News-Record.com

"a renegade Mormon splinter group that believes in marrying teen girls to older men"

i'm torn between two evils -
1) children that are isolated and seemingly coerced into marriages and sexual relationships which they apparently have no voice in
2) children that are this fragile, uprooted from their only familiar surroundings, subjected to the world (and its evils) without much support to help them grasp the reality of this world.

to some lesser extent most (if not all) children are subject to lifestyles, opinions, philosophies , religious tendencies, etc. and etc. - simply by being raised by parents. but these children are also subjected to whatever their world circumstance allows them - therefore they have cross references and exposures to something other than just what their parents tell them. they are not slaves to only one environment (as the flds children are). this is a tough situation for the children, in either place. i hope they will find comfort in these trying times.

"Many of the children have seen little or no television. They have been essentially home-schooled all their lives. Most were raised on garden-grown vegetables and twice-daily prayers with family. They frolic in long dresses and buttoned-up shirts from another century. They are unfailingly polite."

"Many of the children have seen little or no television."

Good for them!!!! This shows a great deal of wisdom and discipline on the part of the parents/overseers, regardless of their less savory practices. Sounds to me as if they had considerable insight into the dangers of modernity. We had NO TV until our kids were older. Worked great. Sometimes I wonder if we should have ever had it.

"They have been essentially home-schooled all their lives."

So were ours, and they came out beatifully, as many others have. Again these folks had the right idea, given the well-guarded compounds of atheism that pass for schools in the "enightened" world outside. I probably wouldn't agree with much of WHAT they were taught, but home schooling is one of the best venues ofor learning and exploration possible - when done well. Even - not so well - is better than most public schools today.

"Most were raised on garden-grown vegetables . . ."

Ahh - again they were right. Natural foods types should love this one. I sure it was far better than the fare most kids are stuck with today as latch-key wafes, muching on junk food; or low-nutrition foods they get when exhausted working mom comes home. Oh, the joys of American feminist modernity.

" . . .twice-daily prayers with family."

And again, they have the right idea, but unfortunately with erroneous Mormon theology.

"They frolic in long dresses and buttoned-up shirts from another century."

A darn sihgt better than the tight, revealing (ugly) fashions most modern American girls wear. And I bet they didn't have any tatoos or piercings either - good for them! Too bad they had bad theology and practiced polygamy.

"They are unfailingly polite."

Again they top the irritating, brash and disobedient brats that we are producing in our day-care wastelands and chaotic public schools. I know, I worked in them.

Seems like we could learn a great deal from them about childrearing, education and manners - WITHOUT the false relgious teachings and practices.

I'm so glad we raised well-dressed, polite, home-educated, healthy and God-fearing children who are now happy, well-adjusted and successful in their careers - and think for themselves. The only thing I fear for them is that they are struggling with a decadent, godless and increasingly dangerous society. But they also were taught to make a difference and contend for the Faith, which they are doing marvelously.