Dispatch from the FLDS hearing: More from defense expert
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Dr. John Walsh, expert for the defense:
-They make their own clothes, grow their own food and pray in their spare time.
-Boys start to rebel about singing church hymns in their spare time. If they rebel, they could be ex-communicated from the church, thus term lost boys.
-Youngest I have heard of boy being subject to being thrown out is 14.
-We would find that lost boys had been unfairly shunned. But it would be harmful to keep him in community if they did not like the lifestyle.
-Have not spoken to anyone at YFZ ranch.
-Sexual relations would not be discussed in home. They don’t talk about sex with their children.
-Marriage they talk about all the time in their household and when they go to church. If you take away the polygamy aspect, their teachings about marriage would be the same as in a Baptist or Catholic Church.
-Traditional FLDS community out in Eldorado.
-Because of the persecution over last 50 years they developed an aversion to keeping records. So a lot of their history is going to be kept orally.
-What is the most accurate documentation to determine child names and biological ages on any flds compound?
-Oral history would be more accurate than written records. You would really have to go family by family. Some families keep accurate records of life events. Other families would not keep written records to determine name or birth records for fear of legality of polygamy.
-Whether a child engaged in underage sexual activity would depend on influence of parents.
-I have no knowledge of the impact of Warren Jeffs on this particular community. I can only speak in general terms.
-Believes flds members give children a reasonable education.
-Believes that a child who grows up in an flds community is fully capable of making decisions for themselves.
-Church teaches that those who are born with a disability they believe it is their responsibility to care for every individual.
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Filed under: FLDS court hearing • Polygamy |
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When watching programs on CNN, I saw nothing , for boys, no photos,etc, The women kept talking about there daughters. The only photos, were in every room looked like Warren Jeffs,except the one mother who did show her 7 year old daughters baby photos. Again no name on the album , it looked like mostly girls, and women. And DNA does exist, someone I know personally has done this for the state, when a man does not want to pay child support. And as far as I know the woman, man and children all must have this test. Why are theses people different ? Public Aid requires many types of I D for Americans. Also, if any other American threw their child out on the street they would be in court or jail for child abandonment. If these people were moved so quickly this time to Texas, next time , it may end like the Jim Jones followers in another country.
I guess they don't have to talk to their children about sex they just teach them firsthand.
Throwing the boys out has nothing to do with them not singing they just want the women and little girls all for themselves.
I am completely disgusted at how people can use 'religion' to cover up for raping children, for abusing children mentally and physically, and for forcing girls to marry the old man the pedophile (prophet) claims God said they were meant to marry.
I hope these children are never forced to go back and suffer this abuse any further and I hope the FLDS is stopped before they 'go forth and multiply' to have new victims to prey upon.
Whoops! Did anyone else catch this? In one sentence, the defense attorney claims "parents do not discuss sex with their children"; then turns around to say that "Whether a child engages in underage sexual activity would depend on the influence of the parents." Pardon me, but in my humble opinion, it would seem unreasonable to think that ANY parent could influence their child to have underage sex, if some sort of permissiveness to engage in underage sexual activity not been discussed (if not openly endorsed) at home.
They throw out the boys because they rebel against singing songs? How in the world do you throw out your own son for not singing? That is ridiculous beyond words. And from what 360 has shown of the lost boys independent decision making does seem to be a problem for them after the structured life they have led.
Annie Kate
Birmingham AL
Good grief....isnt this enough?