Apostolic United Brethren leader Owen Allred eludes to polygamy as a freedom of religion in his op-ed piece (Tribune, Feb. 25,). This is not the first time a polygamist or supporter has drawn this erroneous and mistaken conclusion.
While our country was founded on basic freedoms, including the freedom of religion, we are not free to practice all religious beliefs. We are free to believe what we wish, however there are some beliefs we are bound by law not to practice. Since Reynold's vs. United States (1878), which was the test case the Mormon church used to challenge anti-polygamy laws, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently ruled that a religious practice cannot trump a valid law of the land.
No Mr. Allred, you do not have the right to practice polygamy. No more than another type of believer has the right to sacrifice an animal or throw a virgin into the local volcano in order to appease the gods.
Allred says his sect is not opposed to "good law." What he means with the caveat of "good" as opposed to "bad" is what polygamists say about any law that gets in their way,
"We believe in God's law, not man's law." Where polygamists thumb their nose at one law, they do so with others. Some ex-apostolic members, who have come to Tapestry Against Polygamy, claim that Allred wanted to construct a cemetery in his sect's settlement on Utah's Western Desert. The county would not give him a permit for the cemetery but that didn't stop Allred. He is above "man's law" and constructed the cemetery anyway.
In a pluralistic society as ours, the Supreme Court said that without Reynolds, "Any society adopting such a system would be courting anarchy."
No, marriage, polygamy, and bigamy are a crime. Having married eight women, Allred is guilty of a crime, which he perpetuates to thousands of his laws breaking followers. Allred asserts that, some laws of the land tend to encourage promiscuity rather than promote virtue." What laws can Allred point to which would support such a conclusion?
No one condones the social ills of single individuals with multiple sexual partners breeding numerous children for which the state must pick up the tab for polygamous men who are not being responsible for upwards of 30 or more children by their numerous wives. While these dead beat polygamous fathers often hide their earnings within a tax-exempt religious organization parents in mainstream society not paying child-support are held accountable or punished. This type of "freedom" to disobey the laws of the land without accountability hardly seems fair to the rest of society that live within the law in spite of it's imperfections.
Also, keep in mind that in Colorado City and Hildale more than 2,000 individuals rely on the government for food, 33 percent use food stamps and residents have been awarded thousands of dollars in federal housing grants. This so-called religious freedom is being allowed at the taxpayers cost.
Many of the Owen's own flock, as well as in other polygamist groups and independents are using the state to subsidize their lifestyle. Many of these same people are reduced to "dumpster diving" behind grocery stores throughout the state because they have re-produced themselves into conditions beyond imagining. This is not the kind of society any of us would wish to envision for our civilization.
Allred claims that women make their own marital decisions within polygamy. What free agency is available to women who have no true conscious choice? How does one make alternative choices based on having been told from the cradle that this is the way of life is the "only way" to God and without it there is eternal damnation? This amounts to nothing less than slavery of the mind.
Legislation introduced by Sen. Ron Allen to prevent plural marriage of underage girls is an important fist step in allowing girls the chance to at least mature. However, Allred's words imply such legislation is an exercise in futility saying, "..present attempts... are an effort to destroy the principal of celestial or plural marriage. It will never happen."
Equality and respect for humankind will never happen as long Utah continues its citizens to court anarchy.
ROWENNA ERICKSON
Tapestry Against Polygamy
Taylorsville