We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

- Joseph Smith

This was not a statement of "what we'd like to have".  This was and is a statement of THIS IS OUR GOD-GIVEN  RIGHT.

How anybody who has benifited from the faith of the early saints, the sacrifices, and the perseverence through very real persecution and acusations (that make the media acusations against the flds look tame) can dismiss this issue, is beyond me.  I can only hope that those who do not realize the horrible infringement on the freedom to believe, are simply unaware of the real acusations here.  The media makes it's money off of sensationalism.  Sensationalism, unfortunantly, sells.  I do not pretend to know if anything the media has said is true or not, but I have had close relatives who are not members, be told horrible things about the church and the temple, contorted sacred ceromonies, from "reliable" ex-lds members, who "know what they are talking about because they were there".  I am not saying the media accusations are false, but that we don't know.  What is true, is that CPS did not state that they took and kept the children because of the fear that those accusations were true.  It clearly has stated several times that it is the flds BELIEFS that are the danger to the children.  They are clearly stating that the govt. has the power to decide whether something is good or bad enough to "allow" somebody to believe.  They are not saying "allow somebody to follow", they are not talking about whether there are laws agaisnt a religious belief (like polygamy) or not.  They are talking about allowing somebody to belive in their heart.  They are talking about allowing somebody to read something or not.  This is the most autrocious attack on the freedom of religion and the freedom of speach, speach in ones own home to ones own children, I have ever seen.  IF we close our eyes to this because they are "bad", we are handing every family right we ever had, over to the govt. to decide if they will "let" us raise THEIR kids, for children will no longer belong to families who have a right to believe (even if they don't have a right to act), but to the govt.  It is an outright attack on the family unit.  I would love to go into more detail if anybody wants to hear.  Take a close look at the actual court proceedings, and look at what beliefs are being called "evil".  They are your own.  http://freetechildrenaction.blogspot.com/

Well said Erichazelle

Free them?  Yes!  To loving foster parents that will let them grow up with a reasonable childhood.  When investigators entered the compound, they found 14 year old girls pregnant or with babies.  This is child sexual abuse by any definition.  These girls had no freedom of choice as to how their lives would go, who they should love or live with, or what they would be allowed to do with their reproductive talent from God.  Freedom has come for these girls: let freedom ring!

I think that it is going to be a hard thing for these children to be raised in foster care but leaving them to be ABUSED in the situation they were in is far worse.

Sorry Bethie, your wrong. 

Bethie, what part of abuse do you not understand?

There was a 14 year old girl profiled on the news today.  She was led to believe that at such a young tender age of 14 that she needed to be married and pregnant, as part of God's will for her.  She was at one time taken to the place of worship, raped by a 48 year old, and then told she had to marry him.  How horrible!!!  Imagine yourself in her shoes for a minute.   I'm interested to know what you thought about during that minute.

The CPS had every right to come in and save these children from the abusive lifestyle they have come to know as normal.  Being a social worker, I know  it doesn't take much to have children removed from a home.  You are right about these children being innocent,  they know no other way.  Keeping the children's best interest in mind, the state did what was in the best interests of the children.  NO child deserves to have their innocents taken away,  and then told that it was God's will!!

"unconstitutional action"

You've got to be kidding me Bethie? Can you imagine, let's say, you have a 13 year old daughter and someone says something to the effect "she is mine (meaning an older man) and she will marry 'so or so' and start having kids".  The state of Texas has every right and obligation to PROTECT those children.

The problem with the situation is that NOTHING has been proven. They went in unconstitutionally and forcebly removed ALL the children on the complaint of one girl, who they have yet to find.

Is Warren Jeffs and his ilk disgusting? YES!!! Is what they allegedly do wrong? YOU BET!!!

But they children were taken illegally and are being held illegally. That's the problem. Imagine if the Government comes in a takes your kids away on the basis that someone down the street molested their child.

That' smy 2 cents - so take it for what it's worth.

I am tired of being compared to this relgion just cause they have LDS in their name. what they are doing is very wrong! i feel for the kids but i am sorry you break the law you pay the price!!!!  They are sick to let young girls marry and have children!  And they groom these kids for this very young!  The fact that the young boys are raised to think it is ok to be a preditor of young girls is sick! ( got that of the news)  Go ahead and feel bad for the kids ....But you should also feel bad how they are being raised!

Again...you are sooooooooo wrong and on soooooooooo many levels.

Warren Jeffs and his ilk are nothing more than sexual preditors masqurading as religious leaders.  I can't believe any right minded Latter Day Saint (I'm assuming you're LDS) would shed one tear for the "plight" of these folks.  Frankly, Jeffs stands convicted of Child Rape...These children need our love and prayers...not any misguided defense of the preditors who till recently held them captive.