Here is the latest from Texas Child Protection Services spokesperson Marleigh Meisner. My emphasis added:
Again, without at all defending the FLDS, that seems like a lot of maybes. 416 children were taken from their mothers because Marleigh Meisner and her staff think and believe that the children could be in an unsafe environment. And the kids are gone. Who gets to decide this stuff? And again, what if the leaders of Child Protective Services in your state decide that Bible-believing Christian homes also aren't a "safe environment"?
O, let us pray that this turns out well.
"I believe we have ... children who are victims of physical abuse, and I think we have children who are victims of sexual abuse. I think we also have children who were at risk because of the environment they were in -- that they could be potential victims or they certainly could be witnessing abuse or neglect. And I believe and our department believes that this was not a safe environment for these children."
Again, without at all defending the FLDS, that seems like a lot of maybes. 416 children were taken from their mothers because Marleigh Meisner and her staff think and believe that the children could be in an unsafe environment. And the kids are gone. Who gets to decide this stuff? And again, what if the leaders of Child Protective Services in your state decide that Bible-believing Christian homes also aren't a "safe environment"?
O, let us pray that this turns out well.
2 comments:
It's hard not to have mixed emotions about this case...
On one hand, polygamy is in total defiance to the Word of God (not to mention that it's illegal and degrading to women and young girls). Add the devastating results of intermingling gene pools and you have a recipe for disaster.
It is our moral duty to intervene if anyone (particularly a child) is being raped and/or abused, regardless of where they live or what their religious beliefs are.
HOWEVER...I, too, have a problem with authorities physically removing children from their homes without some sort of evidence of abuse. It could happen to anyone!
Herein lies the problem...Do authorities err on the side of caution and separate them from the only life they've ever known - possibly damaging them psychologically for the rest of their lives?
Or do they try to gather enough evidence to obtain a search warrant? These groups are often secretive and mistrusting of outsiders, which would make evidence-gathering nearly impossible. Past experience with groups/cults like this has shown that the outcome could be deadly.
So what can we do? PRAY without ceasing! Pray that God will use this situation to draw lost souls to Himself and that He will be glorified. Pray for wisdom and compassion on the part of those in authority. Finally, pray that God will protect these children and remove the scales from the eyes of the FLDS members. This is a tough situation, but God is able!!!
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