Now that the public knows what goes on inside the FLDS, it is important to discuss the criminal behavior and decide how significant it is. It is important to keep in mind that other groups practice similar behavior and the result may not be as disastrous as it appears to be within the FLDS.

The most obvious criminal behavior is polygamy. A survey of state law will show that polygamy is not much of a crime in some states, especially those that don't have a polygamy problem. It is a very significant crime in states with polygamy issues. It is hardly ever prosecuted though. Should we not prosecute religious polygamy? Is polygamy hurting anyone?

Another crime is that of underage forced marriage which typically includes statutory rape. Obviously, these cases should be prosecuted. Abandoning or encouraging boys to leave has been another outcome of FLDS polygamy.

Power is obviously abused in this cult-like religion and that is not a criminal matter, but it still does extensive damage. Shifting families from one man to another, forced marriage of 18 year-old females and brainwashing or encouraging them to quickly reproduce are two examples that disturb Americans.

Headline for this article refers to "polygamy crimes". Isn't that term a bit redundant? Last I checked, polygamy was against the law, i.e. a crime, in and of itself. Not that the "crimes" against society and innocent victims like children shouldn't be addressed and eradicated as well.

This is just an effort by Harry Reid to give the LDS a chance to distance themselves from the FLDS. So the LDS can get one of their own as a VP pick.

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CWL -- DEFINE YOURSELVES AS: THE ANTI-POLYGAMY MOVEMENT

... Use ‘feminine genius,’ CWL convention told...

[to keep pressuring civil leaders to keep anti-polygamy laws on the books]

Article Available on the Internet

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Slavery is also a crime and violates the US Constitution.

Lets see.
The LDS church is set up like the FLDS church so lets compare.
Tithing
Donations
Membership
Stakehouses
Preisthood Ordinations
Temples
Marriage (Plural)?
Babtisms
Temple Ordinances
Harry Reid I just have one Question.
Where is the Crimes. Why the Probes. If you go after the FLDS you better be careful because they wil go after the LDS. Remember HAMANS Gallows in Book of ESTHER. He got Hung Himself. BECAREFUL

yes - lets compare LDS to FLDS (of which I am a member of neither):

LDS - live everywhere, big cities (SLC), running for pres/VP, openly practice their religion, kids are regularly seen in public, promote higher education and attend major universities, don't ban most books and have huge libraries, let their children wear clothes that fit in with everyone so the kids don't feel like freaks, anyone is allowed into their services because they have nothing to hide, the church doesn't own everything, no guardtowers... oh - I forgot - only one wife.

FLDS - none of the above.

Yeah - they're very similar, especially for the kids and their futures.

where 'is' the crimes?

lets see.......
WELFARE FRAUD
TAX EVASION
CHILD ABUSE
SEXUAL ABUSE
TEEN BRIDES......

NOT TO MENTION CRIMES OF FASION

Bob: FLDS church would like to try to legitimize itself by comparing itself to the LDS church - but as has been so carefully explained by the LDS church in the recent past, there is no affiliation or similarities. One glaring difference: LDS church teaches that we should be subject to local, state and national laws and authorities and obey and sustain the law. FLDS teaches it's people to break the law by practicing polygamy.

Just campaign politics 11:54 a.m. “This is just an effort by Harry Reid to give the LDS a chance to distance themselves from the FLDS. So the LDS can get one of their own as a VP pick.”

Sounds reasonable. But . . . Harry Reid is the leader of the Democrats in the Senate. It is hard to think of him giving aid and comfort to the enemy, McCain and Romney of the GOP.

The Majority Leader is the most powerful figure in the United States Senate. The Dem who opposes him may find his pork cut off, and his only committee assignment the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Restroom Cleanliness.

Reid is not a member of the Judiciary Committee, but he is listed as a witness.

As a Mormon spearheading the probe, probably intending to bolster the Texas, Utah, Arizona efforts on behalf of the LDS body, Reid must recuse himself. Not to do so is, IMHO, an abuse of office.

So, too, should Senator Orrin Hatch recuse himself.

He's clueless...

Oddly, hearings could actually give FLDS something to cheer about as it is conceivable that Warren Jeffs could possibly be called on as a witness. Thus it would get him away from jail in Arizona where he is awaiting another trial, and also where he apparently is intent on solidifying himself as a martyr by fasting and praying himself to death (literally).

So far how many crimes has the FLDS as a church committed (convicted of)? ZERO

How many crimes has the US Goverment commiteed including detainees in Cuba 1000's

Who are the criminals and who are the innocents.

The thought of the almighty Senate actually wasting
more of our money and time is not surpriszing.

As far as the FLDS and Polgamy who cares.

Hugh Hefner is a social icon and has three or more at a time, wow what a crime.

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From previous comment

CWL stands for Catholic Woman's League

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I seem to remember similar Senate action back in the 1800's--against the LDS church! Some of my husband's family were given the choice of giving up their families or going to prison. For the crime of polygamy.
Do we really want to okay gay marriage, people living together all the time and having children out of wedlock, huge welfare costs for illegal aliens and a costly war in the middle east, and waste our time on a dog and pony show at the Senate level discussing the "crimes of Polygamy". and not even give the accused a chance to speak? What a miscarriage of justice.
When a member of the FLDS church is charged and convicted of a crime--as Warren Jeffs was--let that person serve his or her sentence, just like anyone else. But let's not let the media-fueled frenzy convict a whole group of people who have not been charged or convicted of ANYTHING!
I don't see that wanting to have children is a crime. Neither is dressing in unfashionable clothing--in fact, the FLDS clothing is a lot more modest than what I see at my local Walmart.
And No-I'm not FLDS and I don't live in Utah!

The problem is that polygamy is illegal. This causes the FLDS and others to put their religion above the law and leads to a disdain for the law. This makes it easier to violate other laws such as statutory rape laws, child neglect laws (abandoning boys) and parental rights laws (the men who have their families removed).

I'm not sure that polygamy itself causes harm to families, especially those families outside the FLDS, who don't appear to be adversely affected. Perhaps it does and polygamists are being deceptive. I think it is hard for outsiders to assess the situation.

The problem seems to be a cult-like religion with absolutely awful leaders combined with certain parameters such as polygamy and isolation. The math doesn't work and serious psychological damage is caused by these terrible leaders in order to promote polygamy. Boys are too readily removed and girls are married too early. Someone with more sanity would place the needs of the children ahead of the desire to practice polygamy.

When we look at countries that practice polygamy, they aren't ones that we respect. Furthermore, their adult females are abused.

Had the FLDS functioned more normally, the polygamy would be overlooked.

There you go saying "more normal" again, showing you also approve of religious persecution because FLDS aren't normal. Maybe FLDS doesn't want to be normal, and have all the problems "normal" mainstream has, such as drugs, violence, under age sex, premarital sex, gang violence, and the like.

P.S. look into the reason why laws were passed against polygamy in the 1800's. They were passed against a religious group called LDS back then, and thus also violated the constitution. Do you want a free America? Then don't support those who pass laws against religion.

No one cares if these people want to waste their lives. The problem is they are also wasting the lives of their children, and on and on and on....

and yes, re:Gal50 - normal mainstream has only drugs, sex, and violence, and FLDS has none... LOL

How hypocritical - you get mad when we all think you're looneys, but then you think we're all drug addicts and criminals.

I think we're closer to being right than you are. A lot more of you are looney than we are addicts and criminals.

You want a free America - then allow freedoms in your organization instead of pushing repression. And stop giving away your stuff!!! Give it to your family. Try for once to make your family more important than your church. I know,I know - craz concept - just try it. I bet your family would appreciate it.

It hasn't really been specifically said, but I think a major issue is -

Everyone (or most everyone) understands that religion should be a part of any health upbringing. But the FLDS take it SO far beyond that, it becomes a mini prison situation.

I mean, come on, people. Have more than one wife. Have lots of children. But dressing them up in costumes and making them study religion for hours on end just cripples their brains and is cruel. If you spent half as much time teaching real-world concepts instead of religion, and you let your people just be free to do as they please, you wouldn't have everyone in your business. Anytime a large group makes religion the reason for their ENTIRE EXISTENCE, it's bound to screw up a lot of people, especially the children.

Why do you want to ruin generations of children? Don't you like kids? (you make enough of them)

I wonder how many people that sit here and talks about polygamy or the FLDS has actually looked into the way the people live or how they practice their religion.Most people read and read about how bad polygamy is and the FLDS religion cult is.How would anyone know how bad or good it is until they actually lived like that? I have read articles, newspaper clippings,past news shows, about "normal living" people giving up their lives to live according the polygamy or FLDS ways. People think that its mostly men that benefit from polygamy. But, why does it seem that normal women are into polygamy more than men? What a mess. I can see why the FLDS members live private lives, if they could with out being a public display all the time. Lots of people think they dress like freaks, but what about some of the people that dresses in all black clothing and don't wash their hair for months? Are they freaks?

re - x

these parents drill religion into their children 24/7. Religious zealots are already a pretty messed up bunch. Anytime religious zealots have children, it should be cause for concern.

I know - none of my business. And that's fine - do your thing. Hopefully the kids are smart enough to get out.

Documents could play role in criminal probe of FLDS sect By TERRI LANGFORD 7/18/08 "I was shown that I should perform three marriage sealings tonight," according to a journal dictated by Warren Jeffs in which he describes marrying his daughter and two others, including the marriage of an 11-year-old girl to himself, on Thursday, July 27, 2006.