I give NBC a lot of props for this one, not only because of the touchy religious subject, but also because it didn't even attempt to touch upon the religious freedoms discussion, and rightfully so. I've said it before and I'll say it again... religious freedom is about protecting everyone's right to believe what they want no matter how ridiculous. It's not about protecting everyone's right to conduct themselves however they want simply because they happen to have a religious qualifier.
The scenario went something like this... imagine you're in a Utah. If you live in Utah, fine. If not, imagine you got held over on a flight or something, don't interrupt. You're at a nice restaurant and your dinner is going quite well so far. There's a Mormon family sitting at a large table in the center of the restaurant. One man approximately 65 years old, two women around 30-40 years old, and a young girl approximately 15 years old. You assume that the 40 year old woman must be his wife, while the youngest girl must be his daughter. The other?... his sister in law? Who cares, she's not important... Half way through your dinner you notice the young girl looking really sad. The other women at the table seem to be giving her the stink eye. She looks around the restaurant with a sad face and begins to cry. The women at the table whisper to her to stop it, but they're just loud enough for you to hear. She begins to cry harder and she says "I'm too young to be a wife, I'm only 15!"... this she says loud enough for everyone to hear. The man at the table grabs her hand and says to her in a very forceful voice, "I will teach you to be subordinate. You will obey me, I am your husband now. This is your family." The girl looks scared, and she is obviously in need of help. What would you do?...
Here's what I loved most about this scenario... Out of maybe 100 people in the restaurant who saw the actors play out this scenario over and over, only 7 brave souls spoke up to help the girl. Why is that good? It appeared as though the actors only replayed this scene about 7 times. So 100% of the time someone came forward to help the 15 year old girl married against her will to an old pedophile. Sure, not everyone spoke up, but the will to act doesn't come easy. I'm just glad that in a public arena where this act took place, there was at least one good person willing to speak out in defense of the girl. At times like these I get a sense that humanity may be headed in the right direction. Fifty years ago no one would have said a thing, and some people might even think the girl to be out of line. Not today... Everyone was upset at this scene. And at least one person acted in the girl's favor. And remember, this was Utah. The motherland of Mormonism. If we can react with this sort of empathy in Utah, imagine what Mormonism has in stake for it elsewhere?... We already came after them in Texas.
Finally, I'd like to cover the issue of polygamy. I do not have a problem with polygamy for the same reason I don't have a problem with people who have 3-somes with their significant other/s. It's their right as adults, they can do as they wish. My only issue with polygamy comes from Mormon Polygamy. Forcing young girls into marriages with older pedophile men is not only immoral and unethical, but it's exactly the sort of thing we condemn people for. If I forced a young girl to live in my home and sleep with me, I'm a pedophile rapist. If I'm Mormon, I'm just a groom and she's just my bride. Mormon Polygamy is the greatest example of the sort of default respect that religion receives in today's society. Sure, very few people actually support the concept of Mormon Polygamy. But how many of us speak out against it in public? Unless a little girl is being forced into a marriage with an older man in the same restaurant we happen to be eating in, we don't tend to care much.
Speak out! Open your mouth! For every outspoken atheist/liberal agnostic theist in the world there is 100 religious crimes being committed. We need more outspoken men and women who are logically minded. Perhaps not simply atheists, we need agnostic theists too. Someone on the other side of the fence who can work to clean house. Please, watch the show. I've linked it below... And speak up.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/167122/what-would-you-do-tue-jul-27-2010
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6 comments:
I am shocked that a mother would allow her daughter to be touched by a pervert sick old man! I always speak up and I'm disgusted by most people's coward behavior. ~Maria Lopez~
For a mother to disown her child, to stop loving her child, to allow her child to be harmed, it takes religion. Under no other circumstances would a mother allow such things to happen.
I agree with your sentiments, but I would like to add that this is not Mormon practice. The show was very good to specify that these are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is not the "Mormons" that go to your house with black tags. The black-tag guys are the mainstream Mormons or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a member of the LDS church (NOT the FLDS), we are not the same. We do not condone what they do. Many of the people who spoke up very likely could have been Mormons. Even in the 1800s when we did practice polygamy in the Mormon church, it was much different. For example, the woman and all previous wives had to consent. That is not true in the FLDS church. Today, any member of the LDS church practicing polygamy is excommunicated. They are not a part of the Mormon faith.
this is a section of the Mormon religion that does this. they call themselves Mormons but are not a part of the religion. they are more of a cult. I am a 144 year old Mormon girl and i will be married to one man and not have other girls i have to share him with. I also will not get married until a am at least in collage. Please do not mistake my religion with these people. THIS IS NOT THE REAL MORMONS!
OOPS! 14 not 144 :P
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