12/31/07

Public Comment on Mitt Romney's Mormonism

Here is the link for the NYTimes report on Mitt Romney's "Mormonism" speech.
I am recommending reading the copious comments.
Mitt's supporters comments are excessively shallow and stupid. (like Alma's comment to this very posting - see comments below)
Most of the other comments make a lot of sense though.
Mitt is like his supporters - shallow and stupid - and insincere.
I mean - he would like to be President - but not for anyone but himself and his butt-kissers.

By the way, I have been watching the second season of Tom Hank's "Big Love" HBO series on modern - day Utah Polygamy.
It is so addictive and amazingly accurate though there is no way to show all the variety in modern polygamy.
The group I was associated with for 14 years (and have one daughter still involved with) is composed mostly of "City Polygamists" who often look a lot like "regular" Mormons in the community. They do have several outlying "compounds" however where things are not quite as dismal as in "Big Love" but basically quite similar.
This group - the AUB (Apostolic United Brethren) has (estimated) in excess of 60,000 members in the inter-mountain USA and Mexico and Canada.
The favorite group of polygamy watchers is the FLDS who live mostly down in Southern Utah in their own closed border communities of Colorado City, AZ and Hurricane, UT. They are the ones who follow you around with trucks and guns and who's "Prophet" is being prosecuted now for marrying teenage girls to geezers.
But there are a bunch of other groups you never hear of and some you do.
The most secretive, closed and richest - The Kingston Group.
The most scary and extremely murderous - The LeBaron Group.
And of course, as in "Big Love", there are many thousands of "Independents" - those who usually get their "priesthood" from some "group" and then go off on their own - which is consistent with Mormon doctrine that once you have received the "higher" Melchizedek Priesthood, you basically have it all. There is no authority higher and it is the same priesthood (according to Mormonism) that God holds. So while you may have a different "calling", such as Bishop or President, there is no higher priesthood.
Independents, then believe they have every right to "become an authority unto themselves".
Well known Independent Tom Green is in the Utah State Pen. right now for bigamy, which he did not commit. He was not prosecuted for polygamy since Utah only proscribed Polygamy in their "Territorial" Constitution which ban expired when Utah became a state.
There is no actual law against Polygamy in Utah, but in Utah they will use any old law to get you if they want to "get" you. They make up the law as they go here, kiss ass to the Mormon Church and ignore any law that would protect you if "they" (ppl like Mitt Romney) don't like you.
If you haven't seen "Big Love" you should head for the video store.
Somehow the writers got some "real Utah" into it and the production values are top notch.

Well, I guess this is my New Year's Eve posting.
I hope you all keep it safe tonight.

5 comments:

  1. Polygamy is illegal in Utah. It was prohibited by the State Constitution and is also prohibited in section 30-1-2. "Marriages prohibited and void. The following marriages are prohibited and declared void:
    (1) when there is a husband or wife living, from whom the person marrying has not been divorced;"

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  2. Well Alma,
    Even though you are named after an imaginary Book of Mormon "Prophet", you don't seem to know your religion or your laws.
    In Utah you will hear endlessly, especially by the Mormon Church that the Utah Constitution "outlaws" polygamy, but I can see you have not bothered to try to find that proscription.
    As I wrote - it only exists in the "territorial" constitution and even there it only acknowledges penalties for polygamy, it does not prohibit it. The Territorial Constitution expired when Statehood was granted and there is no prohibition in the State Constitution against polygamy and I know of no Utah LAW against polygamy which is why, in good Utah fashion they prosecuted Tom Green for Bigamy, even though the law against bigamy requires fraud in that the other wives would not know about or consent to the additional marriages - which was not the case.
    Tom Green did not commit bigamy but that is what he was tried and convicted for since there is no law against polygamy but - he didn't commit bigamy.
    Why didn't this get pointed out at the time?
    Well, I did but my comments to the press are most often not published as they are CORRECT but not POLITICALLY CORRECT! (for Utah and narrow-minded, ignorant, bigots and hypocrites)
    If you can find the Book of Alma, Alma, I'm sure you can find http://utah.gov where you can look for the "current" law against polygamy. If you find one, I'd be thrilled to see it.
    While you are there finding only the "territorial" quasi-prohibition, you will notice that part of the "law" is that it expires when the "territorial" constitution expires. That is again for you slow types, when Utah was addmitted as a State in 1890.
    As for your great D&C reference - you again show your shallow and ignorant understanding of your own religion. (I am supposing you are Mormon from the tone of your regurgitation) The statement on marriage you refer to in section 30 was removed when section 132 was formally accepted (I'll get the dates and editions and add them here later)
    Utah and Mormonism rewrite/revise their history constantly, but fortunately, old documents were um....documented...so those who are sincere seekers after truth can find it. Brainless sheep like you don't need to seek truth since you like the taste of the bullshit the "Church" spoon-feeds you.
    Since the "Church" knows how lazy and insincere people like you are, they don't bother removing their own deceptions from "official" government and "Church" websites.
    While you won't find much truth on the LDS "Missionary" site, you can find plenty in the BYU library online.
    I wonder if you have ever read a book about Mormonism that wasn't handed out for free at church.
    You bullshit lover!
    Please remember though, you can get excommunicated for reading the words of dead "prophets" even though the "Church" requires you to accept their words spoken in General Conference as "the Word of God" and equal to "Scripture" but you can get in trouble for studying the scriptures too - except through the "manual" where history and the words of "God and His Prophets" is changed to suit the needs of current policy. (even though "God" says His Words and His Works never change)
    Enjoy your cult experience and Happy New Year! (to everyone)

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  3. I guess I should have additionally mentioned in reference to Tom Green and Polygamy/Bigamy, that
    1) Tom's marriages were "spiritual" and only additional "civil", "legal", "fraudulent" marriages fall under the bigamy law.
    2) As the State accepted Tom's claim that his wives were all 14 or older when he married them (which was the legal age for girls to marry in Utah until just a couple years ago - when the age was raised to 15), he could have married at least one of them legally, but he had no State recognized or fraudulent (committed fraud against the "wives" so called) marriages at all. Legally he was a single guy! But they don't care about the law here so much.
    3) While former Governor Levitt's little brother got his 15 minutes of fame for prosecuting Tom under a law that did not apply for a non-crime, he could have prosecuted Tom for crimes he did commit - but he didn't. For example, Tom wrote extensively in online discussion groups - one in particular where he just wouldn't shut up - about how in reality he "spiritually" married (and consummated) his wives when they were 11 and 12 years old, not 14 as later claimed, and he went into great detail about how he recommended marrying girls at those younger ages - so you could train them up right! Prosecutor Levitt had access to this information also, but he didn't want a sex abuse trial - that would make Utah look bad (Utah is already usually #1 or near it, in the country for child sex abuse - read the official US Census - ok? - so we don't want to publicize that) but he did want to "make his reputation" and support the Church by successfully prosecuting a polygamy case which had not been done since - well, unless you count the 1945 business (big black eye for Utah and the Church), since 1890 when polygamy ceased to be semi-illegal in Utah. Oh those Levitts are such brown-nosers to the Church!
    Levitt didn't care about the children, he just wanted to be a super-hero against polygamy. Maybe they will reward him by making him a GA if they haven't already.
    Just another day in Utah!

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  4. Wow. Drop me a line if you ever visit planet earth.

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  5. Well, Alma, I'll be on Planet Earth every other Wednesday from Noon to 3PM.
    The rest of my time I spend on the Earth that is nearest to the Great Governing Star Kolob where me and the 6 foot, Blue Eyed, Red Haired, White Skinned, Scandinavian Jesus play checkers and scope out potential eternal plural wives on the internet.
    I'm surprised (or maybe not) that you seem surprised at my research and logic.
    By the way, regarding your previous comment, Jesus said to me, "Thus Saith The Lord, Ha, Ha, Ha!"
    He also said I was a little harsh, although accurate in my assessment of you, so to keep Jesus happy, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I really want you to be happy and enjoy your Mormon experience.

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