There goes the neighborhood

As if America doesn't have enough crazy cults running around building secretive compounds and practicing sketchy stuff like polygamy. NPR ran a story today about a new FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) compound that was built in the "quiet and friendly" town of Eldorado in western Texas. From what I gather, the main difference between the FLDS and the mainstream Mormon church is that, well, the men still choose to remember three or four anniversaries instead of one.

Last March, FLDS leaders arrived in Eldorado to purchase 2,000 acres just outside of town. When the FLDS men first came, they pretended to be businessmen and said they were building a hunting retreat for corporate clients. FLDS leaders have since admitted that they are building a new settlement for their religious sect. The sprawling ranch is complete with an imposing white temple that dominates the horizon around Eldorado.

The fact that the ranch was built under the guise of a "corporate retreat" is kind of creepy. That right there tells me that these people didn't want to draw attention to themselves from the beginning, most likely because they knew that if they were frank about their intentions, they would have been driven off the land by an angry mob (most likely armed to the teeth...this is Texas after all). If they were willing to lie about the purpose of the compound in order to build it, I think that should be enough to set off some serious alarms with the authorities.

Eldorado locals were already distrustful of the group after its initial lie about its intentions in settling there. Many are disturbed by the group's secretiveness and disgusted by its practice of polygamy and sexual involvement with young teenage girls. There is also a concern that someday, the FLDS might try to get involved in Eldorado politics, running its own candidates for sheriff and mayor.

Can you imagine a polygamist mayor or sheriff? "I hereby declare that all male citizens of this town will not take any less than two more wives before this date or they will be evicted from their homes and escorted to the city limits." Yeah, that'll fly real well.

But others in Eldorado are conflicted, caught between their morals and powerful West Texas beliefs about civil liberties. Some believe that as long as FLDS members aren't breaking the law, the group should be left alone -- that what they do on their land is their business.

God bless America. Land of the free, home of the weirdos.