Daily Archives: March 31, 2021

Tosha and Sidian Jones are one of the new couples on TLCs Seeking Sister Wife, a reality TV show about polygamous pairs who are searching for a sister wife to add to their families. After Sidians divorce from his first wife, he and Tosha his second wife began to search for a plural wife.

In a sneak peek of the upcoming episode of Seeking Sister Wife, which airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on TLC and Discovery+, Toshas mom laid all her cards on the table when she asked her daughter if she was part of a religious cult.

Sidian and Tosha are both graphic designers from Boise, Idaho. Theyre raising three kids together, all from Sidians previous relationships.

Tosha actually started out as Sidians second wife. When he was married to his first wife of many years, Sidian began to develop an interest in polygamy. Tosha met her future husband at work, and the rest was history.

But after the Seeking Sister Wife star moved in with Sidian and his first wife, things fell apart. Eventually, Tosha moved out while Sidian and his first wife tried to work on their relationship but it was too late. Tosha and Sidian reconciled, and they realized they were still interested in practicing a plural lifestyle.

RELATED: 8 YouTubers You Should Follow If Youre a Fan of Sister Wives

In a sneak peek of the upcoming episode of Seeking Sister Wife, Tosha sat down with her mom, Teresa, to break the news about her polygamous lifestyle.

As it turned out, though, Tosha didnt have to do much explaining. Teresa let it slip that she already knew her daughter was a polygamist.

Who would have thought you were going to grow up to look for a nice second wife? Teresa asked her shocked daughter.

Tosha took a deep breath and admitted, OK, yeah. I wasnt sure how much you really knew or not. I figured you would have heard through the grapevine, but we hadnt talked about it.

The Seeking Sister Wife stars mother said shed actually known for years about her daughters plural lifestyle. Toshas sister had broken the news to Teresa, who initially found it shocking and concerning.

Naturally, Teresa wanted to know more about Sidian and Toshas relationship. She asked how many other wives the couple wanted, and if prospective sister wives would date both Sidian and Tosha or just Sidian.

Teresa also wanted to know if Toshas friendship with a sister wife mattered.

Ideally, we get along, Tosha explained. If we didnt get along, I dont think it would work.

Still, Tosha and Sidian were having a hard time finding anyone who wanted to enter a plural lifestyle.

Its hard to find someone open to it whos not religious about it, Tosha lamented to her mom.

Well, maybe because they dont want to be part of a cult, Teresa retorted bluntly. Next, she asked searchingly, Are you a member of a cult?

The Seeking Sister Wife star giggled and said no, but her mom pressed on with the line of questioning.

Is it a religious thing with Sidian? Is that why he chose it? Teresa probed.

Tosha assured her mom that polygamy wasnt a religious practice for them. Instead, she explained that she and Sidian considered themselves modern polygamists because they werent religious or old-school.

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'Seeking Sister Wife': Tosha's Mom Is Worried She Might Be in a Polygamous Cult - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Wrapping one's head around the idea of polygamy is not exactly easy. The idea of one man and many wives has always been strange to anyone looking at it from the outside.

For the cast of 'Seeking Sister Wife', having to deal with misconceptions is not uncommon. The negative stigma attached to plural families is that of deviancy (seeing that one man sleeps with multiple women) or that those plural families are often associated with cults.

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For people who switch from monogamy to a plural lifestyle, the transition can be even more trying, seeing that their friends and families often find the concept rather alien, in a sense. And it looks like Tosha Jones, Sidian's wife, may be dealing with just that.

Seeing that Sidian's first wife left the family on account of not wanting to be a part of this arrangement and for personal reasons, Tosha is now the first wife. The Joneses have been very clear that they definitely want to have a plural family and seem to be pursuing the same. As per the trailer, Tosha explains that she and Sidian have adopted a more 'modern' version of polygamy, that doesn't tie into any religious beliefs. While the Joneses are a plural family and hope to have multiple wives, they do not follow religious rules or obligations that come with being polygamists, like the Mormons do.

In the latest episode, Tosha sits down with her mother, Teresa, as they discuss the concept of plural marriage and what it entails. Teresa doesn't seem to onboard with the idea -- she is visibly worried that her daughter is a part of a cult. Teresa doesn't look like she's on board with the whole idea of a plural family, seeing that she's possibly a person who believes in monogamy. They look at a few old photos and reminisce about the old days with Teresa even making a comment saying, "Who thought this little girl would look for a second wife?".

Tosha informs her that the Joneses are modern polygamists and that the religious aspect doesn't concern them. Teresa is also worried about the kind of people Tosha and Sidian might court, especially if they meet them via the internet. Her concerns seem rather valid because unless a person has a deep understanding of polygamy, they would be in it for all the wrong reasons. Tosha assured her that they usually meet people within their own social circles. The couple hasn't met the right match just yet, but the pair is on the lookout.

Catch new episodes of 'Seeking Sister Wife' on Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on TLC and Discovery+.

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Seeking Sister Wife: What is modern polygamy? Heres why Tosha Jones mother Teresa thinks shes with a cult - MEAWW

The reality show Sister Wives premiered on TLC in 2010. The plot of this show revolves around a man,Kody Brown who has four wives and is the father of eighteen children. At the beginning of the series they lived in Utah and they shifted to Nevada. Kody Brown agreed to participate in this show as he wanted to break the prejudicednotion around polygamy. he also said that his situation is not illegal in any way because he is legally married to only one woman while the other three are spiritual unions. The show revolves around their daily life and how they face the challenges with a smile on their faces. If you loved the plot of this show, here are other shows based on a similar concept to watch.

This 2013 show has two seasons and tells the story ofBrady Williams who is married to five women namelyPaulie, Robyn, Rosemary, Nonie, and Rhonda. They are based in Utah and the series chronicles their day to day lives. They believe in the fundamentalist Mormon religion. It has an IMDB rating of 4.4.

This 2018 show tells the stories of three families that are polygamous. This series shows how men choose new women for marriage and how the previous wives react to it. But they are willing to be friendly to the new wife even if they don't like her. It has an IMDB rating of 4.8. This is one of the shows like Sister Wives to watch.

This series is created by National Geographic and chronicles the lives of the fundamentalist Mormons living in Arizona. This series shows how this community incorporated the values taught by their religion. It has an IMDB rating of 7.8.

This Lifetime original series tells the story of three sistersAndrea, Jessica and Shanell who break away from their polygamous family. They spread information and help other men and women break away from their families a swell. It has an IMDB rating of 7.

This documentary was based on Warren Jeffs, the former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The film showcases the members accusing him of sexual and financial abuses. It has an IMDB rating of 7.3.

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.

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If you loved Sister Wives, here are shows based on polygamy to watch - Republic TV

Tosha Jones of Seeking Sister Wife. Pic credit: TLC

In a clip for the upcoming second episode of Seeking Sister Wifes third season, viewers saw Tosha Jones sit down with her mom Teresa to explain polygamy.

Viewers who watched last weeks season opener will remember Tosha as Sidian Jones wife. The couple joins some other new cast members this season, including the Merrifields and the Clarks.

Sidian was married to his first (now, ex) wife when he met Tosha. The three began a polygamous relationship, but things didnt work out as expected, and Sidians first wife left the family.

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The two graphic designers are living in Idaho raising Sidians three children from previous relationships as they seek another wife.

Kody Brown, patriarch of the Sister Wives series, set off his followers with a post about Coronapocolypse and his three youngest kids.

He tweeted, Coronapocolypse has left my three littlest so lonely for the company of each other and other kids. This is a heartbreaking experience sometimes.

What seemed like an innocent observation turned ugly when Kodys followers took to his comments to speak their minds.

Read what followers had to say from calling Robyn a trophy wife to Kody narcissistic.

Do you think viewers overreacted?

(: TLC) -#sisterwives #tlc #kodybrown #realitytv #sisterwivestlc #queenwife #polygamy #basementwife #robynbrown #meribrown #christinebrown #realityshow #sisterwivesclub #sisterwivesforlife #janellebrown ...

In the clip, Toshas mom revealed right off the bat, that she and her daughter Tosha have an interesting relationship. She mentioned that theyve struggled with communication in the past, so she was happy to sit down and chat with her daughter.

The mother-daughter pair sat down and reminisced over childhood pics of Toshas. Teresa asked Tosha if she thought, as a little girl, she would ever be looking for a second wife.

Teresa claimed that she knew everything, and said she first found out about Toshas polyamorous lifestyle a few years ago from her other daughter, Alexis. She admitted that the news was definitely a shock to her, as she wasnt expecting it.

Teresa didnt waste any time getting to her questions. She asked Tosha, So, the wives how many do you want? Just the other one? Two?

Tosha answered that she and Sidian had never discussed beyond the idea of two wives, but admitted they wanted at least one more wife. Teresa was concerned that Tosha was turning to the Internet to find a potential sister wife, but she confided that she and Sidian mainly use word-of-mouth to spread the news that theyre seeking additional wives.

Teresa quickly replied, Well, maybe because they dont want to join a cult.

Then she asked Tosha, Are you a member of a cult?

Tosha laughed before giving a delayed response of, No.

Teresa was curious if Sidian chose to live plural marriage due to religion, but Tosha claimed he did not. Tosha admitted that its hard to find a prospective wife whos open to the idea but not religious about it.

Similarly, another couple on the series, The Snowdens, dont follow polygamy for religious reasons.

Tosha disclosed that she and Sidian refer to themselves as modern polygamists. When Teresa questioned why they have to give their relationship a label, Tosha explained that it makes it easier when searching for new wives.

That way, the potential sister wives know what to expect as far as sex arrangements and the Jones rules for dating. Teresa asked whether a potential sister wife would have to like and get along with Tosha as well as Sidian.

Tosha said that ideally, they would have to get along for the relationship to work.

This season, viewers can look forward to watching Sidian and Tosha continue their search for the perfect sister wife to expand their family.

Seeking Sister Wives airs on Mondays at 8/7c on TLC.

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Seeking Sister Wife: Tosha explains polygamy to her mom in new clip - Monsters and Critics

Kaleh, Jarod and Vanessa Clark of Seeking Sister Wives. Pic credit: TLC

There are some new families featured in the third season of Seeking Sister Wives, including Jarod Clark and his two wives Vanessa and Kaleh, who were introduced to viewers in the first episode.

Jarod Clark is a special education/behavioral teacher and personal trainer who lives in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina with his two wives and four children. Jarod has been legally married to his first wife, Vanessa for 10 years.

The couple shares four kids: son LePrince, daughter Alexis, son Alejandro and daughter Analise. The two met in California while Jarod was in the military.

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They practice polygamy, specifically polygyny, and as Jarod explained, polygamy is the umbrella term for a multi-person relationship, and polygyny is geared more towards the male having separate wives.

Kody Brown, patriarch of the Sister Wives series, set off his followers with a post about Coronapocolypse and his three youngest kids.

He tweeted, Coronapocolypse has left my three littlest so lonely for the company of each other and other kids. This is a heartbreaking experience sometimes.

What seemed like an innocent observation turned ugly when Kodys followers took to his comments to speak their minds.

Read what followers had to say from calling Robyn a trophy wife to Kody narcissistic.

Do you think viewers overreacted?

(: TLC) -#sisterwives #tlc #kodybrown #realitytv #sisterwivestlc #queenwife #polygamy #basementwife #robynbrown #meribrown #christinebrown #realityshow #sisterwivesclub #sisterwivesforlife #janellebrown ...

During his confessional, Jarod explained that his polygamous lifestyle doesnt necessarily correlate to any religious beliefs, but rather something that interested him. Similarly, the Snowdens and the Jones also practice polygamy, but not for religious reasons.

He had been researching how tribes and kingdoms were built when polygamy piqued his interest. He was intrigued by kings having multiple queens, with each queen playing a different role in the marriage.

Six and a half years into his marriage with Vanessa, Jarod brought up the prospect of polygamy to his first wife. As Jarod put it, her response initially was a flat, pure, unadulterated no.

Vanessa confessed that she thought polygamy was more for Jarod than it would be to benefit her, and had to research its history before she came to understand what she considers benefits of the lifestyle.

Vanessa saw value in having someone who would have her back regarding her husband, her kids and her house. Three and a half months after suggesting plural marriage, Jarod and Vanessa welcomed Kaleh into their family.

Jarod was providing security at a lounge when he met Kaleh, who ran the money box. Kaleh listed the benefits she sees in plural marriage, stating that shes never alone, will always have someone to share life with and will always be surrounded by love.

She is a self-admitted free spirit so polygamy was nothing she considered taboo.

Although Vanessa had qualms about sharing a younger, attractive woman with her husband, after meeting Kaleh and hitting it off, she was on board with the decision to move her in with their family after only a couple of weeks. Vanessa confessed that she would never go back to monogamy again.

Jarod was upfront when he confessed that the first question people ask about polygamy is whether the three of them sleep together.

He told cameras, We are not swingers. The women, they dont sleep together.

Amazingly, the three of them dont have a schedule for Jarod to split his time they keep it completely fluid. Many other famous polygamous families rotate time between their wives.

Jarod confessed that in his home, he presents himself as a king and expects to be treated as such. He said the same rings true for Vanessa and Kaleh, who present themselves as queens.

Kaleh revealed that things are a little complicated in the relationship right now and Jarod showed concern that Kaleh wasnt being the queen she could be.

Vanessa added that there are ups and downs in their relationship, and right now theyre experiencing a down that needs to be dealt with in order to keep their family together.

Viewers will have to tune in to see how things turn out, as the Clarks left them guessing about the state of their marriage last week.

Seeking Sister Wives airs on Mondays at 8/7c on TLC.

Original post:

Seeking Sister Wife: Who are the Clarks? Meet Jarod and his two wives Vanessa and Kaleh - Monsters and Critics

The Cambridge, Massachusetts city council voted on March 8 to redefine the term domestic partnership. A domestic partnership used to be defined as two unmarried people living together. Heres the new definition, as reported on Reason:

Now, a domestic partnership in Cambridge means the entity formed by two or more persons who are not related and file a registration declaring that theyre in a relationship of mutual support, caring and commitment and intend to remain in such a relationship, are not in a domestic partnership with others outside this partnership, and consider themselves to be a family.

What does that mean?

It means a domestic partnership can have as many people as desired in it, but the partners cant join multiple partnerships.

This legalizes polyamory (the technical term for a domestic relationship with more than two partners) in the fourth-largest city in the state and a major suburb of Boston.

This is the second municipality in America to legalize polyamory, after Somerville, Massachusetts, another Boston suburb, did so last year.

Polygamy in the West used to be considered a practice that was anti-family and heavily discriminatory to women. Images spring to mind of pharaohs and Turkish sultans nabbing any beautiful woman they desired as their wives. This view of marriage turned spouses into little more than concubines. This trend probably wont make harems in vogue in Massachusetts. But the redefinitions are a step in that direction.

It isnt only America thats flirting with legalizing polygamy. British society has been doing so for years. Britain has a large immigrant population. Some countries, like India, Pakistan and most of the Arab world, allow polygamy. After people from these countries immigrate to Britain, some keep their multiple marriages. And the British government recognizes them for features like welfare benefits (although this is due to change this year). As of 2016, there were an estimated 20,000 polygamous marriages in Britain.

Legal marriage is still limited to two people. It used to be defined in America as two people of the opposite sex. The homosexual revolution changed that. If polygamy becomes more and more popular, will actual marriage be next on the chopping block? Where will the road of butchering traditional family life end?

The United States Supreme Court recently compared the normalization of polygamy with the normalization of homosexuality. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a suit against Californias Proposition 8, which banned homosexual marriage. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that legalizing homosexual marriage would open the floodgates so there would be no restrictions on marriage whatsoever. She said: If you [the plaintiff] say that marriage is a fundamental right [regardless of who its with], what state restrictions could ever exist? Meaning, what state restrictions with respect to the number of people, with respect to [incest], whats left? Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld agreed with Justice Sotomayors assessment.

Like homosexuality, support for legalizing polygamy has gained momentum through pop culture. The reality television show Sister Wives, while recently canceled, brought polygamy to the mainstream. Portraying the day in the life of a man with four wives, the shows premiere had a viewership of 2.2 million in 2016. The patriarch of the family, Kody Brown, challenged a state law in Utah that banned polyamorous cohabitation. The challenge was successful.

One has to wonder where this trend will eventually lead. Will marriages with more than one spouse become the norm in Western society soon?

Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker writes in our free booklet Redefining Family:

The fact is, the great majority are forming views, making decisions and creating policies having been influencedeven bulliedby political correctness, peer pressure or societal coercion. There has been a clandestine yet concerted effort to radically change peoples minds about homosexuality. And whether they realize it or not, many people have come to accept and embrace this idea because theyve been unwittingly manipulated to do so.

What about you? Have you already made up your mind on homosexuality? Are you sure you are right?

We can ask the same question regarding polygamy. Currently, a majority of U.S. adults think polygamy is wrong. It used to be the same with homosexuality. Yet look at what a few years of cultural and political activism can do to the views of a population.

There is an unseen dimension, many layers deep, that makes this matter far, far more important than most people realize, continues Mr. Hilliker. Whether or not you recognize it, this issue touches many of the biggest, most profound and important questions in life.

Marriage has a history, purpose and function unique among societal organizations. People may assume that theyre tampering with a humanly devised social construct. They may see their impact on society as negligible. But traditional, biblical marriage has a purpose far more important than most realize. To learn more, request our free booklet, Why MarriageSoon Obsolete? by Herbert W. Armstrong. Also request Redefining Family to learn the true effects of societys mass experimentation on marriage.

Originally posted here:

Polyamory Legalized in Boston Suburb - theTrumpet.com

ED VoxPop iswhere we ask people different survey questions and get responses to conduct sort of a poll of our own.

Change with time is inevitable. People, institutions, mindsets, culture, society everything changes with time.

Gen-Z, in particular, has proved itself to be more open to concepts that go beyond the socially sanctioned norms.

Our generation is collectively challenging old traditions and social structures. One such socially prescribed structure is for marriage and relationships called monogamy.

Monogamy has been the norm for a long time now, society has constantly produced and reproduced the idea of monogamy as being the only ideal form of romantic or sexual relationship.

But with a wave of social awareness, sensitivity, and changenew forms of relationships are coming forth and gaining attention and acceptance in society.

One such form of relationship is Polyamory.

Before diving into what Gen-Z has to say about Polyamorous relationships, it is important to know what exactly is it.

When two people are in an intimate relationship with each other at a particular timeit is called a monogamous relationship.

Polyamory, on the other hand, is known as the practice of having an intimate relationship with more than one partner with the informed consent of all parties involved.

Polyamorous relationships are consensual, ethical, and non-monogamous by description.

Polyamory aims at having open and fair relationships between multiple partners. Not all people are comfortable having one partner for life, this concept accepts like-minded individuals who can be attracted to different people at the same time and gives them space for them to achieve satisfaction in their life.

Since polyamory is a relatively new concept, even though such relationships have existed, society is not really clear about its terms and conditions.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions attached to the idea of polyamorous relationships.

Myth/Misconception #1: Even though clearly stated, some people think that being in a polyamorous relationship means cheating which is not true at all because the consent of all people involved is the foundation of all polyamorous relationship

Myth/Misconception #2: People involved in polyamorous relationships are unsatisfied or afraid of commitment

Contrary to this misconception there have been studies that prove that people in non-monogamous relationships are equally satisfied as people in monogamous relationships. It all comes down to what people want out of their relationship.

Myth/Misconception #3: Polyamory is just about having multiple sexual partners. Polyamory is based on trust, emotional/physical/mental support, respect, and commitment hence it goes beyond just the sexual aspect.

Myth/Misconception #4: Polyamory is the same as having an open relationship or swinging. Open relationships and swinging are just other forms of non-monogamous consensual relationships but they are different from polyamory as they are primarily about having non-committed sexual encounters outside the committed relationship.

Myth/Misconception #5: Polyamory is the same as Polygamy.Polyamory is a committed relationship that does not necessarily involve marriage between people involved. Polygamy is exclusively about marriage. There are other social differences between the two as well, historically polygamy has been unfair or nonconsensual. Another difference is that Polygamy is prescribed by some religions.

Being in a Polyamorous doesnt necessarily between that more than two people are in a relationship together, there are different structures of polyamorous relationships as well.

Some main types identified are:

Hierarchical Polyamory/ One Primary plus: where one relationship is considered the primary relationship and the other is considered secondary.

Non Hierarchical Polyamory:where there is no hierarchy between the relationships. Every relationship is considered equal. No one is a primary partner.

Kitchen Table Polyamory:Family-style connection and dependence between people who are part of a network. Doesnt necessarily involve romance. This type of relationship focuses more on support for resources just like people get resource-based support from a family.

Parallel Polyamory:This means all people involved in a relationship dont necessarily have to be involved with each other. A is in a consensual relationship with B and C but B and C dont have to be in a relationship as well.

Mono-poly: Where one partner follows polyamory but the other identifies as monogamous.

Solo-poly:One individual has no primary partner or partners. They follow polyamory but are in no serious relationship. Solo-poly is often confused with simply having multiple partners.

Polyamorous relationships are relatively new to India but the possibility of having a consensual, non-monogamous relationship is catching on.

India has seen a rise in the number of polyamorous relationships recently, so we asked some individuals about their opinion, here is what they said:

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Sources: Healthline, Medium, Medicalnewstoday

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This post is tagged under: Polyamory, monogamy, polyamorous relationships, rise in polyamorous relationships, gen-z, what does gen-z think about the rise in polyamorous relationships, myths about polyamory, society, culture, non-monogamous relationships, Gen-Z on social change, social change, types of polyamory, polyamory myths, hierarchical polyamory, non-hierarchical polyamory, kitchen table polyamory, mono-poly, solo-poly, polyamory in India

Polyamory: Reserving The Right To Love Different People At Once

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ED VoxPop: What Does Gen-Z Think About The Rise In Polyamorous Relationships? - ED Times

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains a politically neutral stance in party politics. (Preston Crawley)

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends a letter during national election years in the United States to be read by each bishop regarding the Churchs politically neutral stance.

The Churchs official statement on political neutrality says the Church does not endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms, or allow church buildings or membership lists to be used for partisan political purposes. The statement also says the Church cannot direct members in choosing which candidate or party they should vote for.

The Churchs mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians, the statement says.

With this politically neutral stance, all General Authorities and general officers of the Church should not personally participate in political campaigns, including promoting candidates, fundraising, speaking in behalf of or otherwise endorsing candidates, and making financial contributions.

Recently this section of the policy received large amounts of media attention when donations to President Joe Biden and other Democratic politicians campaigns were made under Quorum of Twelve Apostles member Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorfs name.

Elder Uchtdorf gave KSL a statement saying he regretted such an oversight on his part. He said a family member donated through a family-shared online account associated with his name but he fully supports the Churchs policy regarding Church leaders and political donations.

Reasons for neutrality

One of the reasons the Church stays politically neutral is to retain the Churchs tax exempt status as a nonprofit organization.

According to University of Notre Dame political science professor David Campbell, it is particularly critical for the Church to be neutral because it is so centralized. It wouldnt be just a ward or stake, it would be the entire Church that would lose the exempt status, Campbell said.

Besides the tax exemption, the Church stays neutral to keep away from complications with partisanship.

If the Church were officially to line up or semi-officially line up with one party, it would alienate its own members and potential converts, said Utah State University Mormon history professor Patrick Mason.

University of Utah history professor Paul Reeve said he thinks the Church favors neutrality because of the changing dynamics of party politics. He said a dynamic of divisiveness is entering some congregations and families and it is amplified by party politics becoming a religion for some people.

The politics of the major parties shift overtime, and to be so firmly wedded with one party or the other, then as those party politics shifts, creates the very dynamic we are witnessing, Reeve said.

Campbell also said being too aligned with one party would weaken the Churchs credibility when it speaks on issues. The Church has sought to be above the partisan fray, and thats viewed by Church leaders as important so they can speak prophetically to what they consider key moral issues.

The Church does reserve the right as an institution to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that it believes have significant community or moral consequences or that directly affect the interests of the Church, says the neutrality statement.

Mason said the Church must be careful walking the very fine line speaking out on issues or expressing support for policies without violating the tax exemption requirements.

The Churchs political involvement has ranged from abortion and immigration to prohibition and gambling, with gay marriage and medical marijuana as the most recent prominent examples.

While there is no uniform agreement on what constitutes a moral issue, Campbell said the Church typically gets involved with nonpartisan ballot initiatives where there are less restrictions.

The Churchs political history

Historically, the Church has not always had a neutral stance politically. In the 1870s, the members in the Utah territory formed the Peoples Party, and all non-members were part of the Liberal Party. The Church ran candidates and pushed policies, and party politics were strictly divided along religious lines.

According to Reeve, the Peoples party, along with the use of polygamy and theocracy, was a source of tension between the settlers and the federal government and was one of the reasons Utah was kept out of statehood for so long.

The Mormons began to abandon polygamy and theocracy in the 1890s, giving up the Peoples Party and adopting the two party system. Reeve said at this time the Republican Party was ironically seen as the Anti-Mormon party, so Church leaders would preach it was OK to be a member and Republican.

The Church made peace with the Republican party when Republican apostle Reed Smoot was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1902. Throughout the 20th century, Reeve said the Church started embracing political pluralism and encouraging members to choose for themselves on political issues.

General Authorities in the 20th century varied on political beliefs, with Hugh B. Brown active in the Democratic party and Ezra Taft Benson vocal in the Republican party.

Utah, and most voters in the Church, swung to the right in the 1970s along with various other Western states when the nations political map was dramatically realigned during the Reagan Revolution, Reeve said. Utah went red and has been red ever since.

The Church exerts a lot of political influence in the state of Utah, but it does so in the State Capitol by quiet lobbying that follows the restrictions for tax exemptions and making its views known to the government, Campbell said.

Issues like gay rights, the equal rights amendment and abortion accounted for religious minded people to start associating with the Republican party which was aligning the South and many Mountain states into the Religious Right, Reeve said.

Church leaders became somewhat disconcerted in the late 20th century because Utah politics were back to where it was in the 19th century where Republican is the Mormon party and the Democratic party is the non-Mormon party, Reeve said.

To try to combat this, the First Presidency had General Authority Seventy and Democrat Marlin Jensen fulfill a request for an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune in 1998 discussing the Church leaders viewpoint of the political imbalance in the Church.

In the interview he said the imbalance concerned Church leaders because they are not a one-party church. Jensen also claimed while most members are Republican, the notion that good members cannot be Democrats is wrong.

A conservative majority Church

Mason said its absolutely true that the Church lines up with conservative ideals on most issues. In politics, the Church allies with other religious groups on issues of common cause.

The majority of U.S. members in the Church today lean Republican despite the Churchs neutral stance. A study in 2018 found that 67% of members voted Republican in that years midterm election, and in 2014, the Pew Research Center found 71% of members identified as Republican.

The Churchs official position is one of neutrality but thats certainly not the way many voters, including many members of the Church itself, perceive the Churchs positions, Campbell said.

Because so many members are Republican and the issues General Authorities tend to stress lean conservative, Campbell said the Church is often viewed as a heavily Republican institution, in spite of the Church leaders efforts to try to dissuade people from that view.

Campbell said the Church is not in the middle of the political spectrum, but it is also not far right. The Church typically speaks out for the conservative sides of issues, but the Churchs positions are moderately conservative compared to some Utah legislators or individual members on issues such as immigration and LGBTQ rights, he said.

The Church can be a moderating influence on Utah politics and the politics of Church members, he said.

BYU political science professor Lisa Argyle gave a lecture titled Reflections on Political Disagreement in Latter-Day Saint Communities and said the Church tries to stay politically neutral, but politics still affect the society of the Church.

In the Church, she said the pressure of religious community affects peoples comfortability in discussing their political views. As political beliefs increasingly become part of ones identity, she said members need to start having discussions with those who think differently so everyone can start sharing their full selves instead of avoiding difficult conversations.

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Where is the Church on political neutrality? - Universe.byu.edu

FESTIVALS / AWARDS France

byFabien Lemercier

26/03/2021 - Mamouna Doucours feature debut has taken home the trophy for the best female-directed French film of 2020

Cuties by Mamouna Doucour

Established in 2018 in order to shine a spotlight on the talent of todays female directors who are following in the footsteps of Alice Guy (1873-1968), the first among them all, the Alice Guy Prize has multiple aims: to compensate somewhat for the recurring absence of women among the lists of major award winners every year, to promote a woman director and encourage her to get her new projects off the ground, to provide a second chance to get the winning film circulated, and to add value to the work of female filmmakers. This years Alice Guy Prize, the fourth such award, has been handed to Cuties[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Mamouna Doucourfilmprofile], the feature debut by Mamouna Doucour.

The jury, comprising filmmakers Claudine Nougaret (also a producer and sound engineer), Mounia Meddour and Louis-Julien Petit, Belgian actress Natacha Rgnier and fellow Belgian thesp Jrmie Rnier, and journalist Fabien Lemercier (Cineuropa), praised the quality of the mise-en-scne and the sense of risk-taking expressed by the film, which addresses and makes us reflect on important social issues (polygamy, the sexualisation of pre-teens whose lives are governed by the tyranny of the perfect image spread by social networks, the day-to-day life of youngsters who live on council estates, and so on).

Staged by Bien ou Bien Productions, Cuties was singled out with the Best Director Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance, a Special Mention in Generation Kplus at Berlin, and the recent Csar Award for Best New Female Hope that was picked up by actress Fathia Youssouf. Released in theatres by Bac Films last summer, it is now available worldwide on Netflix (as a reminder, its release sparked enormous controversy in the USA because of a clumsy trailer that the platform put together).

Cuties follows on the heels of previous Alice Guy Prize laureates Papicha[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Mounia Meddourfilmprofile] by Mounia Meddour, An Impossible Love[+see also: filmreviewtrailerfilmprofile] by Catherine Corsini and Paris la blanche[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Lidia Terkifilmprofile] by Lidia Terki.

(Translated from French)

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The Alice Guy Prize goes to Cuties - Cineuropa