A federal judge struck down as unconstitutional Utah's law against polygamy. U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups ruled against the law's clause that made it illegal for an individual to cohabit with someone to whom he or she is not legally married. Waddoups ruled that the law against cohabitation violates the First Amendment and "interfered with the right to privacy," a concept made up of whole cloth by judicial fiat and not protected in the U.S. Constitution. The judge upheld the part of Utah's law criminalizing bigamy (entering into multiple marriages). The case began when a polygamist family sued the state of Utah in 2011 after a county prosecutor threatened to prosecute them. Kody Brown is legally married to one woman but also lives with three others in "spiritual union." He has 17 children with the four women. The judge ordered the county to pay the Brown's legal fees. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes has indicated that he will probably appeal the ruling, but we have little hope that high U.S. courts today will rule for constitutional principles and certainly not for biblical morality. Fundamentalist Mormons, such as the Apostolic United Brethren Church of which the Browns are members, are a breakaway from the mainline Mormon Church and believe that polygamist marriages bring exaltation in heaven. Matt Barber, an attorney and columnist, observes, "Make no mistake, unless this euphemistic 'marriage equality' bomb is ultimately defused, the cornerstone institutions of natural marriage and the natural family will someday be unrecognizable. A society that rejects the sanctity of marriage and family is a society not long for the world" ("Judge Issues Final Order," Christian News Network, Aug. 29, 2014). God's will from the beginning was for marriage to consist of a holy, lifelong covenant between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:20-25). Ever since the Fall, man has wanted to defile God's plan of marriage. Lamech, a son of Adam's firstborn son Cain, was the first polygamist (Gen. 4:16-19). Some of the Old Testament saints were polygamists, but it was not God's will, and it brought much trouble. The Son of God confirmed that God's will for marriage is one man and one woman (Mat. 19:3-9). (Friday Church News Notes, September 5, 2014,www.wayoflife.org [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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