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Real Answers™
mm4
Copyright: ©2008 Mike Mirakian
600 words

ENDING ABUSE THE ONLY MORAL OPTION

By: Mike Mirakian

Sometimes nobody wins.

That seems to be the case in West Texas as state authorities sort through the mess of abuse allegations and child custody hearings related to over 400 children taken from the polygamous community known as Yearning for Zion Ranch.

The children, though rescued from a life of apparent manipulation and sexual exploitation, will carry the trauma of the past several weeks for the rest of their lives. No child wants to be separated from her mother. No child, even if life at home is far from ideal, wants to be cared for by strangers.

At the same time, no child should be forced into a sexual relationship. No child should be taught that patterns of abuse are God’s will.

No, nobody will win in this terrible situation created by misguided religious zeal.

It’s hard to watch police and child welfare officials bar mothers from their children. It’s hard to imagine the fear and confusion those children must be feeling as they live in foster care so far from home. This is perhaps the toughest of all governmental functions, breaking apart families to protect innocent children.  

But something had to be done.

Some cry out against what they perceive as over-reaching governmental authority. Some urge us to ignore the suffering of these children for the sake of preserving religious liberty, that being different doesn’t mean being wrong.

But some things are wrong, morally wrong and legally wrong. Our government, though far from perfect, has an obligation to protect those who cannot protect themselves and to administer justice fairly and equally to all people. Government “does not bear the sword without reason” (Romans 13:4). Or in this case, bear the judicial authority to take custody of abused children.

Our society rests on the bedrock of religious liberty. America is a beacon of hope and freedom, at least in part, because we chose long ago to give everyone the right to worship and practice faith as they desire. An erosion of religious liberty would cripple our society.

And yet government has a responsibility to protect citizens from abusive behavior, even when that behavior is motivated by religious belief. Unspeakable things could be excused in the name of religion. In fact, throughout world history unspeakable things have been excused or ignored or even cheered on in the name of religion.

The tough question is where do we draw the line. And I do mean “we”. Though we often forget or act as though it weren’t true, our society is governed by individuals elected to represent the values and interests of the people. Congressmen and judges may exercise power, but their claim to that power never exceeds the will of the people. So, this is our issue. We need to be engaged in the discussion.

Our values demand that government protect innocent children from abusive parents. We have a moral obligation to insist that government do the difficult, heart-breaking work of intervening in situations of domestic violence or sexual exploitation. And it is in our interest that we never allow government to constrain the free practice of religion so long as that practice does not involve violence or the abuse of others.

What happens in West Texas will deeply impact the lives of each of these children, as well as their parents. They will each deal with this tragedy in personal and private ways. This is also, however, a profoundly public issue.

Domestic violence and sexual abuse take place behind closed doors. Victims’ cries often go unheard. When they are heard, those closed doors need to be opened and the abuse brought to an end.

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

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