Political Crossfire Forums

[eightballsidepocket]

Any of you folks been following the HBO, Big Love series?

We've got a Polygamist businessman with three wives in Salt Lake City, UT.. Trying to fit into normal society by keeping his Polygamy a secret. I believe Big Love is based on a book.

Anyway, it's been quite entertaining for the wife and myself.

I suppose the LDS church doesn't have fond feelings about the show.
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Actor Bill Paxton is the husband of the three wives.

They live in this housing track/neighborhood, and for all purposes, their home looks like all the others on the street, but behind the house, hubby has two houses interconnected with the house facing the street. They have a common back yard.

Anyway, the wives sit down and make calendar time to have Paxton for the evening/day. It's like a three day rotation set-up. He's fathered kids with all of them. The first wife he married is called "First Wife" the second one is "Second Wife", and so on. There's even a visit to the old family doctor by Paxton for a major Viagra RX.

There's jealousy between the wives and other issues too.

Now businessman Paxton is the owner operator of 4 major home improvement stores in Salt Lake City, and hopes to continue expanding, but in the latest episode, there's been a little snag, as his Polygamy has been exposed or revealed to some Utah government officials through a crazy fluke happening. His first wife was entered in Bee Hive State Mother/Wife of the Year, and when hubby and his kids went to the doings, an anonymous call came in revealing that Bill's wife, sitting with the other finalist wives on the podium, is involved in Polygamy. The anonymous call caused a great embarrassment during the ceremony, and Paxton's wife was escorted off the podium in disgrace.
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Seems that Polygamy has never worked out very well in ancient times either as Solomon and David had nothing but problems with wive's jealousy's, and the off-springs of the different concubines and wives all vying for Daddy's special attention. King David was nearly killed by one of his kids.

Even old Abraham ran into problems with Sarah his wife and Hagar his Concubine, both having given Abraham sons........Hagar's being Ishmael, and Sarah's being Isaac, later to be renamed Israel.
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Anyway, I didn't realize how much Polygamy goes on in the State of Utah, by some off-shoot Mormon religious groups that the official LDS church has tried to ignore. As in accepting Black folks for priesthood acceptance now through one of their many "new" revelations from God, they have officially received an OK from God via their latter day prophets that Polygamy is now on the "outs".

Up until about 80 years ago, Polygamy was quite accepted and practiced by mainstream Mormons, but the U.S. Government via Teddy Roosevelt came down on the church with a heavy hammer blow. He demanded the removal of the American flag form the Mormon temple and other punitive actions, as the Mormon church had been very resistant to other mainstream acceptable, and ethical practices in the U.S. culture as a whole.

Anyway, founder Joseph Smith Jr. and Brigham Young both promoted Polygamy as God ordained via their Prophet status to the whole Mormon church body. To this day, there are some areas of Utah, where the "Principle" or Polygamous living is still happening, and the State of Utah refrains from prosecuting these folks. Most likely reason: Too many LDS folks in high government positions in Utah, and open prosecution would embarrass the official Mormon church, headquartered in Utah.
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Anyway, Big Love is quite an interesting series going on HBO. Maybe even an eye-opener. There is a way to catch up on past episodes if you go to the HBO home website.

[LetsGetReal]

I've understood that is was only allowed on the trip to Utah, for the woman who lost their husbands on the trip. But, it was still practiced by people but was not ok'd by the church.

[ideal]

Polygamy was actually banned by the LDS church until the 1890's or so when the American government forced them to stop the practice in order to have Utah granted statehood. This has sparked off a couple off shoot groups(most prominent being FLDS) and many private families going off on their own. Unfortunately, most of these groups are responsible for horrible abuses of women and especially young girls which could have been prevented by simply allowing polygamists to remain in mainstream Utah culture where they would be subject to public approval and, more importantly, DCFS(or whatever the designation of Utah's department has).


On another note, Big Love is the reason I wish I had HBO. Is it pretty good?

[eightballsidepocket]

ideal wrote: Polygamy was actually banned by the LDS church until the 1890's or so when the American government forced them to stop the practice in order to have Utah granted statehood. This has sparked off a couple off shoot groups(most prominent being FLDS) and many private families going off on their own. Unfortunately, most of these groups are responsible for horrible abuses of women and especially young girls which could have been prevented by simply allowing polygamists to remain in mainstream Utah culture where they would be subject to public approval and, more importantly, DCFS(or whatever the designation of Utah's department has).


On another note, Big Love is the reason I wish I had HBO. Is it pretty good?

Quite entertaining. Big Love

By the way, try hitting a seach engine and type in "Mountain Meadow Massacre". It will really open your eyes to the LDS history that Mormons would like to bury. It's one of the greatest atrocities on American soil, and was perpetrated by Mormon prophets. This also added salt to the angst that the U.S. government had against the Mormon Church.
http://frank.kirkman.com/

[ideal]

I read about Mountain Meadows years ago. The Mormon church of that time did some horrible things(as have many religions throughout the centuries) but they're conducting themselves appropriately now.

[cap'n queasy]

I'm just waiting for a comedy series about devil worshipers.

Ought to be a hoot. :lol:

[JoeTzu]

cap'n queasy wrote: I'm just waiting for a comedy series about devil worshipers.

Ought to be a hoot. :lol:

What you've never seen Sienfeld? :lol: