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Mother wins custody of Bountiful children

Canadian Press

Latest comment posted at 7:39 PM EDT 05/12/07

Teressa Blackmore said the real issue was her desire to keep her children out of the clutches of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ...Read the full article

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  1. Jennifer Rollison from Canada writes: Thankfully this judge has common sense. Bountiful is worse than a brothel...
  2. Dickie Whithers from Coldwater, Canada writes:

    Man, I thought Muslims were wacko......

    .
  3. X. T. from Waterloo, Canada writes: Dickie Whithers from Coldwater, Canada writes:

    Man, I thought Muslims were wacko......
    ----------------------------------------------------
    Nope. Let me borrow a line from The Simpsons: Mormon Hold'em
  4. the douglas from erie shore, Canada writes: And if they are practicing plural marriages, why is nothing done about it? Because this is Canada, where anyone can marry anyone or any thing any number of times.
  5. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: Polygamy in the Bible: Book of Exodus, Chapter 21, verse 10: 'If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.' . . . Moses had two wives: Book of Exodus Chapter 2, verse 21, and Book of Numbers Chapter 12, verse 1; Book of Genesis, Chapter 4, verse 19. . . . 'Lamech [Noah's dad] took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.' . . . Deuteronomy, Chapter 17, verse 17 (re the king God is name later): 'He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.'
    . . . Alrighty, then.
  6. X. T. from Canada writes: http://www.rotten.com/library/sex/marriage/celebrity-marriage/
  7. Carl Baldin from Canada writes: Isn't religion a wonderful thing...I love the way people use it (interpret it) for their own power-> in this case at the expense of children. Many of these children are married to 40 year old men at the age of 14 - Winston Blackmore says it is the only path to heaven (he is the leader and we know a few folks who have been there).
  8. X. T. from Canada writes: Carl Baldin:
    I tried to find this fine little town on Google Earth. Damn ignorant Americans don't even give me a clue on where it is. I searched every corner around Creston BC and don't find a place called that.

    Can you give me some direction?
  9. J Law from Canada writes: Nancy Wilson from N.Ontario, Canada writes: Life is difficult enough without having to marry some pot bellied 45yr.old ,while you're still a young impressionable teen.
    I agree with most of your thinking, but I would also say marrying a pot bellied teen would be just as bad.
  10. Matt Lofgren from Canada writes: Coordinates: 49°02′30″N 116°27′00″W as per wikipedia. Closer to Lister than Creston.
  11. Scary Fundamentalist from Vancouver, Canada writes: Nancy Wilson, just to stir the pot: So who gets to decide what our kids are programmed with? Should all kids be removed from their parents and educated from infants in liberal ideology? Socialist? Communist? Or plunked in front of the tube and ingrained in almighty Consumerism? From their perspective, all kids outside of the JCLDS are being brainwashed. Please enlighten me as to the correct religion/ideology that all kids should be programmed with.
  12. Nancy Wilson from N.Ontario, Canada writes: J. Law
    If only,most of us middle aged women or men could avoid the old pot belly!
    It's a lot easier as a teen, to have a near perfect young body.
    And these religious perverts exploit it,and take advantage of it,through brain washing schemes.
    Just like most religious indocrination,the earlier the brain washing starts,the more effective it will be.
    Get em while their young!
    It's pathetic.
    Personal strenghts are never seen as the reason for getting through tough times.
    IF you 'get through' tough times,it's only because of 'God'.
    I'm astounded that so many people buy into this.
  13. bj sutherland from Victoria, Canada writes: I applaud the judges decision. The article does not tell us the ages of the children, but it will be better for the daughters as well as the son to come to their own decision about what kind of religion they want to practice when they are adults. Who believes this husband has a monogamous marriage and how does that protect his daughters from eventually having to marry into a polygamous situation if they stay in Bountiful? There's been one conviction for being part of this type of child abuse in the US, what's it going to take to lay some charges in BC.
  14. Randal Oulton from Canada writes: >> Mr. Justice from Canada writes: Polygamy in the Bible: Book of Exodus, Chapter 21, verse 10: 'If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.' . . . Moses had two wives: Book of Exodus Chapter 2, verse 21, and Book of Numbers Chapter 12, verse 1; Book of Genesis, Chapter 4, verse 19. . . . 'Lamech [Noah's dad] took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.' . . . Deuteronomy, Chapter 17, verse 17 (re the king God is name later): 'He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.'

    Yeah. Funny eh how the hard-line bigots right now in the Anglican Church are cherry-picking parts of the old testament in backing their anti-gay bigotry. Why don't they go after the people who just have one wife?
  15. Scary Fundamentalist from Vancouver, Canada writes: Pls, Randal Oulton, the latest attack du jour on Christians is this mistaken belief that the only condemnation to homosexuality lies in the OT and that this was 'cherry-picked' for an agenda. Completely false.
  16. Robin H From Toronto from Toronto, Canada writes: Strange concept to be sure, that thirteen or fourteen year old girls would be provided their charter rights or protected in any way from forced sexual relationships with grown men, but what the heck, let's say we give it a shot!
  17. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: RO: . . . The Book of Exodus, Chapter 20, in addition to (1) condemning what is clearly homosexual acts between men . . . (2) doesn't mention homosexual acts between women at all, and (3) requires the death penalty (by stoning) for adulterers. . . . Would you like to know how the Conservative Cafeteria Christians deal with all of this ? Here goes: (1) still is 'good law', (2) the reason why female homosexuality isn't dealt with in Exodus 20 (or perhaps even in the entirety of the Bible, according to some claims) is because . . . female homosexuality was 'unknown back then' (!!) -- a claim which has no factual basis, and (3) things are 'different' now, so that's why we shouldn't stone adulterers to death. . . .
  18. Joe V from Canada writes: Scary Fundamentalist: 'Please enlighten me as to the correct religion/ideology that all kids should be programmed with.'

    That's easy to answer: None. They should be allowed to make an informed decision for themselves.
  19. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: RO: . . . Apparently NOWHERE in the New Testament does J __ make a statement re: homosexuality. YUP. All those anti-gay quotes that come from the NT (quoted by the Conservative Cafeteria Christians) are from sources OTHER THAN J ___ (usually Paul who, BTW, was NOT God). ALSO: Various books of the NT are in the NT by consensus and tradition according to various Christian churches, NOT by order of the Almighty . . . various Christian churches have various view on how many books the NT even contains; and, of course, various churches have various translations, etc., etc.
  20. Angry West Coast Canuck from Canada writes: Yet another example of why religion should be removed as a category of protection under the charter. Definitely protect 'beliefs' and 'faith', but too many hide behind 'religion' to perform all sorts of otherwise illegal, immoral and hateful acts.

    Religion is a tool for a few to control many, nothing more. It is time that all these cults - from fundamentalist christian sects that advocate murder to scientologists to name-a-cult-here advocating hatred and violence to cults advocating treating human beings as property - were brought to justice and made to account for their actions.
  21. Nancy Wilson from N.Ontario, Canada writes: Scary Fundamentalist,
    To answer your question,
    I think children shoud be 'aware' of different religious teachings.
    And open to all views.But not 'indoctrinated' into any.
    Not 'brainwashed' from a young age.
    When they are more mature,some 14,some 17,they can use their own mind to decide the right path for themselves.
    No one has the right to brainwash others-even if they are your children.
  22. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: RO: . . . One clever dude (or was it a dudette ?) made an offer online at a blog that made Conservative Cafeteria Christians kinda unhappy: He offered $1,000,000 to anyone who could point to a quote from J ___ in the New Testament that specifically condemned or even specifically addressed homosexual conduct or homosexuality, itself. . . . the CCCs then pounced, but . . . were unable to find such a quote, INSTEAD they claimed that J ___ 'by implication blah blah blah' condemned homosexuality, etc., and quoted lots of vague stuff. But they never came up with a specific quote; interesting, eh ?
  23. William Edgar from Nova Scotia, Canada writes: I have heard of a professor in the US who moderates inter-religious conferences. He sets up three rules:
    1. If you want to know something about a religion ask someone who is actually a faithful member of that religion, lest you find yourself bearing false witness.

    2. Compare the best your religion/belief offers to the best of the religion you are comparing. Don't compare your best to their worst.

    3. Allow room for righteous envy.

    One difference between people/organizations/cultures we like and dislike, is that we focus on the good stuff for things we like and overlook the bad, and for people we dislike we focus on the bad and indignantly ignore the good or positive. Who do you want to be treated?

    If we think the people in Bountiful are all bad, or Muslims are all bad, aren't we then indicting ourselves?
  24. Jim Whitney from Kearney ON, Canada writes: One day, I hope these children are able to write a letter to this judge and say thank you for saving from them from the overbearing burden of religion. They will be able to live their lives, content that their decisions do not require the approval of an unproven authority or the guilt of failing this concept.

    This time, I can only say one thing about our judicial system. Amen!
  25. Mike Sumners from Anytown, Canada writes: These kids are very lucky to have escaped religion, but what about other children around the world who are abused and brainwashed in the name of 'god'? One small step at a time, I suppose. I wish them well.
  26. Mike B from Canada writes: I can almost hear the banjos - 'squeal like a pig!'
  27. William Edgar from Nova Scotia, Canada writes: Why are we so quick to allow Mormon bashing? If this was an issue about Islam which allows polygamy, we would be much more careful in the name of political correctness.
  28. M Poland from Calgary, Canada writes: One should not confuse religion[s] with sects. Mormonism is a sect. Polygamous Mormons are a sub-sect [in-sect?] Nancy Wilson, you should use correct terminology when speaking about this phenomenon--if you are speaking of sexually mature, or very nearly sexually mature [teenagers] and those who would prey upon them--those preying turds are called hebophiles. Pedophilia describes the interest in children [e.g.--1 to @11 or 12-years-old]
  29. Robin Hannah from Canada writes: Thank-you, the journalists behind CBC's Fifth Estate, and elsewhere, for once again bringing this kind of story to life! And our attention. This, and other stories now unfolding before our eyes, heh heh (eh Karl?) You give investigative journalism a good name again.

    William Edgar - "If we think the people in Bountiful are all bad, or Muslims are all bad, aren't we then indicting ourselves?" Yes. Who is doing that? "Why are we so quick to allow Mormon bashing?" You see this as Mormon bashing? Please look again. This subject is about pedophilia.

    It would be nice if all religions, major and minor, under all their banners, would help eradicate pedophilia, child soldiers, child martyrs, child suicide bombers, child brides, child widows, child caregivers. Wouldn't that be nice, and divine?
  30. Robin Hannah from Canada writes: I forgot one of the worst (though how can one compare?) and perhaps most prevalent of all - child prostitutes.
  31. Robin Hannah from Canada writes: M. Poland, I don't know whether the sex-with-young-people divisions you refer to are legal, moral, religious, cultural, or anthropological, but the way you put it creeps me out. You seem to mean a defense of "religion" in general, but it's the sex that's questionable - no, I mean, the sects. Oh what the heck. As long as they're over 13 and, how did you put it? - very nearly sexually mature - anything goes.

    Religion and sex - god, will they ever part ways? I know, let's ask the 13-year-old-and-under boys and girls in Thailand (etc.)
  32. Buncha Crap from Lotusland, Canada writes: Can hardly afford one wife, who in their right mind would want more than one?
  33. Ricky for a Centrist Canada from Canada writes:
    Wackos like these out there molesting kids - and people are freaking out about muslim women wearing veils....
  34. Robin Hannah from Canada writes: Despite this brave win, of one person, one of the things we all know is pointless, is to ask the Vatican for an opinion. Let's turn to the Pope. About child-soldiers, or sex-children. Or the other sins committed in the Pope's name, or any other god's name, against children across this planet. Let's see what the Pope has to say. I've heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. For decades.

    (Though I admit I do seem to recall hearing a continued Papal forbiddance of contraceptives?)

    Zealots are the worst of the worst. Fanatics, of any stripe. They'll come at you, with their beliefs fully formed and unshakable. Whether they come sideways from the thrones of Saudi Arabia, or up from the creeks of Alberta. Watch out. They know the right way to do things, and you don't.
  35. della baird from vancouver, Canada writes: dee baird vancouver: it's nice to see one family court judge in this province did the right thing. through much experience as a child and adult in the system, i know the the children were very,very lucky indeed to get out of bountiful! now lets get the rest out. furthermore, lets get the some accountability from the whole rotten system. maybe then i can let go and get a decent sleep without having to take a pill for my ptsd!
  36. X. T. from Canada writes: William Edgar from Nova Scotia, Canada writes: Why are we so quick to allow Mormon bashing? If this was an issue about Islam which allows polygamy, we would be much more careful in the name of political correctness.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Islam does allow polygamy, but not many people practice (or at least can afford). I believe in many ME countries every man is allow to have up to 4 wives, maybe more in Saudi Arabia.

    That said, I do not think they 'assign' girls to any man, or 'marry' them as soon as the girl reaches 13.

    Also, it is also in Quran that the man has to treat all his wives equally. That is, if a man has 4 wives, every time he buys presents, he has to buy 4 sets of exactly the same thing or at least of the the same value. I checked with an Iranian years ago and he told me polygamy is very rare in Iran because of this. Not many can afford it.

    And what is going on at this fine little village (BTW thanks for direction, found that with Google Earth. Damn Google for bad resolution level), girls are assigned to men at age 13 or so. This is not only polygamy, but also an international crime called child sex.
  37. Gerald Donaldson from Canada writes: These children wanted to marry these men, and the Bible says it is O.K. for men to have multiple wives. What is the problem with willing marriages between older men and young women. While marriage under the age of 12 is prohibited under law anything else is fine.

    God Bless.
  38. X. T. from Canada writes: Gerald Donaldson from Canada writes: These children wanted to marry these men, and the Bible says it is O.K. for men to have multiple wives. What is the problem with willing marriages between older men and young women. While marriage under the age of 12 is prohibited under law anything else is fine.
    -------------------------------------------
    I remember the Bible says a man can marry his own daughter. Somewhere in OT I am very sure.
  39. c rob from Canada writes: While the old testament certainly mentions polygamy, the new testament really doesn't focus upon it. I may be wrong, but I don't think the apostles had more than one wife (as I said I could be wrong). I have difficulty understanding how, if one purports to be a Christian, so much emphasis is placed upon the words in the old testament. By the time that JC came along in the Holy Land, social change had already occurred. The New Testament and its teachings should really have more relevance to a Christian should it not? If that's not the case, then how can a person call himself or herself a Christian? Women have put their lives on the line to escape places such as Bountiful and kudos to the judge for doing the right thing. There are nutbars found in all organized religions. But there are nutbars found among atheists and secular humanists as well (though the fanatics among them might argue otherwise as do religious fanatics). While it may have been acceptable in the past for thirteen year old girls to enter into marriage with older men (and that was the case), it is not now. The law trumps religion and it needs to when the rights of the child are involved.
  40. X. T. from Canada writes: c rob from Canada:
    My guess on the polygamy with non-orthodox Mormonism is that Joseph Smith himself loves women. Well, that and money too. Wonder why he was shot into pieces by angry mobs?

    Of course, in order to do that he has to invent some theory to back his conducts, therefore Mormon Hold'em. It is said that the 2nd President of LDS, Brigham Young, was against polygamy but then he took up over 50 women, some of whom divorced down the line. When those divorced woman asked for support at court, Prophet Young refused on the ground that they were never married to each other in laws.

    Wait... I suddenly have an urge to convert... No child support eh? Sounds like I should sell the house and move to Bountiful.
  41. Scary Fundamentalist from Vancouver, Canada writes: Nancy Wilson: Your response is a pretty accurate representation of what goes on in the public school system - religious plurality. I would have to agree that this is the best for public schools, but should all parents be forced to teach the same? Is any parent teaching their kids otherwise therefore immoral?

    You must realize that if a person holds strongly to a religious belief, most, if not all of these beliefs specify that adherents will be rewarded in this life and/or the next. Wouldn't you want what's best for your kids if you genuinely believed that?

    Or are you of the crowd who thinks that anyone who holds strongly to a religious belief is a kook and should be locked up? (unless one is a member of the current "fad" religion)
  42. James P from Spruce Grove, Canada writes: Bountiful and their cult like beliefs aside, I don't get why people can't have more than one spouse. I don't know why having mutiple wives would be a desired thing but if thats your bag, who are we to stop you? If you are 14 and part of a cult, I'd say its our resposibilty to help.
  43. M Poland from Calgary, Canada writes: Robin, I most certainly was not advocating, or defending, anybody having sex with underage children or teens. I merely pointed out that accuracy in language lends strength to ones argument, that's all. Inaccurate language used in any debate "creeps me out", as it does make me wonder if the person knows anything about which they speak.

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