SPIRITUAL INQUIRY: Views differ on whether man's, God's laws paramount. This article has opinions on the topic of Warren Jeffs, the FLDS leader convicted of sexual assault on children.
It includes Christian, Humanist, Muslim, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, and Catholic leaders' opinions. It is a worthwhile discussion of religion and protecting our children from perverts no matter whether they are disguised as religious practices or just outright evil.
"SAN ANGELO, Texas —In the trial of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the man convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child argued that he had a religious duty to practice polygamy, which is against the law. This month we ask our panelists what we are to do when the laws of man and God seem or are in tension, and how their situation is or is not like that of the FLDS."
"Timothy Davenport-Herbst, pastor of St. Paul Presbyterian Church
God's law ALWAYS trumps human law. There are times when human laws are contrary to God's will — witness the Third Reich prescribing what could be preached in churches, Jim Crow laws or apartheid. In fact, part of the reason for the creation of the King James Bible was King James' dislike of the notes in the Geneva Bible that indicated it was right for the midwives to disobey Pharaoh and refrain from killing the little Hebrew baby boys. Human law should aim to mirror divine law but when it does not reach that goal, one must obey God rather than God's creatures.
Nonetheless, simply saying that something is God's will does not make something right. At various points in history, people have murdered, lied, enslaved and oppressed in God's name. In our secular democracy, we have to have laws that we agree upon as diverse people. What one group considers God's will is not what another group would enshrine as divine mandate.
Breaking the law is not a good idea. But sometimes it is necessary. Jesus Christ tells us that we will be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). Perhaps the best way to respond to unjust laws is to publicly break them and take the consequences. Our witness of being convicted of an unjust law may change society. This is a basis of civil disobedience and led to great change in American society through the overturning of segregation. Whenever we stand up for God, we should expect to pay a price just as Jesus did on the cross."
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/12/spiritual-inquiry-gods-law-rules-over-man-made/
Mary Olson, Humanist
"I think that the FLDS is not about religion but about child abuse. The need by some to completely control others is part of this. This man dreamed up this way of control.
Before Warren Jeffs became the self proclaimed Prophet, the FLDS was a polygamist group, but one which for the most part was girls old enough to be somewhat able to speak out for themselves. Jeffs had a hunger for the younger ones. The ones whom he could control by mind control. Bigamy in itself is a crime in this country, which depending upon whom the bigamist is, can be punished.
I am of the opinion that no matter what religion or beliefs a person has, we all have the responsibility to protect our children. These children are entered into these "spiritual" marriages with no idea of what marriage entails, no idea of what they are doing. The fact that they are sequestered from the outside world is, in itself perhaps understandable since they do not wish their youth to be tainted by the temptations of the outside world. What parent hasn't wished for less influence of TV and movies? But the fact remains that this is the real world and at some time all children will be exposed to it. So it remains our responsibility to give our children the tools to steer a moral path and the strength to avoid most of the pitfalls by which they are confronted.
However, we have no right to allow abuse of our children and thank God for the rules set by the state of Texas to protect them."
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/12/spiritual-inquiry-gods-law-rules-over-man-made/
SPIRITUAL INQUIRY: Views differ on whether man's, God's laws paramount. This problem will persist as long as there are child abusers in this world, whether disguised as a "religious duty" by Mormon polygamists, and others. Frankly, the entire concept makes my skin crawl and fills me with revulsion. It is unbearable that innocence must be sacrificed on the altar of soul crushing sexual perversions disguised in garbage dogma or through other horrors such as child trafficking. It is a very sick society that condones this behavior no matter where in the world it is conducted.
Read the rest of this article at the link below:
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/12/spiritual-inquiry-gods-law-rules-over-man-made/
It includes Christian, Humanist, Muslim, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, and Catholic leaders' opinions. It is a worthwhile discussion of religion and protecting our children from perverts no matter whether they are disguised as religious practices or just outright evil.
"SAN ANGELO, Texas —In the trial of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the man convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child argued that he had a religious duty to practice polygamy, which is against the law. This month we ask our panelists what we are to do when the laws of man and God seem or are in tension, and how their situation is or is not like that of the FLDS."
"Timothy Davenport-Herbst, pastor of St. Paul Presbyterian Church
God's law ALWAYS trumps human law. There are times when human laws are contrary to God's will — witness the Third Reich prescribing what could be preached in churches, Jim Crow laws or apartheid. In fact, part of the reason for the creation of the King James Bible was King James' dislike of the notes in the Geneva Bible that indicated it was right for the midwives to disobey Pharaoh and refrain from killing the little Hebrew baby boys. Human law should aim to mirror divine law but when it does not reach that goal, one must obey God rather than God's creatures.
Nonetheless, simply saying that something is God's will does not make something right. At various points in history, people have murdered, lied, enslaved and oppressed in God's name. In our secular democracy, we have to have laws that we agree upon as diverse people. What one group considers God's will is not what another group would enshrine as divine mandate.
Breaking the law is not a good idea. But sometimes it is necessary. Jesus Christ tells us that we will be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). Perhaps the best way to respond to unjust laws is to publicly break them and take the consequences. Our witness of being convicted of an unjust law may change society. This is a basis of civil disobedience and led to great change in American society through the overturning of segregation. Whenever we stand up for God, we should expect to pay a price just as Jesus did on the cross."
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/12/spiritual-inquiry-gods-law-rules-over-man-made/
Mary Olson, Humanist
"I think that the FLDS is not about religion but about child abuse. The need by some to completely control others is part of this. This man dreamed up this way of control.
Before Warren Jeffs became the self proclaimed Prophet, the FLDS was a polygamist group, but one which for the most part was girls old enough to be somewhat able to speak out for themselves. Jeffs had a hunger for the younger ones. The ones whom he could control by mind control. Bigamy in itself is a crime in this country, which depending upon whom the bigamist is, can be punished.
I am of the opinion that no matter what religion or beliefs a person has, we all have the responsibility to protect our children. These children are entered into these "spiritual" marriages with no idea of what marriage entails, no idea of what they are doing. The fact that they are sequestered from the outside world is, in itself perhaps understandable since they do not wish their youth to be tainted by the temptations of the outside world. What parent hasn't wished for less influence of TV and movies? But the fact remains that this is the real world and at some time all children will be exposed to it. So it remains our responsibility to give our children the tools to steer a moral path and the strength to avoid most of the pitfalls by which they are confronted.
However, we have no right to allow abuse of our children and thank God for the rules set by the state of Texas to protect them."
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/12/spiritual-inquiry-gods-law-rules-over-man-made/
SPIRITUAL INQUIRY: Views differ on whether man's, God's laws paramount. This problem will persist as long as there are child abusers in this world, whether disguised as a "religious duty" by Mormon polygamists, and others. Frankly, the entire concept makes my skin crawl and fills me with revulsion. It is unbearable that innocence must be sacrificed on the altar of soul crushing sexual perversions disguised in garbage dogma or through other horrors such as child trafficking. It is a very sick society that condones this behavior no matter where in the world it is conducted.
Read the rest of this article at the link below:
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/aug/12/spiritual-inquiry-gods-law-rules-over-man-made/
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