With a big news story about federal raids on the compound of a fundamentalist Mormon sect a while ago, and a more recent TV program about a polygamist family, the practice of polygamy associated with some Mormons has been in the news.
As you may know, mainstream Mormonism at one time not only tolerated polygamy but actively encouraged and preached it. For example, Joseph Smith, with difficulty, persuaded Brighman Young to have multiple wives.
Then, at one point--to end federal pressure on Mormons and further the incorporation of Utah into the Union--Mormon leaders suddenly and miraculously had a new "revelation" that told them that they should renounce polygamy.
I'd like to tell you what I think. Aside from questions of what it does to the birth rate, I am fine with polygamy. I think people, Mormon or otherwise, should be permitted to do what they want, and it's no skin off my nose.
But there's a huge irony here. Mormons would like others to keep their hands off marriage--yet they won't do the same in return. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) was a very big financial supporter of Proposition 8 in California, which was a ballot initiative to end same-sex marriage.
To any Mormons out there: Hey, let's make a deal. I'll advocate letting you guys do whatever you want, marriage-wise--you can have multiple wives, multiple husbands, I couldn't care less. And in return, how about you keeping hands off same-sex marriage?
Copyright (c) 2010 by Richard Stein
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Agreed Richard. However a problem with Mormans and too many other religious groups anymore has been their inclination to tell not only followers what to do but everyone else. Indoctrination of those faithful is bad enough but after their services all to often those seeped in so-called spirit come out in full force to run everyone and everything for days on end. Claiming some sort of special entitlement stemming from their strange belief systems these deadset believers take upon themselves to rob outsiders of their groups of personal choice, personal belief, integrity, and all too often anymore political voice. Rifts between Church and State are nothing new but the growth, determination, and tactics of at least certain Church proponents to lasso and hogtie the unreceptive one way or another in the present day is unsurpassed. It would be great if groups as the Mormans would not only advocate live and let live policy but also focus more on reforming themselves before taking upon themselves to mandate and then dictate public policy.
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