Quite frankly, I find the idea of concealing pedophilia under the guise of ‘religious freedom’ sickening. Perhaps I am in the minority on that, perhaps not. The idea of women being used basically as ‘breeders’ is also just plain gross. I am shocked more of the feminist groups haven’t pounced on that one. And let’s face it, that’s basically what a 16 year old girl who has three or so kids is being used for.

The problem with your argument about government interference is your failure to realize that if a 50 year old man got a 14 year old girl pregnant, outside of this compound, or FLDS, they’d be arrested and criminally charged. So why should this cult be excluded from following the law?

I’m not entirely sure it wouldn’t be news. It seems more and more, we’re hearing about the horrors of countries that allow young girl’s to be treated as such. Granted, even a hundred years ago, in the U.S., 13 year olds were marrying and having children, and that was the norm. But then again, the life expectency was probably half of what it is now. Somewhere a long the line I think that it began to become a factor as that changed, as well as the idea that came about that children lack the capacity to decide somethings. Take the laws about child labor. For years children worked various jobs, some forced labor and very, very dangerous. No one saw a problem, but at some point, that changed. Was it a good thing? I’d say yes.

I get what you are saying about sweeping in and taking all these children and then trying to sort out the details of the abuse. It isn’t the best situation, but, I think there are times that children need to be removed from abusive situations and the details sorted out after they are safely removed. The problem was, this was a vast number, and a situation unlike any other.

From what I’ve read, this group has some very odd ideas. I hear a lot of ‘we love our children’…but the thought of a MOTHER, handing over her 13 year old daughter to a man old enough to be her grandfather is either sick, or seriously misguided. Especially when she’s the sixth or seventh wife, and the faux ‘marriage’ is arranged solely for sex and procreation. Not to mention the 13 year old does not have the right to refuse. You’re also looking at a group that routinely turns out their young boys at the age of 17 or 18, to preserve the line of young girls for older men in the sect.

I guess I’d ask you, if you’re against the government saying what is right and what is wrong, do you hold that same view with things like pedophilia? There are groups out there that argue that the government has no right to tell them there is anything wrong with a grown person that ‘loves’ a child, to have a sexual relationship with them….and they use the same argument you’re using.

First, if men are having sex with underaged girls, the men should be arrested and tried. But as far as I’m concerned that is where the intrusion should stop. I do not believe the state of Texas should be breaking up these families because they don’t like their lifestyle.

As to my other point, lets say a 17-year-old girl decides to have sex twice today, first with a 17-year-old boy and then with a 50-year-old man. How much of a difference is there really? The bottom line is she is having sexual relations.

My reaction to a 17-year-old having sex with a 50-year-old is “yuck.” But that “yuck” response is cultural and something that most of us in America and some other industrialized nations have been conditioned to feel.

Tomorrow she decides to have sex with the 50-year-old male again, but tomorrow is her 18th birthday. What is the difference between her having sex with him today and having sex with him tomorrow? One day.

Today he is committing a crime. Tomorrow he is not. Today he is a pedophile. Tomorrow he is not. I would say that he is a sick bastard today and tomorrow both.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that all of this is relative to what we have been conditioned to believe by the society we live in. In some cultures there would be nothing wrong with them having sex either day. In other cultures she would be stoned to death. In our culture one day he is a criminal and the next day he isn’t. One day she is a victim and the next day she is a consenting adult.

I realize we have to draw the line somewhere and in the US we have drawn the line between childhood and adulthood at 18 years of age. I’m okay with that. I’m okay with Texas prosecuting adult males who have sex with underage females. I’m not okay with them using that situation to destroy families. So what if one male had children by numerous women if those women are over 18. That is between them and God. It is no different than millions of other men all over the world. Can you honestly tell me that you don’t know a gillion men who have fathered babies with more than one woman? Ask the guys where you work how many of them are paying child support to more than one woman.

I don’t happen to believe it is morally right to father children with a bunch of woman. But if we are going to allow it in mainstream America we cannot turn around and say that fringe American can’t do it because we don’t like their religious beliefs. As I said in the beginning, too much of this situation seems more like religious persecution than anything else. And that is where my problem is.

You should read up more on it. I believe there are several articles that say these young girls are often given to male relatives. Unless of course you only consider it incest if it is between a father and daughter.

Personally, I don’t think Texas’ big issue is with the fact that these men have many wives and father a crap load of kids. I think it’s the issue of finding a 16 year old girl who has three kids.

I should clarify, that I do think the kids should be returned to the compound (because although I find there policies abhorent, they are entitled to their religious beliefs and to brainwash their members however they see fit). But I do believe that the CPS should continually monitor the group to be sure that the pedophilia stops. No more 13 year old ‘brides’ getting pregnant. They should be required to follow the law just like everyone else and wait until the girl is ‘of age’.

Personally, I see a trend if they simply ignore it. You’re creating a precedent for future child predators to hide behind if you simply turn a blind eye to it happening in the FLDS compound. If they have the right to claim that entering a ’spiritual marriage’ with a 13 year old is acceptable, and she either has no say in the matter or…if she does say something, she will be told she’s going to hell because she refused…who is to say that ANY 50 year old man can’t use the same method of intimidation and fear to keep a 13 year old girl for himself…and claim he’s protected because it’s part of his ‘religion’?

(I should say, I have enjoyed debating the issue with you. It’s nice to speak with someone who doesn’t get fanatical and have a hissy fit when someone disagrees with them. Not to mention you do have some good points, just not all of them I’d agree with. )

Have you read some of the news stuff that has come about the last few days? It seems they now believe some of the boys may have been sexually abused as well, and are investigating some other things too. They aren’t saying much, understandably.

Honestly, I really really hope it turns out to be wrong, but I am glad the Texas CPS is doing a through job of investigating it rather than buckling under public pressure and turning a blind eye to possible issues simply because it is a religious group.