Amazing, that religious freedom will even protect fundamentalist sects that force 14 year-old girls to marry men twice their age, marry cousins, and allow what is essentially slavery. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (a breakaway independant sect not officially affiliated with the Mormons) apparently practices its total domination program unhindered by the U.S. government in the southern areas of Utah. The leader of the group, a Mr. Jeffs, has total control over members, including telling each young girl who she has to marry, exiling teenage boys who attempt to watch movies or talk to girls, and actually removing wives from undesirable husbands and giving them to other men! How the United States can turn a blind eye to actual sexual slavery and ownership is beyond me. While Mr. Jeffs is now in custody and charged with sexual crimes, what is being done to help the young men and women who are suffering psychological torture in the name of freedom of religion?
I bet the only reason that the government has let them get away with marrying and trading underage girls like cattle and abandoning underage boys in the street is because it's a Christian sect. Any other sort of polygamous worship of pagan or ancient greek fertility gods for instance would have had a Waco response.
NYT Article about abandoned boys
