Category Archives: Polygamy

Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for And Just Like That. Catch up before reading ahead.

Last week, And Just Like That marked the end of another era-defining relationship. Miranda and Steve are no more with the former in pursuit of a passionate tryst with Che. Is this budding romance doomed for failure before its even began?

Following Carrie and Bigs tragic conclusion, fans had to watch as Miranda uttered those dreaded words to long-time love Steve. She wants a divorce. The revelation comes as no surprise to viewers or Miranda for that matter. For weeks she has been drilling on to her pals about her desire for excitement and change and she finds it all in Carries boss, Che.

The pair began the revival by sharing flirtatious remarks, lingering looks, sensually shotgunning weed who said romance is dead? It was hard not to pick up on the implication being left by the writers; something was building between these two. Nothing actually goes any further until episode 5, and just like that, Miranda becomes a fully fledged adulterer.

Following the encounter, Miranda fails at reigniting the spark with Steve but continues to fantasize about her new lover. This is more than a quick romp in the kitchen. This isnt a mid-life crisis. Miranda is at last discovering her identity and she wants to explore the world with Che tinted glasses.

In episode 8, she and Che take a huge leap together theyre falling in love. It could be sweet if not for the weight hanging over their heads; Miranda is still married and Che pointedly assures they are unable to offer anything traditional before jetting off to Cleveland. Now, heres where the other shoe drops. Che was under the influence that Miranda was in an open-marriage and they were wholeheartedly okay with the idea, which begs the question: is Che the monogamous type?

There isnt much viewers actually know about their personal life so itd be difficult to pinpoint an answer. However, maybe their offer of non-traditional suggests they are not. Thats not to say they wouldnt be committed to a relationship with Miranda, just that settling down isnt entirely within their comfort zone. This would probably throw a damper on things because Miranda certainly doesnt scream polygamy perhaps this love affair is too good to be true.

What if Miranda arrives to Cleveland to find Che with someone else? Its highly plausible she will not be happy, leading to a blow out between the two. Theyre still in the honeymoon phase; the spark is intense because its unlike something Mirandas ever experienced; reality might come crashing down sooner than later for her. It could be the push she needs to reevaluate what she really wants out of life; she may even attempt to rekindle the flame with Steve thought it looks unlikely hell take her back so freely.

If the theory holds, its looking like Miranda will end the series single and figuring out where her path will lead. Thankfully, Harry and Charlotte are still going strong through all the drama so at least theres some hope to tide us over!

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And Just Like That: Is [spoiler]s new romance over before its began? - Hidden Remote

Marxist-Leninist icon Sankara and 12 colleagues were gunned down by a hit squad in 1987 during a coup that brought Sankara's former comrade, Blaise Compaore, to power.

Former Burkina Faso president Thomas Sankara. Picture: Wikipedia.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - After three months of hearings, the landmark trial into the assassination of Burkina Faso's 1980s revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara enters it final stage next Monday.

Marxist-Leninist icon Sankara and 12 colleagues were gunned down by a hit squad in 1987 during a coup that brought Sankara's former comrade, Blaise Compaore, to power. Compaore ruled the West African country for the next 27 years.

Here are some highlights from the a military court in the capital Ouagadougou. The proceedings are being followed avidly in Burkina, where the unpunished killings were a taboo subject during the Compaore years.

CONSPICUOUS BY THEIR ABSENCE

Twelve of the 14 suspects appeared in court when the trial began in October 2021, charged with complicity in murder, harming state security and complicity in the concealment of corpses.

But two of the key defendants -- Compaore himself and his then head of security, Hyacinthe Kafando -- have been conspicuous by their absence.

The former president, who was deposed by a popular uprising in 2014 and fled to neighbouring Ivory Coast, has always denied ordering Sankara's murder and is boycotting what his lawyers dismiss as a "political trial".

Kafando, who is accused of leading the commando that carried out the bloodbath at a meeting of Sankara's Revolutionary Council, has been on the run since 2016.

A third key suspect, 61-year-old general Gilbert Diendere, has categorically denied the charges against him, as have all but one of the other defendants.

Diendere, who became Compaore's right-hand man after the putsch, is already serving a 20-year sentence for a 2015 plot to overthrow the transitional government that replaced his former boss.

SOURING RELATIONS

Ballistics experts told the trial Sankara had been shot in the chest at least seven times by assassins using tracer bullets. When fired, the bullets ignite a burning powder, helping the shooter mark their target.

But the defendants said the victims died in a botched attempt to arrest Sankara after he and Compaore fell out over the direction the country's revolution was taking.

Sankara allies, including ex-military commander Blaise Sanou, accused Compaore -- whose bid to cling to office precipitated his 2014 downfall -- of being hungry for power in 1987.

But political analyst Valere Some said it was Sankara's decision to move to one-party rule that had sparked the rift between the two.

Sankara, still a revered figure for many, was an army captain, aged just 33, when he came to power in a 1983 coup.

A fiery revolutionary, he railed against imperialism and colonialism, often angering Western leaders but gaining followers across Africa and beyond.

He scrapped the country's French colonial name -- Upper Volta -- and pursued a socialist agenda of nationalisations and social reforms, including bans on female genital mutilation, polygamy and forced marriages.

ACCUSATIONS OF CONSPIRACY

In court, several of Sankara's former aides talked of an "international conspiracy" against a progressive leader who had sought to upend the world order and eradicate poverty in his landlocked state.

Felix Houphouet Boigny, the then president of Ivory Coast and a close ally of former colonial power France, was accused of being "central to the conspiracy".

Former Burkina television director Serge Theophile Balima said the late Ivorian leader had warned Sankara, "If you don't change, we'll do it for you."

LIKE SUICIDE

Other witnesses said there had been a terrible inevitability to Sankara's death.

"(It) was like suicide because he knew what was coming and he did nothing to prevent it," recalled Boukary Kabore, then commander of the advanced airborne battalion.

Sankara's security chief Famoro Ouattara said he "had been warned about the danger he faced", but had "never let anyone challenge Compaore militarily... It's as if he wanted to be killed."

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The landmark trial over death of Burkina revolutionary Sankara - Eyewitness News

This article is about the reality television series. For the 2000 Israeli documentary, see Sister Wife. For the general concept, see Polygamy.

21st-century American reality television series

Sister Wives is an American reality television series broadcast on TLC that premiered on September 26, 2010. The show documents the life of a polygamist family, which includes father Kody Brown, his four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn) and their 18 children. The family began the series living in Lehi, Utah but has since moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2011 and the unincorporated township of Baderville, Arizona (northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona) in mid-2018.[1][2]

Brown and his four wives have stated they participated in the show to make the public more aware of polygamist families and to combat societal prejudices. Brown believes his polygamist arrangement is legal because he is married legally to only one woman (Robyn), while the other marriages (to Meri, Janelle and Christine) are "spiritual unions".

The show follows the lives of Kody Brown, his wives Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn, and their 18 children.[3] In the first season, the show televised Kody's courting of and marriage to his fourth wife, Robyn, in 2010.[4][5][6] Robyn was the first new wife to enter the family in 16 years.[7]

The only legal marriages have been between Kody and Meri, until their legal divorce in September 2014, and Kody and Robyn from December 2014, in order for Kody to legally adopt Robyn's three children, Dayton, Aurora and Breanna. Kody's marriages to Janelle and Christine (for their entirety) and to Meri (after their legal divorce) are considered "spiritual unions".[5][8] As of 2020, Kody has been married (formerly legally and now spiritually) to Meri for 30 years, Janelle (spiritually only) for 27 years, Christine (spiritually only) for 26 years, and Robyn (formerly spiritually and now legally) for 10 years.[9] Kody and Meri have one daughter, Mariah. Kody and Janelle have six children: sons Logan, Hunter, Garrison and Gabriel, and daughters Madison and Savanah. Kody and Christine have six children: daughters Aspyn, Mykelti, Gwendlyn, Ysabel and Truely, and son Paedon.[10][11] Robyn has three children from her first marriage (which was monogamous): son Dayton, and daughters Aurora and Breanna. Kody legally adopted them in June 2015. Kody and Robyn have two biological children: son Solomon and daughter Ariella. Kody and his wives have three grandchildren, Axel and Evangalynn (both Madison's children), and a third from daughter Mykelti.

Meri, Christine and Robyn were all raised in polygamist families, but Janelle was raised in a monogamist family. Months before the marriage of Janelle and Kody, however, Janelle's mother entered into a polygamous marriage with Kody's father.[7] Although Christine's mother left the faith, she remains supportive of the family dynamic. The Brown family belonged to the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB), a Mormon fundamentalist group. For years before the series, the family kept their polygamist lifestyle what they called a "quasi-secret".[12]

In the Autumn of 2009, independent producers Timothy Gibbons and Christopher Poole approached Figure 8 Films, a North Carolinian company, with the concept of a reality series about the Brown family. Bill Hayes, the president of Figure 8 Films, said the company agreed to the idea after meeting with the Browns and deciding their lives would make a great story. Camera crews shot footage of the family in mid-2010 to be used in the first season,[12] ending in May with the marriage of Kody Brown and Robyn Sullivan.[13] The crews continued to film them afterwards in case the series was picked up for a second season. Sister Wives was publicly introduced on August 6, 2010 at the Television Critics Association summer media tour in Beverly Hills, California. The series' first episode, an hour long, was broadcast on TLC on September 26, 2010 and the first season continued with six half-hour chapters until October 17, 2010.[12][14]

The broadcast of Sister Wives came at a time when polygamy and multiple marriages were a prevalent topic in American pop culture. Big Love, the hit HBO series about fictional Utah polygamist Bill Henrickson, his three sister wives, and their struggle to gain acceptance in society, had already been on the air for several years. In early September 2010, the drama series Lone Star, about a con man on the verge of entering into multiple marriages, premiered on Fox but was quickly canceled after two episodes. When Sister Wives debuted, actress Katherine Heigl was in the process of developing a film about Carolyn Jessop, a woman who fled from a polygamist sect.[15]

In October 2010, TLC announced it had commissioned a second season, which began in March 2011.[16] A TLC interview with the Brown family was broadcast on October 31, 2010,[17] and a one-hour program featuring the honeymoon of Kody and Robyn Brown aired on November 22, 2010.[18]

The series led to the Brown family being investigated for possible prosecution. The family later sued the state of Utah, challenging its criminal polygamy laws. The Browns prevailed in the district court in a 2013 ruling, but a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ordered the case to be dismissed on standing grounds in 2016.[19]

Considering its sensational subject matter, TLC's "Sister Wives" has been refreshingly modest. The stars [have] a natural, honest presence in a genre fabled for the camera-hogging antics of Jersey Shore. Rather than merely emphasizing what's different about the Brown family most obviously, their "plural marriage" Sister Wives shows us how normal they seem: loving and good-natured around their children, occasionally prone to envy and feelings of betrayal.

Schuyler Velasco, Salon[20]

Sister Wives drew national media attention after its first season[21] and garnered generally mixed reviews from critics. Washington Post staff writer Hank Stuever called it "refreshingly frank" and found most interesting the small details of the family's everyday life, such as the food supply, division of labor, and minor arguments.[8] Los Angeles Times television critic Mary McNamara said she was intrigued by the matriarchal nature of the polygamist family, a unit that is traditionally considered patriarchal. McNamara said the wives form the center of the family and that "their bonds appear far stronger and more vital than the casual fondness with which they all treat Kody".[22] Salon writer Schuyler Velasco praised Sister Wives for introducing viewers to unfamiliar subject matter and called it "refreshingly modest" considering its controversial subject matter. Velasco said it has "a natural, honest presence in a genre fabled for the camera-hogging antics of Jersey Shore".[20] Shelley Fralic of The Vancouver Sun called it fascinating and surprising and was impressed with the sensible and articulate way in which the family defended their lifestyle.[7] When the Brown family made an October 2010 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, talk show host Oprah Winfrey said she found particularly fascinating the relationship between the sister wives.[23]

Mark A. Perigard of the Boston Herald criticized Kody Brown for opening himself and his family up to potential criminal prosecution by appearing in the series, describing him as "a lawbreaker who is risking himself and the family he claims is so precious just to star in his own TV show".[9] Elizabeth Tenety of The Washington Post called the series "one part domestic drudgery, another part sensationalism" and claimed it relied on a "familiar reality TV recipe" shared by other TLC series such as 19 Kids and Counting and Kate Plus 8.[3] Religion Dispatches writer Joanna Brooks shared Tenety's perspective, criticizing the show for presenting polygamy in a manner that "is about as interesting to me as Kate Gosselin's latest makeover." In this vein Brooks criticized the show for not engaging the theology of plural marriage and for letting Kody Brown's superficial comments about the dissimilarity of Fundamentalist and mainstream Mormonism pass onto the viewers without any critical scrutiny or added nuance.[24] Shari Puterman, television columnist with the Asbury Park Press, felt the sister wives had issues with jealousy and self-worth, and she compared Kody to a cult leader. Puterman added, "I can't speak for everyone, but I believe in the sanctity of marriage. It's sad to see that TLC's capitalizing on people who don't."[25] Former prosecutor and television personality Nancy Grace criticized the show and said she believed Kody Brown should go to jail, but she expressed doubt he would, based on Utah's history of overlooking polygamy.[26] Christine Seifert, an associate professor of communications at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, said the show could give viewers who are unfamiliar with the LDS church the incorrect assumption that polygamy is accepted by the mainstream church.[21] Several commentators have taken notice of the fact that the family's religious convictions are downplayed in Sister Wives.[22][24][27]

According to Nielsen Media Research, the 26 September 2010 one-hour premiere episode of Sister Wives drew 2.26million viewers,[28] a strong rating for the network. It marked the biggest series debut for TLC since Cake Boss launched in 2009 and was a stronger rating than any of the season premieres for HBO's Big Love.[29] The remaining episodes of the first season were each half an hour long, with two broadcast together each Thursday. In the second week, the first episode drew 1.88million viewers, while the second drew 2.13million.[30] The third week drew similar results, with 1.89million viewers watching the first episode and 2.05million watching the second.[31] Sister Wives drew its strongest ratings during the fourth and final week of the first season, with 2.67million viewers for the first episode and 2.74million for the season finale.[14] As a result of the 2.7million average viewership for the two episodes, TLC ranked first among all ad-support cable channels in the 1849 and 2554 age groups. The series drew double- and triple-digit ratings gains in all key demographics and ranked second in ad-supported cable network shows during its time period.[32]

Kody Brown, along with his wives, filed a legal case in the United States federal courts challenging the State of Utah's criminal polygamy law.[33] The Browns prevailed in the district court in a 2013 ruling, but a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ordered the case to be dismissed on standing grounds in 2016.[34] The Tenth Circuit concluded that, because local Utah prosecutors had a policy of not pursuing most polygamy cases in the absence of additional associated crimes (e.g., welfare fraud or marriage of underage persons), the Browns had no credible fear of future prosecution and thus lacked standing.[35][36]

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Sister Wives - Wikipedia

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 1

Nepal Police record shows that 9,240 cases of crime against women were recorded with the police in the past five months across the country.

Among the various nature of crimes, 7,329 complaints registered with the police were related to domestic violence.

The heinous crime of rape was rampant, wherein a total number of 993 girls and women above 18 and 104 young girls were raped. In average, almost three women were raped every day and one girl was raped in almost every three days across the country in the past five months, as per data.

Similarly, a total of 331 rape attempt complaints were filed with the police during this period.

Another largely prevalent crime against women was polygamy.

As many as 351 cases of polygamy were registered with the police in the past five months. Similarly, 19 cases of child marriage, 76 cases of women trafficking, 12 cases of unnatural sex and 25 cases of witchcraft violence were registered with the police.

Despite such a high number of crimes against women, Nepal Police record shows that these crimes are declining.

A comparative research of similar crimes during the same period last year shows that majority of these crimes have dropped significantly.

For instance, a total of 1,096 women were rape victims from mid-July to mid-December in 2020.

A comparative study of two data during the similar period of the year shows that the incidents of rape have decreased by almost 10 per cent this year compared to last year.

Similarly, witchcraft violence declined by 32 per cent in the first five months of 2020.

As many as 37 cases of witchcraft violence were recorded during that period.

Similar data on cases of child molestation and child rape decreased by over 32 per cent in the first five months of the current fiscal. In the first five months of the last fiscal, 37 cases of child rape and molestation were recorded.

Crimes against women registered to the police are said to be just the tip of an iceberg.

Quite often, the victims or their family members don't come forward to report such crimes to police.

Mostly, perpetrators of domestic violence go unpunished in the country as majority of women choose to keep silent rather than report such incidents to the police.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 2, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.

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Over 9,000 crimes against women in five months - The Himalayan Times

NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom A Stone Age tomb is giving the world a look at the human races oldest known single extended family, according to a new study. Researchers in the United Kingdom say they found DNA from Stone Age Britons who lived in the nations West Country about 5,700 years ago.

Mapping DNA from the bones and teeth of these individuals reveals 27 of the 35 bodies were close biological relatives. This includes five continuous generations that descended from four women, who all had children with the same man.

Study authors note that polygamy and adoption were common in this era. The group lived around 3700 to 3600 BC a century after scientists believe early humans started farming. Scientists discovered the bodies in a burial monument (a long cairn) on the edge of the Cotswolds-Severn region in the U.K.

This study gives us an unprecedented insight into kinship in a Neolithic community, says first author Dr. Chris Fowler of Newcastle University in a media release.

The tomb at Hazleton North has two separate chambered areas, one accessed via a northern entrance and the other from a southern entrance, and just one extraordinary finding is that initially each of the two halves of the tomb were used to place the remains of the dead from one of two branches of the same family. This is of wider importance because it suggests that the architectural layout of other Neolithic tombs might tell us about how kinship operated at those tombs.

Researchers add the cairn is the best-preserved Neolithic tomb in the country. Their study is the first to reveal the structure of prehistoric families in detail.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, also provide new insights into the kinship and burial practices of our Stone Age ancestors. The cairn more than 350 feet long and up to six feet high had two L-shaped areas north and south of the main spine.

Early humans laid their relatives to rest inside these chambers, with men generally lying next to their fathers and brothers. This suggests Stone Age society was patrilineal, with later generations lying in the tomb based on their connection to their male forefathers.

The team also discovered two female family members who died during childhood. However, a complete absence of adult daughters suggests their bodies are in the tombs of male partners with whom they had children.

The choice of burial in the north or south chamber appears to be dependent on who the first-generation woman descends from. It indicates these women were socially significant in the memories of the community. Early humans may have also welcomed step-sons into their family, according to the team.

There were males whose mothers were buried in the tomb, but not their biological fathers. These women also had children with a man descended through the male line.

However, the eight who were not biological relatives of those in the family tree show that being a blood-relative was not a requirement for entry into this tomb. Study authors note three of these were women who may have had a partner in the tomb. They either did not have any children or had daughters who reached adulthood and left the community.

The excellent DNA preservation at the tomb and the use of the latest technologies in ancient DNA recovery and analysis allowed us to uncover the oldest family tree ever reconstructed and analyze it to understand something profound about the social structure of these ancient groups, says co-first author Iigo Olalde of the University of the Basque Country in Spain.

The study hints at a polygamous society where adoption was common and paternal and maternal lines of descent were important.

This study reflects what I think is the future of ancient DNA: one in which archaeologists are able to apply ancient DNA analysis at sufficiently high resolution to address the questions that truly matter to archaeologists, adds co-author Prof. David Reich of Harvard University.

Scientists believe the Neolithic period was a time of human advancement where farming took hold and sedentary civilization became feasible. Farming culture made its way to Britain thanks to migrants from Europe around 4,000 BC enabling the abandonment of hunter-gatherer lifestyles.

They brought with them agricultural techniques and the previously untamed landscape quickly became more ordered. This period ended around 2500 BC, leading into the Bronze Age.

It was difficult to imagine just a few years ago that we would ever know about Neolithic kinship structures. But this is just the beginning and no doubt there is a lot more to be discovered from other sites in Britain, Atlantic France, and other regions, concludes co-author Prof. Ron Pinhasi of Vienna University.

South West News Service writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.

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Ancient DNA in a Stone Age tomb reveals the worlds oldest family tree - Study Finds

Perhaps the most unique sacrament of the Catholic Church is marriage. For it is an institution that is often associated more with the secular world than the religious or spiritual realm. To be sure, marriage as an institution is inclusive of law, anthropology, and history.

Nevertheless, in the following discourse, I will seek to survey the different forms marriage has taken in history, and how the Bible views marriage. Lastly, I will discuss marriage as a sacrament of the Catholic Church.

As is often the case, the secular and the religious are in conflict, which is true even when attempting to define a subject. Perhaps the model secular definition of marriage was provided by the Finnish sociologist Edvard Westermarck, who defined marriage as a relation of one or more men to one or more women that is recognized by custom or law. (See The Future of Marriage in Western Civilization). This definition is helpful within an anthropological setting.

Historically, marriage has taken many forms, from a legal contract to a social union, to a religious covenant. More often than not, marriage in the ancient world had little to do with God or romance and much more to do with economics and the propagation of bloodlines. Indeed, marriages were often arranged along purely economic grounds and tocreate bonds between families. This practice of arranged marriages remains part of the milieu in various parts of the world today.

While marriage is usually between a single man and a single woman, it has also taken place between two men, between two women, a man and multiple women (polygyny), and a woman and multiple men (polyandry). (See Dartmouth College, Department of Anthropology, Course 50:17).

God said, it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him. (Genesis 2:18). This suitable helpmate was formed from the very rib of man, and thus woman was flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:22-23).

If one contemplates the fact that the Bible begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of the wedding-feast of the Lamb, then the significance that the authors of the Bible placed on marriage comes into relief.

Nevertheless, marriages in Biblical times were quite different from the marriages of the modern world. Very often, marriages were arranged and it was not uncommon for a young woman to be given by a family member in marriage, often by her father.

However, the most striking characteristic of marriages in the Old Testament was that of polygamy. Indeed, several prominent men of the Old Testament had multiple wives. In 1 Kings 11:3, we read that King Solomon had seven hundred wives. Still, this practice of polygamy, very often like marriage in general, had economic considerations at its heart. The inferior economic status of women of the ancient world often necessitated that women find a husband that could support her as well as her children.

Suffice to say that marriage within the Biblical world was very much influenced by culture and economics and very often seemed to be one of a contractual obligation.

Contrary to the concept of marriage as a contractual obligation, Catholicism asserts that marriage is a sacrament. Indeed, Saint Paul compares the marriage of a man and a woman to the relationship of Christ and His Church. (See Ephesians 5:23-32).

The Catholic Church describes marriage as a mystery instituted by God. (See Part Two, Section Two, Chapter Three, Article Seven of the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

To understand why this is so, we must understand that Catholicism asserts that God created man out of love and, in turn, mans most fundamental and innate vocation is to love. Moreover, as man is created in the image and likeness of God, and God is Himself love, marriage is intended to reflect the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man.

Still, it would not be until the Council of Verona in 1184 that marriage would rise to the level of a sacrament (See Systematic Theology by Francis Schussler Fiorenza and John P. Gavin). As sacraments are defined as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace (as defined by Saint Augustine), then it is the words of Jesus Himself that gave marriage its sacramental state. For we read in Matthew 19:4-6, Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

Put another way, The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1601).

So although the modern person tends to view marriage within a strictly secular framework, a comprehensive understanding of marriage must admit that the author of marriage is God Himself.

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Marriage and Sacrament | David Schloss - Patheos

It was a stark reminder of how easily the peace-loving people of the Pacific can suddenly be overwhelmed by political passion, recrimination and revenge.

In their Pastoral Letter for the year 2022, the Bishops of our two countries wrote, Since its beginnings in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands the Catholic Church has contributed to the betterment of society by shedding light of the Good News of Jesus Christ on destructive cultural practices (sorcery, polygamy, warfare, and the suppression of women).

They did this by promoting positive cultural practices and providing social, educational and health services to all without discrimination.

The Catholic Church has also taken a clear and public stand on more modern destructive trends, all belonging to what Pope Saint John Paul II once termed culture of death; corruption, bribery, the death penalty, abortion and Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV).

In recent times, the Church have attempted to provide the best possible advice on what the Gospel has to say about refugee crisis, the current pandemic, SARV, the move to changing the Constitution to declare PNG a confessional state, and how the Christian should respond to these challenges using these principles.

Today on Christmas day, those suffering human beings are in our thoughts and in our prayers, particularly those who have lost everything in Honiara fires. The women and children tortured in the PNG Highlands and elsewhere due to senseless sorcery accusations, the victims of COVID-19 and their families with the young left to fend for themselves, the Church says.

A sad celebration of Christmas also awaits about 100 asylum seekers and refugees in Port Moresby. They are the remnants of the more than one thousand men housed first in Manus Island since 2013 by the Australian government.

By January 1, 2022, they will be under the full responsibility of the PNG government until a solution is found at least for some of them.

With all these pockets suffering in our midst and the pandemic, a Christmas of joy and happiness is hard to wish. Still, we do so on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG and Solomon Islands since the weak child in the manger turned out to be the most powerful source of hope, encouragement and strength.

He is our Saviour and Redeemer and as far as we decide to listen, to stop damaging people and convert. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022.

Originally posted here:

Christmas Of Tears and Hope - Loop PNG

One of the wealthiest people from Utah said he is officially resigning from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, saying the church has "hindered global progress in women's rights, civil rights and racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights."

Jeff Green, the CEO and chairman of the online advertising company The Trade Desk, will also reportedly donate $600,000 to LGBTQ rights group, Equality Utah.

Green, who is believed to beworth more than $5 billion, wrote a scathing letter to Mormon Church President Russell Nelson and requested the LDS church, as it is also known, to remove his records, admitting he had not been part of it for over a decade. The letter, first published by the Salt Lake Tribune earlier this week, was obtained by CBS News.

"While most members are good people trying to do right, I believe the church is actively and currently doing harm in the world. The church leadership is not honest about its history, its finances, and its advocacy," he said.

In the letter dated December 23, he attributed his exit in part because of how church leaders have created "unhealthy paradigms around gender roles (exacerbated by canonized doctrines on polygamy)."

"This paradigm, coupled with the sex-negative teachings and policies, has a series of immeasurably negative impacts on nearly all participating members and their neighbors and communities," he wrote.

He said most Mormons are "good people" and many are born into the religion, saying the decision to leave is "difficult." Ultimately, after years of reflection, he said he made the decision to leave because he wanted to live a "life of honesty, morality, truth, and a desire to pursue a more socially just world."

"I feel deep empathy for those who have been ostracized from the Mormon community or who choose to leave because of their beliefs, values, or even just who they are," he added. "Leaving almost always means losing some amount of family harmony."

The 44-year-old tech executive said he hopes the church becomes more inclusive for "different views and beliefs among Mormons" in the future, saying it will benefit "the lives of millions of people."

Because of his views on LGBTQ rights, Green donated $600,000 to Equality Utah, a nonprofit that leads efforts for LGBTQ civil rights at the state and local levels. The group acknowledged the donation on Twitter on Tuesday.

"We are tremendously grateful to Jeff Green for believing in our work. We are firm believers that despite our political differences, we always must seek common ground. Thank you Jeff, for supporting our work," the organization tweeted.

In his letter, Green also took aim at the LDS church's wealth, which he alleges owns more than $100 billion in assets. He criticized them for not doing enough to "help the world and its members with its wealth."

"This money comes from people, often poor, who whole-heartedly believe you represent the will of Jesus... Instead, I think the church has exploited its members and their need for hope to build temples, build shopping malls, cattle ranches, fund Ensign Peak Advisors investment funds, and own mortgage-backed securities, rather than alleviating human suffering in or out of the church," he wrote.

The church did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment.

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Christopher Brito is a social media producer and trending writer for CBS News, focusing on sports and stories that involve issues of race and culture.

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Billionaire resigns from Mormon church, says it is "actively and currently doing harm in the world" - CBS News

New Delhi: The contentious bill to raise the marriage age of women from 18 to 21 years Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 may have been sent to the Parliaments standing committee but its political intentions are becoming clearer by the day.

The proposed law, it now appears, is one more logical step in the Modi governments well-thought-out and one-move-at-a-time strategy to push India towards a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) without actually needing to enact one.

The arguments by the ruling and Opposition party members around the proposed law are ranging from womens health and career, their right to choose, their familys socio-economic conditions and so on.

However, a deeper look into the chain of events chronologically, since 2019, gives the context about how the government has been planning and taking baby steps towards a bigger change central to the key political goals of the ruling BJP.

Also Read: Same family laws for all faiths whats Uniform Civil Code, and what courts say about it

In its 2019 sankalp patra (manifesto), the BJP spelled out a few central, and ideologically loaded, promises: The abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu & Kashmir, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the prohibition of triple talaq and the introduction of a UCC in place of a variety of personal laws that govern matters such as marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance within different religious communities.

The party has managed to meet each of these promises since then except the last, which happens to be the trickiest of all.

The BJPs quest for a uniform civil code, of course, is not new. Even in the 1998 general elections, the partys manifesto included a promise to formulate a UCC based on progressive practices that would benefit women across religions by giving them property rights, removing discriminatory clauses in divorce laws, and putting an end to polygamy, among other things.

This conception of gender justice carried forward to the partys 2004 vision document, and also the manifestos for 2009, 2014, and 2019.

In June 2016, the Modi government delegated the Law Commission to examine matters in relation to uniform civil code, the result of which was an August 2018 consultation paper on reform of family law.

The Law Commissions reflections and recommendations, which ran to more than 180 pages, were perhaps not what the government might have hoped for, but it provided something of a road map.

The paper noted that discriminatory laws needed to be addressed but a UCC was neither necessary nor desirable at this stage.

Instead, it suggested that making piecemeal changes to laws wherever necessary would be a better strategy. The BJP seems to have taken this to heart, especially since it understands well that trying to bring about blanket changes in personal laws will likely lead to massive protests across communities.

That doesnt mean that nothing can be done to work towards the greater goal, albeit one small step at a time.

Within about two months of the BJP being voted back to power for a second term in May 2019, Parliament approved a bill criminalising triple talaq, an Islamic law that allows a husband to divorce his wife instantly.

The wheels were set in motion for the next gender justice project in June 2020, when the Ministry of Women & Child Development (WCD) constituted a 10-member committee to look into womens age of marriage, through the lens of health, maternal mortality, nutrition, etc.

Modi, meanwhile, started doing the groundwork. In his Independence Day speech last year, for instance, the PM spoke at length about womens empowerment, and announced that a committee was deliberating over raising the legal age of marriage for women.

A few months later, in December 2020, the panel headed by former Samata Party leader and activist Jaya Jaitly submitted its recommendation that it would benefit women if the minimum age for marriage was increased.

The result is the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill. With it, the Modi government is not just taking on child marriage but is also on its way to introducing some uniformity in the personal laws of several different communities including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Parsis at least when it comes to a womans marriageable age.

The question now is, what next?

Also Read: Modi govt has been working for a Uniform Civil Code and we didnt even notice. Until now

Even though the decision to raise the legal age of marriage for women is not directly linked with the UCC, it is being seen as a systematic progression towards it.

The government has never wavered in its rhetoric about the UCC.

In March this year, for instance, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a speech at the BJPs Uttar Pradesh state committee meet that the party is still committed to fulfilling its promise on the UCC. Whenever we talked of Ram Mandir, people poked fun at us we fulfilled that promise. We also fulfilled our promise on Article 370 and triple talaq. We will do what we have said about the uniform civil code also, Singh had said.

How the fulfilment of this promise might be rolled out is not certain, but there are clues.

Talking to the Print, a top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary said that the government now needs to amend the personal law that permits polygamy a clear reference to the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.

The functionary also expressed outrage over issues in Sharia law such as the lack of rights and compensation afforded to divorced women. Other personal laws, including the Hindu Marriage Act, allow the woman to demand her right on property, he said.

It is also instructive to look at recent statements made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. In October this year, Bhagwat made an interesting reading choice during his Vijayadashami speech: a resolution that the all-India executive committee of the RSS had passed back in 2015.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering his Independence Day speech, in New Delhi on 15 August 2019 | PTI

This resolution spoke of the need to address the purported demographic imbalance in India, namely an increase in the ratio of Muslims in the population. The resolution articulated anxieties around Muslims outnumbering Hindus and the need for a new population policy, even though the fertility gap between Hindu and Muslim women has been shrinking rather than increasing, according to a Pew report released this September.

Prime Minister Modi also described having a small family as a sign of patriotism in his 2019 Independence Day speech, and, earlier this month, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena brought up the need for a population control bill during the winter session of Parliament, despite the fertility rate in India dipping below the replacement rate.

Also Read: How RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat dusted off a 6-year-old document to set new agenda for Modi govt

Ram Madhav, a member of the RSS national executive, told ThePrint that it was time for everyone to start thinking of the girl child and her education and career rather than being in a rush to marry her off.

He denied that the proposed new law had any direct connection with the UCC, although he said it remained a desirable goal.

The government banned regressive laws like triple talaq. These are all progressive steps towards a balanced inclusive society. As far as the UCC is concerned, it is good for the country and there are several judgments on the need for it. The courts, starting from the 80s, said that the government must consider a common code in the country for all communities, Madhav said.

According to him, it is wrong of Opposition leaders to make the issue about Hindus and Muslims.

Left parties and some other Opposition members are saying that if a girl can choose the government at 18, then why not a partner? Is it the same? Madhav asked, adding that arguments that some families make girls marry young for socioeconomic reasons do not hold water either. They are trying to say that girls are commodities and they just need to be married off? Is that their argument? he said.

Mohan Bhagwat releasing a report on the status of women in 2019, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman | PTI

Several Muslim leaders and members of the Opposition told ThePrint that they believe the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill is an attempt to covertly implement the UCC.

Others said they objected to the lack of consensus-building before tabling the bill, while some claimed the move appeared to be aimed at winning political points ahead of the assembly polls in UP.

According to E.T. Mohammed Basheer, an MP who belongs to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the new bill reflected a trend towards encroaching on religious personal laws. The Modi government has already tweaked the divorce law of Muslims and now it is targeting marriage, he said, adding that inheritance and adoption may be next on the agenda. This is surely a step-by-step way forward to the uniform civil code, he said.

Basheer told ThePrint that the IUML has already spoken to like-minded parties, including the Left and the Congress, and might explore seeking a legal remedy.

Asaduddin Owaisi, Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, said the decision was unilateral.

To bring UCC, the government has to amend all personal laws including the ones of tribal people According to the Law Commission, implementation of UCC is not practical. So, we do not know what the government is up to, he said.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid also pointed out that the lack of consensus-building was problematic and there needed to be more debate and deliberation. This may be a signal to the minority that there would be another diktat coming. It outweighs an individuals right, the Congress leader added.

When asked for his views, former Union minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram said his party would ask for the bill to be referred to the select committee, and he preferred to reserve his opinion for now.

It was later the same day that the bill was referred to the standing committee.

On Twitter, he expressed support for the age increase, but said it should be preceded by a year-long educational campaign on the benefits of the move.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi listed out several things that he thought wrong with the proposed law and what it sought to accomplish.

Firstly to believe that merely passing laws amounts to substantive and lasting social change, is to live in a fools paradise. Secondly, these reform measures must be debated in standing and select committees of Parliament, he said.

Thirdly, unless a lot of work goes in to reform mindsets, all that will end up, is criminalising large chunks of the female population between 18 and 21 years. Fourthly, the measure may not be bad if accompanied by solid, supportive, nutritional, dietary, educational, and employment reforms for women between 18 and 21 years, Singhvi added.

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury linked the bill to the UP elections. I think this is another ploy to polarise people along communal lines before the UP election. They might now say that they will bring UCC and portray this as a precursor, he told ThePrint.

(Edited by Asavari Singh)

Also Read: How Ambedkar, Munshi & Krishnaswamy Ayyar argued for Uniform Civil Code at Constituent Assembly

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Why raising marriage age of women is another step towards BJPs pet goal of uniform civil code - ThePrint

With 18 children, fans ofSister Wiveswould assume one ofKody Browns kids would live a polygamist lifestyle. However, it seems that the children, whom Kody shares with wivesMeri Brown,Janelle BrownandRobyn Brown, as well as ex-wifeChristine Brown, are not particularly interested in having a plural marriage.

In fact, there are some children from the TLC show who refuse to be polygamists despite being raised in theApostolic United Brethren(AUB), a sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) or the Mormon religion.

While Kody felt a divine calling to practice polygamy, he recognizes that his children may not feel the same way. In a March 2020 episode of the hit reality series, Kody stated that he doesnt think any of his children would be part of a polygamist relationship.

I think the majority of them are oriented towards Christianity, he told TLC. I wanted to advocate faith for my children, but Ive really set it in their place to make their choices about God and religion.

Kody and his ex-wife share their son, Paedon, and five girls, Aspyn, Mykelti, Gwendlyn, Ysabel and Truely. With first wife Meri, Kody shares daughter Mariah. The patriarch and his second wife, Janelle, share sons Logan, Hunter, Garrison and Gabriel as well as daughters Madison and Savanah. With Robyn, Kody shares two biological children, Solomon and Ariella. He also adopted her children from a previous marriage, Dayton, Aurora and Breanna.

Kody was spiritually married to all four of his wives and legally married to only Meri before divorcing her in 2014 to legally marry Robyn in order to adopt her children. He remains spiritually married to Meri and Janelle. In November 2021, Christine shocked fans when sheannounced her split from Kodyafter more than two decades together.

After more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart and I have made the difficult decision to leave, the TV personality wrote on her Instagram account on November 2. We will continue to be a strong presence in each others lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family. At this time, we ask for your grace and kindness as we navigate through this stage within our family. With Love, Christine Brown.

Keep scrolling to see Kodys childrens stance on polygamy and what they have said about plural marriages.

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