many loves."
Not all polygamists are polygynists but all polygynists are polygamists.
The form of polygamy some Mormons practice is sexist because it allows only the men to have more than one wife. It's homophobic as well.
Monogamy obviously doesn't prevent abuse. Our national abuse statistics are horrendous and incomplete in some areas. Additionally, one can easily poke fun at monogamy.
See "The United Colors of Monogamy," which is second entry from the top here [Web LINK]
Personal excellence, ethical stamina, and education are keys to good marriages of any nonsexist kind but mainstream media all too often uses stories about abusive polygynous polygamy, specifically, to usher in problematic "marriage protection" acts and the like that totally ignore that majority vote should not be used to determine minority/civil rights.
Different forms of marriage that different religions/sects practice should not be automatically criminalized. Prosecution should only be an issue if criminal acts have occurred.
In any event, it must be horrible to be banished, even from a polygynous community. Those who suffer that probably do need some helping hands and additional education in many cases, since some are leaving with a 7th grade level education.
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| This Is How .... | Sep 10th. at 10:56:50 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Some radical movements get started.
This particular lifestyle is sometimes nomadic in nature and it is done by the elders who wish to weed out the competition for the harems. Of course, they want only sons to be born, although young girls can be bartered or kept, in case something should happen to the other females in the group, which is why so few girls leave, but these boys are a double edged sword. Only a few will be allowed to inherit anything so these are chosen among from those who conform best to the rules, usually the eldest, while others are weeded and cast out.
The girls are usually mistreated within the group and heavily guarded to see that they only mate with the sanctioned dominant males, who take as many "wives"as custom allows. Life is usually squalid as there is often competition in the harems as to who is top wife and gets to enslave the others in her group and girls at the bottom end are usually the ones doing most of the actual work with very few choices of their own about anything.
Sounds like a great many animal groups I've heard of.
Ain't nature programs wonderful?
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| What A Resource Of Pain! | Sep 9th. at 11:55:29 pm EDT
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Badger Breaking Ground (Denton, Texas) - Email Me
I'm surprised no one more sinister has moved to exploit these boys more. I mean besides the obvious crime elements. Any other religion could set up a "salvation center" and convert them in droves with a similar doctrine as what just kicked them out. The article said 500 to 1,000 boys in six years! That's an army waiting to be forged. Turn their pain and fear to hate and, Tah Dah! You'd have as many soldiers, mercenaries, and jihadists to fit any anti-something you could dream up. It's not like they think they have anything left to live for. Truly, I'm surprised not more of OUR military recruiters aren't out there. Gods these kids need help.
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| Not Just To Hate On The LDS Church | Sep 9th. at 7:45:17 pm EDT
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Lora (Leominster, Massachusetts) - Email Me
Very important: the mainstream LDS church, to which Romney belongs, disavows any and all connection to this group. Everyday Mormons think about these folks just about the way the Episcopalians think of Pentecostals. The reverse, that fundamentalist LDS believe the mainstream churches are dangerously worldly, is also true.
The FBI first decided to go after Warren Jeffs et al. in 2004, and did not place him on the Ten Most Wanted list till May 2006. _Under The Banner Of Heaven_ was written in 2003. In spring 2005, the Southern Poverty Law center named the Fundy LDS a hate group due to their racist teachings that only white folks go to hebbin. The Phoenix New Times ran an investigative piece in Nov. 2005 that was pickedup by national newswires, alleging fraud by various members of the fundy LDS church. A group of young boys brought a lawsuit against the fundy LDS church in August of 2004, alleging abuse due to their excommunication. The genetic problems that plague the town of Colorado City (due to inbreeding) have been off-and-on-again news since Feb 2005. The Guardian ran a story about the Lost Boys of the FLDS in May 2005. Dr. Dan Fischer started a nonprofit called The Diversity Foundation (link below) to help these kids.
Mitt Romney didn't decide to run for preznit until late 2006. He announced his exploratory committee in Jan 2007. Seeing as how his church has nothing to do with the lunatics in Colorado City, it makes not a whit of difference anyway, any more than the satire of Landover Baptist affects the actual campaign of Bill Clinton (a Southern Baptist, believe it or not) . It is amazing indeed how often news stories are run simply because they are of interest to the public, and not to forward any political agenda whatsoever.
Find More info -- HERE
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| Polygamy | Sep 9th. at 6:57:12 pm EDT
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Jskelly (Ashland, Virginia) - Email Me
Religions that promote this all seem to treat women as property. If anyone knows of one that doesn't, post a comment for our enlightenment. When I read about these cults (I call them that because they generally seem to revolve around 1 man or a very small group of leader/dictators) I 'm struck by how they seem to flagrantly disobey laws on child abuse, welfare fraud, ect. and local authorities seem to do little or nothing.
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| Knowledge Is To Be Feared . . . | Sep 9th. at 4:57:31 pm EDT
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Lune Argentee (Hayward, California) - Email Me
because knowledge would let this children know that they are living in an abominable society.
I'm not anti-plural marriage, but these groups are treating their members are slaves, the women are not treated as human, and the children are often abused physically, mentally and sexually from toddlerhood. They are not given a choice. The groups take advantage of public assistance to support their families, while cursing the government teat at which they feed. If the general populations of Utah, Colorado and Arizona knew how much of their money was going to support these groups, there would be a taxpayer uprising that would lead to enforcement of laws and freedom for those who choose.
Joseph Smith was a horndog. He wanted to sleep with a lot of women, but because of the prevailing Victorian attitudes, it was easier to set himself up as a prophet who could commandeer women as he desired, rather than just sleeping around. I've read at various places that he had a total of 46 to 49 wives over the few years that he was setting up his cult. If women had the freedom of their bodies, instead of being controlled by society's rules and mores, this might never have occurred, and would be even less likely to occur now.
Having been a dutiful child, I accepted my parents pushing me into being a Jehovah's Witness, although I questioned it from the beginning. I left in my early 20s when I met a man who loved me and helped me leave and eventually move to another state. I suffered from fear of the retribution of God for 25 years. I tried agnosticism and atheism, but it wasn't until I encountered paganism that I felt whole again, and finally without fear. And my leaving did not involve having to escape from a compound in the desert with armed guards at 14 years old, being told that my leaving the group would mean I would burn in hell forever when I died. My heart breaks when I read about these poor children.
Sorry about the rant, but the exploitation of children leaves me so angry and frustrated at people and society.
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| I SURE HOPE.... | Sep 9th. at 4:54:53 pm EDT
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
these young boys get the help and mentoring that they need so deeply and they can move on to living in the real world - it can sometimes be a rough place, especially if you have no experiance with it.... and maybe just maybe the Goddess will open their eyes and they will discover the Pagan Path and see that there can be joy and beauty in the world. Lord and Lady help them all!
Love to all
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| Believe What You Want Providing You HARM NONE | Sep 9th. at 1:25:32 pm EDT
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Moonlight Wolf (Bradford, England) - Email Me
While I'm all for believing in what you want I draw the line when parents start throwing their kids onto the streets for having something that they don't approve of. That causes harm sure enough. At least their is some help for those who are cast out providing of course they have access to this help.
If polygamy is for you then by all means go for it but I don't like it when people start forcing their beliefs on others.
Polygamy is allowed in Islam providing that all the wives are treated equally and all are equally cared for. However Muslims do not have to be polygamists, they just have to be married to someone.
I suppose that the belief that you need three wives to reach salvation comes from the story of Jacob who married two other women before he could marry Rachel.
However that doesn't mean that making young boys homeless is right, especially if they have been taught nothing about the world beyond their own except that it is 'evil.'
Let's hope that any person that such a thing happens to finds help. Is there a version of Shelter in America? These boys could use it.
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| ... | Sep 9th. at 10:26:39 am EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Good for the kids. They should save up enough money and put as much distance between them and their cultist parents as possible.
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