"Thou Shalt Obey"--FLDS

  Spiritual Authority, post 1.
Many of us after watching the news and reading print media were appalled to discover the spiritual and physical abuse railed on so many women and children, teens and runaway souls.  Pictures of women dressed like Little House on the Prairie, with trance-like gazes, and crushed hearts wooed our curiosity and touched nerves of abuses we faced in life.  Whether you take the side of the state of Texas or take the side of the childless mothers you will notice very few taking the side of the men, and everyone taking the side of the kids.   As an attempt at understanding corporate abuse of this scale media hounds like Larry King and Andersen Cooper, Greta and O'Reilly are asking the same question.  How is it possible for these people to remain in bondage to their leaders?  In the land of the free and home of the brave, where everyone has equal rights, how is it possible that women and children don’t flee this abuse and authoritarian rule?

One woman in an interview said, “I spent 17 years being beat by my mother because I wouldn’t be obedient to my father and he wanted me in his bed.”

Warren Jeffs, leader of the FLDS cult is known for his motto: “Thou Shalt Obey.”  Citing Scriptures like “children obey your parents” and “obey them that have the rule over you” he preaches a doctrine called “Perfect Obedience.” In a 1995 recording, Jeffs preaches on the need to be “perfectly obedient and come out of the world” or be doomed to apostasy and judgment.   Through fear tactics and psychological manipulation he authorizes and arranges marriages of sixteen and fifteen year old girls to older polygamist men.  What could he possibly hold over these innocent girls that would coerce them into beds of molestation?  Most of us would look at him and tell him to get lost.  But not those reared in this culture.  For one they fear that if they ask any questions they will lose their salvation.  Ignorant and uncontested obedience is cherished and promoted while questions and doubts and disobedience is shamed, mocked and threatened with excommunication.    Stories of the Excommunicated Damned and their ill-fated death serve as testimonials that perpetuate the fear and horror.

 

Those who finally escape and runaway do so because, "it's reached a point you don't believe hell could be any worse than the heaven they promise," Flora  Jessop said. "Girls just don't leave, and you leave knowing that if you're caught and returned, you'll pay a price worse than death."  My soul goes out to those trapped in a hellish earth.

Personally I have committed my life to following Jesus and his teachings.   I trust they are the words of life and love, hope and joy.  In my quest to dust my life with the path of God what does he mean, when he says, “keep my commandments” and “trust and obey”? Whereas most of us will never know the terror of manipulation to the degree that Flora succumbed, how can i help those who have come from this culture and how can i make sure i as a spiritual leader never manipulate or coerce people?  How can i protect myself from this happening to me, even on a minor level?   In the next few posts I want to investigate these questions.  Who or what is the final authority?  What does Scripture mean when it says, “Obey your parents”?  Or “submit to civil authorities for they are ministers of God to do good.”  Or “Obey them that have the rule over you and submit to them for they watch for your soul.”  Or “touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.” These Sacred Texts and others have been used to abuse people and stroke egos. Theologians and scholars alike would agree that the Bible was not intended as a means of justifying absolute authority.   How can we fulfill the original intent and purpose of these words of life and yet defend against their abuse and misuse?

 

Check back every couple days for a new blog on this subject . . .

Comments

[Brian LePort]

This is a very important issue to address. I think what makes it especially urgent is not just the news stories where people have become slaves of the mind to religious leaders but also because of the problems that follow complete autonomy and lack of any accountability. Where do we find a middle ground between individuality and corporate responsibility. Hope your post answer these questions!

[Jeffre Garner]

Thanks,Brian. I hope my posts delve deep into the issue. I think this issue goes much deeper for many Christians who come from a fundamentalist background. I am only afraid that i have too much to say.