[Plyg-busters] The pro-Christian-polygamy folks over at TruthBearer.org are quick to point out that they have nothing, nothing to do with the FLDS plygs in El Dorado.Mostly the TruthBearers object to the fact that the FLDS are kinda Mormony, whereas the TruthBearers advocate nothin' but that old-time Bible-based Christian polygyny. So much more sensible.
You'd think there'd be a hint of solidarity among religious polygamists. Mark Henkel, who is TruthBearer.org, takes an identity-politics approach to polygamy, saying that it will be the next big civil-rights battle. So you'd think he'd understand at least the political utility of coalition-building.
(Yes, many cringe at the alphabet soup of the "LGBTMNOPQ* community" but there is a reason all the Ls and the Bs and the Gs and the Qs and the Ts, etc., have decided to band together rather than trying to go it alone. It's because they share a common goal of achieving equal protection under the law, which is a political goal requiring expediency.)
But, no, as always with wacky Christians, their beliefs get in the way of their brains. It's typical for fundie Christians to denigrate Mormons (and Mormon-esque folks like the FLDS) for believing weird things.
Because, you know, that story about a god-man born to a virgin, who walked on water and got murdered but was raised from the dead before he flew up into the sky? And it's literally true? Soooo much more believable that that craaaazy tale about the American kid who met God in the forest.
Keep making those microdistinctions, TruthBearer.org--then keep wondering why Americans can't seem to get the message that there might, just possibly, be a religious basis for polygamy. (Brandon Burt)
There actually IS unity, it's in the organization of people working for a goal, because it is actually doing things.
ReplyDeleteThe movement does have a unity. The one thing that secular polygamists, Jewish polygamists, Muslim Polygamists, or Mormon Polygamists can't do is persuade conservative Christians of the arguments. That is because the other Christians will dismiss them before they start. That's why those other polygamists understand how the evangelical Christian polygamists can succeed where other polygamists cannot. That would explain how TruthBearer.org's founder became the accepted national polygamy advocate for all forms to rally behind. It is not that TruthBearer.org is dis-ing the other polygamists. Instead it is the only organization with the only form of polygamy argumentation that is able to be at the front of the fight and succeed in persuading others. It's about making a non-Mormon America accept polygamy for polygamy, not for one example of it such as Mormon Polygamy, or one form of that form, FLDS. (Plus, they're pointing out that consenting adult polygamy is not the same as those who do child abuse is something anyone should do, as it has nothing to do with "unity" anyway.) Here is a quote from a special op-ed that he wrote himself about it:
ReplyDeleteKick Government Out of Marriage
"Where other conservative Christians typically dismiss Mormons, Muslims, or liberals promoting polygamy, the fact that I use undeniably conservative Christian argumentations - instead - actually compels other conservative Christians to take notice. By bringing something completely new to the political table about polygamy (our evangelical Christianity and our standard of consenting-adult, love-not-force polygamy), the modern polygamy rights movement began in 1994 and has grown since. Previously-marginalized Mormon, Muslim, secular and even liberal polygamists have all benefited - as never before - from the growth of this new pro-polygamy constituency."
It shows that Mark Henkel has become successful when articles like this try to undermine him with untrue guesses. TruthBearer.org is obviously a national organization with supporters and activists. Here are two examples of big media interviews with people from the organization besides Mark Henkel.
ReplyDeleteWashington Times reported on two different polygamous families from the TruthBearer.org organization.
NBC'S TODAY Show inteviewed another polygamous family from the TruthBearer.org organization.