-Caveat Lector- >From OriginalSources.CoM > > > <Picture: Original Sources Scroll> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > > Is Polygamy a Worse Crime than Adultery? > > Would Men Rush Out to Get Married if Polygamy were Legal? > > By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources > (http://www.originalsources.com) > > June 2, 1999 > > As the world teeter-totters on the verge of World War III, and the > President of the United States bombs and kills civilians in > Yugoslavia, what did Geraldo Rivera choose to become incensed about > yesterday? A case in Utah involving a polygamist which brought the > wire services and foreign film crews scurrying to Utah to cover the > trial, that's what. > > Amazing! Here is the man who supported President Clinton's "privacy" > right to treat women any way he chose to treat them - even up to and > including rape, in the case of Juanita Broaddrick, but last night was > demanding that the State of Utah INSTANTLY do something about a > reported 25,000 cases of polygamy in the state. In fact, his outrage > was so comical that the Salt Lake City KSL-TV guest on his show > laughed at him. > > The case that took Rivera's mind off the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia > (which he supports) to polygamy (which he doesn't support) was that of > David O. Kingston who is accused to having had sex with one of his 15 > wives - the 16 year old daughter of his brother, John Daniel Kingston. > The opening of the trial took place yesterday which brought wire > service reporters and foreign film crews running to Utah. > > The case broke open last summer when the girl showed up at a rural gas > station just south of the Idaho border and said her father beat her > for disavowing the marriage. David Kingston has rejected a plea > bargain and insists he is not guilty of three felony counts of incest > and one count of unlawful sexual contact, said his attorney, Stephen > McCaughey. > > When the story broke, Governor Mike Leavitt seemed to step on a > political mine field when he, the descendant of a polygamous Mormon > family, commented that polygamy may be protected as a religious > freedom. > > The Utah State Constitution is the only State Constitution in the > United States which specifically outlaws polygamy - an interesting > situation since it was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints > that practiced plural marriage as a religious doctrine and which > fought for the right to practice it all the way to the Supreme Court > and lost. So, how did Utah became the only state in the union to > specifically prohibit plural marriage? Well, that statement was > REQUIRED by the Utah Enabling Act of 1894, which was passed by the > Fifty-third U.S. Congress in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. > The Fifty-third Congress passed a law which REQUIRED the Mormon Church > to abandon a religious doctrine. That was before the Supreme Court > decided that the First Amendment to the Constitution, which states > that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of > religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the > freedom of speech, or of the press..." disallowed ANY government > involvement with religion. > > The Utah Enabling Act stated, that "no inhabitant of said State (Utah) > shall ever be molested in person or property on account of his or her > mode of religious worship, provided that polygamous or plural > marriages are forever prohibited." > > The Utah Enabling Act actually had no impact on the Mormons, because > four years before, in 1890, the Church President at the time, Wilford > Woodruff had issued a declaration stating, "Inasmuch as laws have been > enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have been > pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort (the Supreme > Court), I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws and to > use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside > to have them do likewise." > > From that day to this, that has been the doctrine of the Church. In > fact, even in countries of Africa and Asia where polygamy is legal, > those practicing polygamy cannot be baptized in the Church. So, > contrary to Rivera's insistent effort to somehow involve the Mormons > in the Kingston case, it actually has no impact one way or the other > on the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. > > Shortly after Leavitt's comment a storm of protest from feminist > groups broke over the Governor's head. He then clarified his position > by saying that after speaking with prosecutors, he had concluded > polygamy isn't pursued in court not because of religious freedom but > because - as with fornication, sodomy and adultery - it is difficult > to do so. He cited three reasons: lack of proof, since most polygamous > marriages take place in private and are not documented; case law > preventing children from being removed from a polygamous home; and > higher priorities for law enforcement. > > In recent years, the most spectacular polygamy case did not involve > Utah or what are sometimes called "fundamentalist Mormons" who, though > not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are > described by the media as "having roots in the early church." For > example, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco (BATF) affidavit > justifying the raid on the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas in 1993 > states that Jeannine Bunds, a former member of the group, told Davy > Aguilera (the BATF special agent who swore out the search warrant > affidavit) that David Koresh "had fathered at least fifteen children > from the various women and young girls at the compound." The Aquilera > affidavit also quotes a Mrs. Poia Vaega, of Mangere, Auckland, New > Zealand, who said, while she and her husband were members of the > group, that Koresh has "sexually abused" her sister and that he "would > preach his philosophy, which did not always coincide with the bible, > for hours at a time. She and her husband left the compound after ten > days because her husband did not agree with Howell's (Koresh's) > doctrine but that her two sister stayed behind." > > The charge, which may very well have been true, that David Koresh > believed in and practiced polygamy was an important aspect of the 17 > page affidavit. The planned invasion of the Branch Davidian religious > group was justified in a legal document presented to a Texas judge, > who approved the raid, largely because of that affidavit which > carefully documented RELIGIOUS "irregularities" on the part of David > Koresh. For example: "Vernon Howell, aka David Koresh, played music on > a guitar for 30 minutes and then began to read the bible to Special > Agent Rodriguez." (Note: Throughout the affidavit the Bible is not > capitalized, but special agent IS capitalized!) "During this session, > Special Agent Rodriguez was asked numerous questions about his life. > After answering all the questions, Special Agent Rodriguez was asked > to attend a two week bible session with David Koresh. This was for > Special Agent Rodriguez to learn the seven seals and become a member > of the group. Special Agent Rodriguez was told that by becoming a > member he (Rodriguez) was going to be watched and disliked. David > Koresh stated that Special Agent Rodriguez would be disliked because > the government did not consider the group religious." > > Obviously Rodriguez WOULD be watched if he joined the group. The > affidavit reveals that BATF had agents infiltrating the Branch > Davidians for that purpose. What, exactly, was the reason for > Rodriquez to outline his understanding of the Branch Davidian > religious doctrine in the affidavit for a search warrant? > > The search warrant affidavit clearly proved that anyone could leave > the Davidian religious group if they chose - as was proved by one > sister leaving, and the other two staying. The ones that stayed were > killed as a result of the army tank moving in to wreck the building, > which was what set off the fire that killed 83 people. > > What is it about polygamy that sets liberals like Rivera, Janet Reno > and Bill Clinton off on such hate binges? Why is polygamy absolutely > horrible and must be stopped at all costs, but things like > prostitution, homosexuality, adultery, fornication - all of which are > frowned upon by the religious writings of most world religions, are > OK. But polygamy - where a man is married to more than one woman and > who accepts the responsibility for the children he fathers and the > women he MARRIES, is sufficient to set liberals like Geraldo Rivera > off like a hand grenade? > > And, exactly how does a liberal justify getting so upset about > polygamy, after the Supreme Court, in Roe vs Wade ruled that "Freedom > of choice in the basic decisions of one's life respecting marriage, > divorce, procreation, contraception and the education of children" are > basic rights "retained by the people." Roe vs Wade declared that the > "liberty to marry a person of one's own choosing" was a protected > right and the "privacy of the marital relationship" was "in this > category." If the right of privacy covers the "right" for a woman to > have an abortion, it certainly would have to include the "right" for a > woman to chose her own style of marital relationship. If she chooses a > polygamous relationship, her fundamental "right to choose" and "right > to privacy" should protect her. And, it is not just Christian groups > like the Branch Davidians who base their practice of polygamy on their > religious interpretation of the Old Testament. The Koran also allows > men to have up to four wives, and Islam is a rapidly growing religion > in America. It's only a matter of time before either the Old Testament > Christians or the Muslims successfully challenge the laws against > polygamy, just as the laws against abortion were challenged in 1973. > > And, will that affect the state of Utah and the Mormons? Not in the > least. The only way the Mormons would begin to practice polygamy would > be for the president of the Church to receive another revelation from > God re-authorizing a practice which was rescinded, through revelation, > in 1890. For Mormons, God, not the government, is the only One with > sufficient authority to approve plural marriage anyway. > > Yesterday's Associated Press report noted, "Now the stakes are high > for the Kingston brothers. John Kingston could receive up to five > years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for June 29 in 1st > District Court in Brigham City. David Kingston could get up to five > years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each of four counts if > convicted." > > The stakes are also high for people like Geraldo Rivera who support > unlimited, uncontrolled and unnatural sexual promiscuity, but who are > scandalized by plural marriage in which families are formed and > fathers take responsibility for their wives and children. They just > may find that the fundamental "right to choose" is not limited just to > abortion. > > And THEN what terrible thing would happen? Do you suppose that, if > polygamy WERE legal, a nation of men who do not even bother to get > married to ONE women in order to have sex, are going to rush out and > marry a dozen women? > > Somehow, I don't think so. > > To comment: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ORDER THE REAGAN MONITOR !: > Start Your Subscription to the all new REAGAN MONITOR with the May > edition which examines America's Military readiness, after six years > of Clinton's downsizing, feminizing and politicizing. Is China's > military a rising threat? Read the May issue. Could our co-ed army win > a ground war against the Serbs? Read the interview with Kate Aspy, one > of the first to receive the "co-ed" training. Click Here to Order > print or online issue.Click Here to Order print or online issue > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > > To E-mail Original Sources - Click Here > > > Website: http://www.originalsources.com > To E-Mail Mary Mostert, Analyst - [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Fax # (801) 426-8316 > > > Return to Original Sources > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > > Webpage designed by > Unlimited Chances > > > You are visitor #256. 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