Reader comments
Texas to return 12 FLDS children to families

Margie | 6:27 p.m. May 23, 2008

It is good that the Mothers and Children are reunited, but they need to know that they can not go back to the Ranch where they were. Pologomy is wrong and they need to know this. If they can not accept this then the children need to be kept in the care of CPS. If we let them back into the same life style, then the same thing is going to happen again.

AG | 6:58 p.m. May 23, 2008

Margie: "same thing is going to happen again. "
<<<

What same thing is going to happen again? I think we need to leave these families alone, until it's proven they've broken the law, and not take their children away until we have charged the parents with a crime. Any thing else, all this child snatching going on, is the product of misunderstanding and bigotry. This really is persecution, I thought I'd never see happening in this country.

realitycheck | 7:17 p.m. May 23, 2008

The problem is that the child protection laws weren't written to hold a community such as FLDS to account. The laws require the Texas DFPS prove "immediate" danger to the physical health and welfare of the children that requires "urgent" removal.

Girls are taught from birth that they are to be the servants of men -- their fathers, their husbands and their prophets. They are taught to "keep sweet" and give themselves "mind, body and soul" to whichever man is their priesthood head. They learn early on that the more children they have, the greater their heavenly glory.

Boys face the prospect that soon after puberty they will be encouraged or forced out of the community, or they will grow up to be criminals, practicing polygamy in the name of God and possibly becoming sexual predators by accepting without question any child brides they are assigned.

For both boys and girls, there is no chance to dream of anything beyond what the prophet tells them. And the "prophet" won't tell them to go to college, or to find someone and fall in love. Now that's not illegal, but it is inherently abusive and morally wrong.

Comments continue below

Not a revelation! | 7:38 p.m. May 23, 2008

What a big mess! How are CPS ever going to save the FLDS children from the abuse of the FLDS adults, very, very, sick cult. It's very sad, and it looks quite bleak for the FLDS kids! This is America and there should not be any female children forced into any marriages. Everyone in America should have the right to choose to whom they wish to marry and love. This FLDS stuff is evil!!! God has absolutely nothing to do in anyway with these sick FLDS mens cultism practices! Brainwashing is evil!

John Lambert | 7:56 p.m. May 23, 2008

In the last five years or so the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a mother could not get revocation of visitation and parental rights for her ex-husband even though he believed in polygamy and was alleged by her oldest daughter, who had at the time been the man's step daughter, to have proposed that the two of them marry.
If a man has two live-in girlfriends is that grounds for removing the children? I wish, but probably not in some states.
People have to accept that the FLDS believe polygamy is commanded by God and no amount of legal force will change their views. Preaching the pure word of God might. Maybe we should send missionaries to the FLDS like Alma, Amulek and their associates went to the Zoramites.

NOT QUITE FREE YET | 8:05 p.m. May 23, 2008

They have to be supervised enough is enough just send the children back to their parents.

Trying to save face | 8:10 p.m. May 23, 2008

Looks like the CPS is trying to cover its ass a little, but please the CPS should have never removed the children from their homes.
At least now it look s like some light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Mad Granny | 8:21 p.m. May 23, 2008

How could our "dumb" courts have ordered these poor children back to the sick sick people.All literature that is out about the FLDS tells you what they do to these poor little girls!! Can you imagine a little 13 or 14 year old girl having a baby when she is not even developed enough to have a baby.If that isn't sick I do not know what is.These people are accomplished liars --it scares me to read what goes on in these compounds.You can bet your sweet life that they won't be so eager to open their doors to the media,as they have while putting on their big show .

To: Mad Granny | 8:51 p.m. May 23, 2008

You cannot take people's kids away from them based on "literature". You cannot believe everything you read in some book, no matter who wrote it. That was one of the flaws in Texas's case - they based most of their case on the lies, guesses, and misinformation of an Ex-FLDS member. If they had done some "real" police work, gathered their own facts, etc. then maybe they could have accomplished something more. Using CPS as a way in the door might close the door on them before they can arrest the abusers.

James | 9:11 p.m. May 23, 2008

You can bet 'all' state CPS's are making commitments they will never make this type of tragic screw up ever again.

Not a believer | 9:44 p.m. May 23, 2008

To John Lambert
You are wrong. People DO NOT have to accept anything whatsoever that the FLDS preach or believe in. Everyone has a right NOT to believe anything the FLDS do. I believe with all my heart that they are child abusers, so people need to accept that I believe this. In fact, it is quite obvious. You tell me how WE or YOU as you put it have the power to send the missionaries that you have mentioned to preach to the FLDS? Now, that is truly funny! FLDS wouldn't accept or believe anything but polygamy. They would never give up their abusive habits. However, they still strongly believe Warren Jeffs is their one and only TRUE prophet. So be it!

Margaret | 9:53 p.m. May 23, 2008

to, Mad Granny

Don't listen to the all the posters. Some are good LIARS just as are the FLDS child molesters. I'm with you in thought!
I feel very sad for the young girls who will be sent to dirty old men to violate. God will have his vengeance one day with those evil men.

Gal50 | 9:53 p.m. May 23, 2008

There are several problems with this sect that need to be resolved, if possible. Some of these problems will be addressed by law enforcement, some by CPS and some won't be addressed.

PROBLEM 1: The belief that a person jailed on child sexual abuse problems is a prophet and receives direct orders from God including orders to harm children, which are carried out by the obedient parents.

PROBLEM 2: The belief that men are entitled to more than one wife and the practice of rewarding well-connected old men with teen girls, while expelling teen boys.

PROBLEM 3: The belief that the outside world is bad and the FLDS people are especially chosen and that children should reside in an armed compound which combined with its remoteness shelters criminal behavior.

Resolution 1: In America, parents are allowed to teach children harmful and illegal beliefs, so all belief-type problems will continue.

Resolution 2: Hopefully, polygamy, underage marriage and statutory rape can be aggressively prosecuted. The parents, Warren Jeffs and both male and female polygamists should be prosecuted.

Resolution 3: Hopefully, CPS will be allowed to monitor FLDS parents in such a way that statutory rape, abandonment of boys etc. is prevented.

Conrad | 10:05 p.m. May 23, 2008

Even though we think there is child abuse, it must be proved in the US, and we can not declare a whole community guilty w/o a trial. 1/2 of supposed underage and pregnant girls were not. The CPS has lied about a lot of things, and all of this does not help to build a court case against the FLDS leaders.
They must be treated legally correct or we will be living in something way less than the USA.
I disagree with child brides and polygamy, but in this day and age people are changing partners like they do shirts.. This is just a mess and the State of Texas is going to be sued and lose money over this.

Nevada LDS Republican | 11:04 p.m. May 23, 2008

Am I not hearing the TV correctly? John McCain was distancing himself from two conservative evangelical pastors today, and then McCain said "I'm a Baptist".

Is he really a Baptist? If yes, that certainly tells me he's a nast, stubborn, self-lauding, sanctimonious jerk like several 100 other Baptists from Texas we are reading about in recent weeks.

How come these Protestant pastors get to carp about all sorts of crazy stuff, and get a free pass?

If McCain is a Baptist, there's no way I'll vote for him. If Obama is a Baptist, there's no way I'll vote for him either.

Renee | 8:38 a.m. May 26, 2008

This is terrible, it is like laws only applies to some people. I can't believe so-called "parents" are allowed to force underage girls to marry old men why the state sits back and watches. I guess the bed was in the temple just in case someone wanted to take a nap during boring sermons. Does this mean that Texas will return all abused children to their parents they have removed in the pass? This makes me ashamed to even be a American to see this happening. It is sad the ones who are suppose to protect children are the ones who have hurt them the most.

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