Religious polygamist flees federal prosecution
 Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is on the run
 
By Steven Skelley
Naples Sun Times - Naples Florida
 
The fifty year-old Warren Jeffs is accused of personally arranging marriages between underage girls and older men. Jeffs's religion also allowed him to break up families of men he disagreed with. He would then "give" that man's wife and children to another man, often a complete stranger.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sect that Jeffs belongs to split from mainstream Mormonism after the Mormon church renounced polygamy in the late 1800's. The non-Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints church excommunicates members found to be still practicing polygamy.

Jeffs is wanted in Arizona on criminal charges of sexual conduct with a minor. Utah has charged him as being an accomplice to rape.

Jeffs is now on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list. There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. As Jeffs continues his misguided religious foolishness and flight from prosecution, people of faith are forced to explain that religious fanatics like Jeffs are not the norm in our churches.

Joseph Hall once said, "A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was."

Whenever I read that quote and hear another story about a religious leader doing something stupid, I like to replace the word crack with crackpot so that the quote reads, "A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crackpot was."

In the Bible, one of the first followers of Jesus advised a young minister named Timothy with these words of wisdom, "Don't do anything that will give people a reason to look down on you."

When people see crackpots like Jeffs or the psychotic homicide bombers doing what they do in the name of religion, they look down on all people of faith.

It's our job to provide a positive example of what God and faith can do in the lives of people of character and sense. This week, let's choose to set a good example. Let's try to swing the balance back to positive. There are more than enough crackpots giving people of faith a bad name.

Steven Skelley is an ordained minister with experience in both nondenominational and denominational churches. He enjoys communicating as a writer, public speaker and songwriter. He lives with his wife JoyceAnn nd daughter Steffany. Steven welcomes your comments and questions at StevenSkelley@yahoo.com.
 
townnews.com
Originally published May 17, 2006
 
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