The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
By David Glenn Cox
What a can of worms our forefathers opened up with their beliefs about
religious freedom. Of course, they were only seeking escape from state-
sponsored religious dogma and forced contributions. Overall, religious
freedom has been a successful experiment but with some notable
failures. Quakers were beaten and murdered for their pacifist beliefs
and more than one or two s**** handlers have failed the ultimate test
of sanctification.
The 19th and early 20th century Shaker sect successfully followed
their vow of abstinence, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful
furniture and empty dormitories. But to a religious sect, that must be
considered a success. They stayed true to their beliefs, right into
eternity. The Amish and the Mennonites, with their sincere beliefs,
should be admired; it's easy to profess a love of God but getting up
at five A.M. to do back-breaking physical labor because you love God
calls for a very strong commitment.
We, living on the outside of these communities, can see only the
visible and cannot see or understand the dynamics behind the closed
doors. So, what then distinguishes a cult from a religion, other than
media scrutiny? David Koresh and his followers were called a cult, but
anytime the ATF and FBI shoot up the place, they will call you
something. The Branch Davidian's were affiliated with the Seventh Day
Adventists, hardly considered a cult. But the family of God, unlike
our own families, has escape clauses and the Adventists disowned the
Davidians. "Hey Dave, isn't that your crazy cousin Eddy?" Well, no,
not any more, he wasn't following our family teachings.
Due to the fear of outsiders meddling in their internal affairs, many
sects become more secretive. They claim outsiders won't and can't
understand their practices and the indulgences granted by God. Be it
secular or spiritual, it is impossible to deny that power corrupts and
absolute power corrupts absolutely. The secret societies tend to
become more secretive and isolated in a self-perpetuating cycle. So I
guess it could be said that a sect welcomes outsiders while a cult
shuns them.
Many sects display what would be called a normal church hierarchy, but
as in many small towns, they become dysfunctional. I once lived in a
small town where the police would dispatch a car to take the mayor
home from the country club when he was too drunk to drive. Two
officers were sent to assist, one to drive and one to follow in the
mayor's car, a service not offered others in the community. So, the
point is, what are the limits to church authority?
Living in the southern United States, I have seen department store
managers arrested for violating state blue laws. Blatant, obviously
unconstitutional laws, setting up church-proscribed limits on when
merchants can do business and civil authorities kowtowing to them.
Even today, in Atlanta, liquor store sales are illegal on Sunday
because of Church-inspired teachings. However, the bars and
restaurants can serve them up. "You drive safely goin' home now, ya
hear?" Good theology and bad government, or is it the other way
around?
In the '80's, the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh bought a 64,000 acre ranch in
Oregon. Within three years the religious group developed into a town
of 7,000 people, complete with fire department, water reservoir and
air strip. Friends of Oregon, an environmental group, maintained that
the followers of the Bhagwan were violating environmental laws. The
state's Attorney General ruled that the city was essentially an arm of
a religious organization and that its incor****ation thus violated the
principle of Separation of Church and State.
The followers of the Bhagwan maintained religious persecution and the
truth lies somewhere in between. For a cult or religious group to set
up camp on the edge of a small town and to im****t thousands of
followers who then become voters and upset the status quo in the
county, is that religious freedom? Or is it religious intolerance, and
if so, on whose side? The early Mormon settlements faced exactly the
same issues in Missouri and in Illinois. The Mormons were run off by
angry locals claiming the Mormons were attempting to take over their
communities; the Mormons maintained it was simply religious
intolerance.
The Mormons arrived in Utah and founded a community without
competition and have built not only a city, but also a state and some
would say an empire. Had the Bhagwan arrived in Utah one hundred and
fifty years ago, perhaps the NBA would now have the Bhagwan Jazz. The
state's laws mirror Mormon beliefs just as the Southern Baptists
influence Georgia's. But then the question becomes difficult and murky
and dark. Is Mormonism a Christian sect, or a separatist cult? While
they welcome converts, the higher levels are unobtainable except to
those born into the religion.
The United States Federal Government and the State of Utah have a
history of prolonged litigation where the state of Utah acts as a
****eld for the church. The church was intentionally founded on
territory outside the borders of government control and when Congress
claimed the territory of Utah, Brigham Young was named its first
territorial Governor. The Church was the State and the federal
government was almost powerless to do anything about it. Federal
officials appointed from Wa****ngton were ignored, judges couldn't get
warrants served or orders enforced. At one point 3,000 Federal troops
were dispatched to obtain Federal sovereignty.
But Young's message was clear: we are in charge here; we tolerate you,
you don't tolerate us. When Congress passed a federal law outlawing
polygamy, Brigham Young went out and married 25 more wives. In 1857, a
wagon train passing through Utah stopped to rest and refit in Salt
Lake City, as was common practice. But a small group of disaffected
Mormons asked to join the train, seeking the protection of its
numbers. As the wagon train continued on its westward journey, it was
attacked by Mormons dressed as Indians and a siege developed. After
five days, Mormons in native garb offered to intercede with the
alleged-Indian raiding war party. After a parlay they returned and
said the Indians had agreed to let them live if they would march out
of the wagon train, leaving behind all their worldly goods. Their 800
cattle, their personal belongings, even their guns were forfeited. The
settlers agreed and walked out under a Mormon white flag of truce.
After they had gone about a mile, the Mormon guard opened fire upon
them, killing 120 immigrants.
They chased two men, who had escaped, 150 miles into the desert before
murdering them. They spared only 17 children, age seven and under, and
placed them with good Mormon families. When the issue came before a
court, the Mormon juries failed to indict. Eventually one man was
executed for the crime while others with immigrant cattle in their
pens were exonerated. Even today it is hard to say that Federal
sovereignty won out.
The recent raid on the Texas compound draws that into sharp contrast,
while PBS broadcasts a flattering mini series entitled, "The Mormons."
The media refers to the Texas Compound as "The Polygamist Sect," only
the so-called experts refer to them as LDS members, which is factually
true but the group name as they call themselves is Fundamentalist
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The community around the
camp knew of their polygamist beliefs and ignored them with a civil
libertarian view of live and let live. To a point, that's commendable
but the US Supreme Court ruled that the law of the land overrules
religious practices.
Polygamy is out, Native Americans using peyote as they have for
thousands of years, is out. Serving sacramental wine in a dry county
is technically forbidden but conveniently overlooked. That's part of
the problem with religious freedom, we don't want to interfere as long
as no one is getting hurt. We want to give each other our space, we
exempt church schools from some of the rules secular schools must
follow, and as this case points out, it is only when the issue is
forced upon the government that they will act.
The raid on the Texas compound was prompted by a sixteen-year-old
female who called family services claiming that she was being
physically and ***ually abused by her husband. Federal agents, along
with Texas Rangers, raided the compound but failed to find the 16-year-
old complainant. Capt. Barry Caver of the Rangers complained that
during the search, residents moved between houses in what Caver
described as an "eggshell game. We had issues with that." Police
believe that they might already have the young girl in custody, but I
doubt it. No witness, no crime, and everything goes back the way it
was. The indictments fall flat. There are few secrets for the unhappy
in such a world. As the Salt Lake Tribune described it, "FLDS men wept
and prayed as investigators moved to search Texas temple."
"The first priority for law enforcement was serving a search warrant,"
County Sherriff Doran said. While officers also have a search warrant
for 50-year-old Dale Evans Barlow, the man accused by the girl. He has
so far remained free in Arizona and denies knowing the girl. But Doran
said Barlow "is still a suspect," and, "we are working on that (part
of the investigation) right now."
Sect critics familiar with the 16-year-old girl contend she is not
married to Barlow, but to a different man with the same surname. The
Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name alleged ***ual abuse
victims. Asked if police have the wrong man and will request an arrest
warrant for another man, Caver said: "Until we find her, sit her down
and take a complete statement, we have no way of knowing that."
Hiding a material witness is not religious freedom and has nothing to
do with religious freedom. She is marked with a scarlet letter A, for
authorities; she went to the authorities and she broke the covenants
of her husband and the church. If she ever reappears it will only be
to recant her complaint. Otherwise she will vanish, never to be seen
or heard from again. While the faithful weep.
"Stephen Smith, an internal medicine physician in San Angelo, is part
of the medical team at Fort Concho. He is wrestling with the judgments
being made about the FLDS, given what he has seen - and considering
abuse remains widespread in the world outside the ranch. 'In my
opinion, we had to go do something about them so we didn't have to
keep looking at our own behavior,' he said, pointing out that 'We
didn't round up all the Catholic schools when we found out about their
abuse.'
He said most of the women and children are in good health - healthier
than most people."
The women he has met at the compound are "quite content with their own
culture. Even though I don't agree with their lifestyle, I got the
impression that in their own little world it made sense," he said. The
children seem happy, laughing and playing like children everywhere.
But not a word of concern for the missing 16-year-old, no amber alert
for her. Maybe the Indians got her, just as they got those who
threatened the church 150 years ago. A State within a State, a cult
within a church, a crazy relative or a beloved loved one. A practice
denied by the church but central to the church, so what then are the
limits on the church? Repeated raids and disappearing witnesses that
change nothing? Or a simple acknowledgment by the church that they are
what they are and go to the devil if you don't like it. It's time they
drop the pretense of being a mainstream religious sect and admit the
truth.
http://www.truthandgrace.com/mormonhistory.htm
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