Discussing the disgusting - the FLDS story

[varrin]

I have made precious few comments about the scandal surrounding the Yearning For Zion ranch of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What I can say so far is that just about the whole thing disgusts me

Comments

[justusgirlz]

Interesting that this whole thing started soon after I wrote a somewhat similar blog about children and religion

[varrin]

Regarding point #1, there are certainly many cases like you state. I would make two observations there, though. First, it it important to distinguish between illegal and non-consensual or aggressive. The examples you cite involve non-consensual or aggressive behavior (which is also illegal). There have been other cases where the reason for isolation is not to hurt others, but to avoid being hurt (by government). They may want to do something illegal, but not harmful to anyone else (stockpiling weapons for their own defense, for example). Second, while I'm not certain of all the legal details, there are some examples of groups that have largely withdrawn from society who have not engaged in aggressive behavior (Quakers, who at one time had a whole state, Amish, Shakers, etc.). So while isolationism does, sometimes, indicate a desire to get away with non-consensual, aggressive, or abusive behavior, that is not universally true