Laws of this country against polygamy should be obeyed
 
Opinion
The Spectrum
 
Normally, I write tongue-in-cheek articles. I enjoy poking fun at the world (and myself) and hopefully giving you a laugh or two. Today is a little different. You see, on Feb. 14, The Spectrum published on its op-ed page, a guest editorial by J. Steed, a resident of Centennial Park, Ariz., and presumably a polygamist. So, in spite of my reluctance to offer serious opinion - here goes. (Next month, I'll get back to my regular nonsense.)

Dear J. Steed: For many years, I lived in Virginia. While there, I learned a lot about the great debate which occurred in the 1800s, regarding slavery vs. a state's right to govern itself. As you know, the arguments were so highly charged that eventually a civil war erupted, and it ended only after hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. Some may erroneously believe that the Civil War ended the argument. Not by a long shot. For decades, blacks in this country suffered terribly as the remnants of slave justification remained in our system of politics, culture, and even our religions - mine included.

However, over time, the formal institutions of oppression are slowly giving way to more rational thought and discourse. Slavery is long dead. Luckily, that debate is over. And now, blacks are guaranteed equal rights under the law. In 1978, my church even changed its collective mind and its policy. Yes, it's a slow process, and heartbreaking at times, but few would argue that it is anything but the right course. I hope that someday, my faith will further denounce its earlier proclamations that blacks are somehow "marked" - because that concept is purely nonsense, of course. And although we are not finished with this process, not by a long shot, we are making progress - inch by difficult inch.

Now, what does this have to do with you and your religious polygamy? In some ways, it's the same question: Does the government have a right to dictate moral or religious actions? And the answer is: Sometimes. Not an easy pill to swallow, especially when the moral action in question is an essential tenant of your religious belief and "illegal" according to the laws of your country. I doubt many polygamists would agree, but it is nonetheless commonly understood, that the guarantee of religious freedom provided by our Constitution is not an ultimate trump card that can be played at every moral debate. Yes, even religious freedoms must limit their observances to actions within the accepted behaviors of society.

So, who gets to decide what actions (religious or otherwise) are "within" the boundaries, or those which have crossed the line? Our lawmakers. That's it, period. There is no other answer - at least, not in this country. To you, "God's Law" may supersede all others, including the laws of the United States and local governments. To most of us, this kind of thinking is delusional. To believe that you somehow have a religious "requirement" to break the laws of this country is both fanatical and dangerous. And when you choose to further "protect" yourself from the world through self-isolation, this becomes a very volatile situation.

Early on, had Brigham Young relinquished his righteous determination to practice polygamy, Utah would have become a state much sooner, the government would have stopped its heavy-handed oppression of the people, the people would have become citizens and participants of this great country, and many, many women would have been spared the almost certain heartbreak of these non-monogamous arrangements. Was polygamy ever "God's will?" That's a discussion for LDS scholars - I really couldn't care less. At some point, LDS Church leaders saw the light and luckily, I am not asked to believe it, nor practice it. For me, the debate of polygamy is as moot as the debate over slavery. Its time has past, and good riddance.

I extend my hand to you and all other polygamists. I truly harbor no ill will. I hope you will someday understand the benefits of being an active citizen and participant of this great country. But before you join in, you must understand that to "truly" participate in the wonderful promises of the United State of America, you must also agree to subject yourself to its laws. Anarchy - religious or otherwise - destroys the promise.

Brent Holloway is a resident of St. George.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published March 8, 2007
 
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