Polygamy..., Religious fundamentalism Options

[madchenallein]

Okay, so I just finished Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, and it raises so many interesting questions. In it he states that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not consider itself to have fundamentalist splinters. That having been said, for simplicity's sake, Krakauer refers to many of the religious groups mentioned in his book, which have in fact splintered off from the LDS church after excommunication, as Mormon or LDS fundamentalists.

Here's the debate: do you consider the practice of polygamy under religious tenets to be constitutionally protected, or is it simply a violation of law? According to one fundamental 'Mormon' teching cited in the book, a dedicated follower must practice multiple 'celestial marriages' (several wives), not for his sexual delectation, but to shore up resources for his afterlife. The guidelines are that he spend equal time with each wife, abstain from sex unless it is specifically to create life with a fertile (read 'ovulating') wife-not exactly a license to disport himself with four women at once.

I am not Mormon or fundamentalist Mormon, however, I must question the government interfering in the practice of one's religious faith in the home. However, to contradict myself (lol), many of the women in these relationships can feel abused or devalued and some children surely are taken advantage of or forced into relationships they are not yet ready for.

Problems that also figure into the actual practice of polygamy is the severe abuse by some (many) fundamental polygamists of the American welfare system. But, for me, that is turning into a slippery slope, as I already oppose government subsidized welfare, so let's look at it strictly as a state vs. religion issue.

If you oppose it, then at what point do you stop opposing government interfering in religious practice? How about not getting a social security number because you oppose the government's intrusiveness and imperialism under the guise of 'fill in your SSN' religiously? Or what if you don't want your tax money to be used for state schools because your faith teaches differently from what the government indoctrinates the state school children with using your money?