Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Big Love
I have been fascinated by the Fundamentalist LDS for quite a while. I watch "Big Love" via Netflix like its my job. Yesterday, law enforcement officers moved a large group of members from The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints in Eldorado, Texas. 220 women and children were escorted off of the compound and relocated during an investigation of underage marriage and sexual exploitation. In relation to our conversations about diversity, I think this case presents some interesting questions. Where do discourses religious freedom and human rights intersect, conflict, conflate, and collide? What do we accept as "appropriate" cultural practice and what do we reject? Who decides? Read more here.
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2 comments:
mmmh. Religion seems like such a sticky area to navigate and feel like it definitely can conflict/ contradict and intersect with human rights with almost every religion out there. What does it mean to have religious freedom when some people aren't given the choice (or are they) on whether or not they want to practice a certain religion? What does it mean when a force outside of a given religion gets to determine validity?
I feel like with religion, in the US, Christianity / Christians in government/power positions determine "appropriate" cultural practices. This is reinforced by the media's portrayal of these decisions to the public at large.
For me, there are some pretty clear standards when it comes to minors. I think it is appropriate to rely on social standards in the form of laws with regards to minors. Although where those standards come from is a whole other issue...
But I agree that it is sticky with adults.
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