Statutory Rape has nothing to do with "religious tolerance". Neither does insest. What a ridiculous article.

Do The Math!

In 1953 at the time of the RAID, 385 people, by 2003 nearly 12,000 with it a religion of progeny! The group expands by making children from within the sect members. This is an invertted pryamid and the increase becomes greater and is an exponetial equation. Forgetting the other polygamist groups that operate the same way, how many will there be every 10 years and when will the numbers become staggering if not put in check?

MIB

Well since what I would really like to say will be sensored I will just say this, what has taken so long? Is this practice not the most heinous form of sexual child abuse and in the name of God no less, makes it more repulsive. These children are led to believe that if they don't comply they will be damned. I hope some one will warn the state of Texas, where Jeff's followers have fled. Since the state officials in Arizona and Utah can't seem to stop it, maybe the federal government should be involved.

Do the Math? WOW, substitute the words "polygamists" with "Jews" and do you still feel the same way? With attitudes like this, it's little wonder such a tragedy as the Holocaust ever occurred.

The writer has already convicted Jeffs. Some articles demonsrtate clearly the hatred of many in Utah. You would think Lee Benson could try to keep his personal bias from screaming through his article.

Abuse is abuse, regardless whether monogamy or polygamy is practiced, for which laws a-plenty already exist the violation of which ought to be fully prosecuted to the utmost extent. Whether child sexual abuse, welfare abuse, spousal abuse, etc., anyone committing such unlawful and heinous acts ought to be locked up and, in the case of child sexual abuse, the key thrown away... or worse.

However, polygamy is polygamy, which when practiced as is monogamy that requires by law the constituents thereof to be of legal age, is not at all inherently abusive; it is simply monogamy... plus one (or perhaps more). Thus, its continued illegality protects no one but the pedophiles in such isolated communities.

Where the author of this article misses the point entirely is in not recognizing as completely separate and distinct the issues of abuse and that of marital options among consenting adults. Polygamy is no more inherently abusive than is monogamy. In fact, were our nation to place monogamy likewise on trial based solely upon the daily tally of horrific acts of rape, pedophilia, incest, torture, and murder perpetrated by "monogamists" in this country alone, polygamy would fare far better indeed.