I guess we should feel sorry for all those folks in Colorado City, Hilldale and TX who go on believing in him
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no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing... the truth of God will go forth till it has penetrated every website, sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done
We can feel sorry for them, but it can also be one of those moments when we simply have to grit our teeth and remember that "We claim the privilege of worshipping 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." ... even those who apostacize or are somehow descended theologically from apostate doctrine that has perverted that which at one time was plain, pure, and in accord with The Lord's will.
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
We can feel sorry for them, but it can also be one of those moments when we simply have to grit our teeth and remember that "We claim the privilege of worshipping 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." ... even those who apostacize or are somehow descended theologically from apostate doctrine that has perverted that which at one time was plain, pure, and in accord with The Lord's will.
Cat, we can allow others to worship as they may up to a point. If someone opens up a Satan worshipping cult in my town that practices kidnapping and human sacrifice, you can bet that I'm going to try to get them shut down.
If all this church did was believe in polygamy, I could leave it alone. But they forced young women to marry people that they did not want to. I don't think that's covered under freedom of religion, personally, because now they are interfering with her rights.
I can understand those splinter groups that practice polygamy in secret. I can't condone them, but neither do I think that any force of law should be used to make them stop. It's when the principle of force is involved that I think that the force of law should be used.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Are you suggesting there is some sort of disconnect between adherence to the concept embodied in the article of faith concerning tolerance of religious belief and expression and in the concept of honoring, upholding, and sustaining the law of the land found in another article of faith?
All I was saying is the same thing, in not so direct and eloquent of terms, as Pres. Hinckley has said... namely that it is not Church's or the members' of the Church role to prosecute the law of the land on those who engage in illegal acts. That is the responsibility and charge of the civil authorities.
I'm not defending the FLDS in any way, but there are other sub-cultures within the U.S. where arranged / forced marriages are also common. The circumstances may be slightly different, but they can still be viewed as imposed against free will. They don't get much press time though because it is an ethnic / cultural thing.
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."