About time

Some time ago Zion Beckons offered some comments about the situation in Waco, Texas, where members of a polygamous cult were raided, many children seized, families broken, and babies separated from their mothers. The result has come in a firm rebuke of the Texas Department of Family Services by the Texas Appellate Court. Excerpts from the opinion rendered by the court may be seen here on the Volokh Conspiracy Blog.

It should be noted that the original complaint was made by a person in Colorado—not Texas—and, for lack of a better word, was bogus. The eagerness of the state agency to do harm to this religious group at whatever cost has been apparent from the beginning. Most Christians, and other faiths for that matter, abhor the thought of polygamy and the abuse of underage children. That should not be an excuse to circumvent the law and common sense.

It should be noted that of the 400 children seized, about 20 were pregnant. This is a figure comparable to any high school and much lower than most inner city schools. This is not presented in defense of the polygamists but rather to point out that the rate is in no way exceptional. The principal difference lies in the beliefs of the FLDS which call for carrying every pregnancy to full term as opposed to the more popular abortions in public schools.

To find the actual reason for the seizure of the youngsters we need look no further than the result of having them in governmental custody. As wards of the state, they involuntarily surrendered DNA samples which could later be used as evidence against the fathers. This reprehensible invasive procedure should not be allowed involuntarily by any governmental body in the United States of America. As of this date, no male member of the FLDS has been charged with any crime. Their removal was justified by imminent danger to the children but not so imminent that any of the men have been sequestered from society at large. If they are that dangerous surely they should be in custody on some charge or other.

Why law enforcement agencies choose to mount militarized “raids” on religious compounds remains a mystery. Do they fear an attack with flaming Bibles? We have thousands of laws. Enforce Them! Here, I repeat what I said in the previous post, “fight them in the courts and not in the nursery.”

Whatever your faith, it is needful that you be aware of any assault on our religious freedom. Just because it’s not your church under fire does not mean you should not object. Yours could well be the next one if you stand idly by and watch.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon