This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Texas authorities say the case of FLDS children is not about faith. We beg to differ, though not in the way you might expect.
A judge ruled last week that 416 children will be taken from their families and placed in temporary foster care because state authorities believe the kids are victims of systemic child abuse in the community of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints near Eldorado.
We are not prepared to say that the judge was wrong. But it takes a leap of faith to say that she and Texas Child Protective Services officials are right, because there has been limited evidence presented in open court so far to support the allegation of systemic child abuse in the cases of all 416 children.
What's more, Texas has not filed any criminal charges, and the calls for help that instigated the case may have been a hoax.
It is an extraordinary thing to watch government authorities raid a religious community, search it and remove hundreds of children and their mothers. Then, after several days of testimony by Texas officials, academic experts and some of the mothers, a state court judge rules that all of the children will be separated from their mothers and placed into temporary foster care.
Americans observing this ordeal should be concerned for the mental and emotional well-being of these children and their parents, to say nothing of their civil rights.
That said, Utahns are well aware of the difficulties of prosecuting crimes within polygamous communities. Because these groups tend to be isolated, secretive and distrustful of anyone outside the fold, it is tough for outsiders to weigh charges about what actually occurs within them.
The successful prosecution of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs as an accessory to rape of an underage girl because he arranged her "marriage" suggests that other girls among the FLDS may be victims. Texas officials say there may be at least five such girls among the young people taken from the Yearning for Zion Ranch.
Beyond that, how widespread the abuse could be is impossible to know. The world must await the evidence. Between now and June 5, when hearings for all 416 children must be held under Texas law, we hope to learn more. Because Texas authorities bear a heavy legal and moral burden for the community-wide intervention they have made.