Breakaway Mormon Sect Moves to Texas
Click here to read a riveting news story on the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center. It's a story of child brides, rabid racism, multiple wives, and a secretive, religious dictator. A new Waco confrontation could be imminent.
David Allen Steed leads "a breakaway Mormon sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)."
"In the two years since he became prophet, Jeffs has ordered all dogs shot; closed the town zoo; forbidden television, holidays, movies and music; banned laughter; forbidden swimming and water sports, and sent "God Squads" of young men to inspect residences and report any violations of his edicts."
--From the first page. Reading the story it just gets worse and worse. This is happening in America.
Comments
ericthemage on May. 9, 2005 2:31 PM
It's a very spooky story, I read about Warren Jeffs a few months ago. Tales of teenage boys being thrown out of the society because they are competition for the old men, entire families being given away to other men. And this is liberty to them. It's crazy.
petri33 on May. 9, 2005 2:36 PM
That is frightening. It just proves that extreme fundamentalism, regardless of religion, is dangerous.
sarahmichigan on May. 9, 2005 2:45 PM
NPR did a series of stories on the FLDS last week. The stories of the ex-members are pretty harrowing.
scottym on May. 9, 2005 6:38 PM
I've heard a bit about these people, and I remember the NPR story.
I have no doubt that another Waco standoff is in the works.
My solution?
Rather than a big firefight, I think that the FBI should fill thier compound with molasses. They would all be too damned sticky to move, and it takes a LOT of heat to get molasses to burn.
On an unrelated note, I've always wanted my own cult, lots of stupid rich people to give up their money and follow me. We wouldn't stock up on weapons or anything, but I would put all of my effort into recruiting the CEOs of the Fortune 500.
Just a thought.
rmeidaking on May. 11, 2005 9:42 PM
They had two girls from this group on Dr. Phil last week. Basically, they had run away from home at age 16 to avoid arranged marriages, and were feeling guilty about it. The things they said were normal parts of life were just appalling.
Of course, almost any organized religion has elements of fascism, so it's sometimes hard to know where to draw the line between acceptable and not.
Yes, these guys are clearly way over that line. IMO.
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