Alternative Spirituality

» Jolinda - Religious freedom or human rights abuses?

Hopefully this article here: Understanding Polygamy will provide some background on the history of polygamy within the FLDS church of Warren Jeffs and others like his.

So, what do you think? Should polygamy be protected as a religious freedom?
After all, if we define what religion can or cannot be, aren't we falling down a very slippery slope?

-- posted by Jolinda

» spiritalk - Religious freedom or human rights abuses?

In response to Religious freedom or human rights abuses? posted by Jolinda:
Maybe a definition of marriage is in order. In our fast paced, changing world so many relationships are encouraged and welcomed that go beyond the old model of marriage and family.

Marriages are a part of social and philosophical preferences and changes. Many people live together in a committed fashion. And we won't even touch on sexual preferences.

Polygamy has created large families living on welfare and become a drain on their environment, instead of contributing to it. This is a social thought.

Does Polygamy even belong in religion? What God wants and says is no one's exclusive knowledge. We just know God wants us to love one another. To each its own.

God bless, J

-- posted by spiritalk

» Jolinda - Religious freedom or human rights abuses?

In response to Religious freedom or human rights abuses? posted by spiritalk:
You know, I tend to agree with you. What happens behind clsed doors is none of my business, unless someone is being injured, then it becomes everyones business.

In the case of rampant welfare fraud, an injustice has occurred and should be righted. But, is it safe to single out polygamous families that are committing welfare fraud without looking at other cases in non-polygamous families? Seems to be that's a slippery slope as well.

-- posted by Jolinda

» spiritalk - Religious freedom or human rights abuses?

In response to Religious freedom or human rights abuses? posted by Jolinda:
The subject is polygamy...not welfare fraud. We all have stories on both I am sure. No, I was not pointing out any one group re: welfare...it was just another observation on the topic....one that affects all of us...and in the pocket book at that!

God bless, J

-- posted by spiritalk

» Brian Tubbs - Question for Jolinda

In response to Religious freedom or human rights abuses? posted by spiritalk:

You write: "We just know God wants us to love one another." For the sake of argument, how do we KNOW this?

» jcredmond - Religious freedom or human rights abuses?

In response to Religious freedom or human rights abuses? posted by Jolinda:
I want to thank you for writing such an informative article on this topic. I had always thought of polygamy as an excuse for older men to have sex with very young girls. (Maybe it still is...)

At least now I have a better understanding of the underlying reasons for this practice.

I'm curious, though: Has anyone ever suggested that a woman can have more than one husband under the polygamy rules?

-- posted by jcredmond

» Brian Tubbs - Women w/ multiple husbands

In response to Religious freedom or human rights abuses? posted by jcredmond:

I know it's been suggested numerous times in debates, writings, conversations, etc. But I don't know if there's any religious group (in the western world anyway) that practices that. Does anyone else know of one?

» Jolinda - Question for Jolinda

In response to Question for Jolinda posted by BrianTubbs:

I didn't write this, Spiritalk did.
I would say that this emphasis on love is a post-Arminius development in the history of Christianity, but one that is well-supported, Biblically at least.

As a vegetarian with Buddhist tendencies, I might define "us" and "one another" quite differently than a Christian, though!

-- posted by Jolinda