Fundamentalist Mormons combat apostasy with animal cruelty

[source]

What happens when you take the already deranged Mormon Church, splinter off a group of hardliners who think the official LDS Church is too mainstream, place it under the leadership of a man now rotting in jail after making the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List for serial child molestation (among other crimes), and infuse it with the characteristic fundamentalist hatred of apostasy? Pure amoral monstrosity:

A live cat was found recently half-buried in concrete, and the man who rescued the kitten believes it was a message from a pro-polygamy religious group.

The incident happened recently in Colorado City, Ariz., a major center for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Mormon sect that split off in the early 20th century in order to continue the controversial practice of plural marriage.

The kitten was discovered at the home of Isaac Wyler, a former church member, who has spoken out against the church and its controversial former leader Warren Jeffs, according to AzFamily.com.

[…]

Andrew Chatwin, who, like Wyler, is a former member of the FDLS, found the cat inside one of a metal tube used to construct cement posts, according to RightThisMinute.com.

In order to rescue the cat, Chatwin had to cut the post and dig out the footing. He took the feline to an animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, where it died a few days later.

Chatwin, who left the FLDS 13 years ago, believes the cruel act was done by members of his former church. He claims both the threats and the animal killings have been going on for years.

And local police are undoubtedly about to appreciate the full power of the Internet’s wrath machine:

Chatwin also claims that when he reported the cruel act to Colorado City sheriffs, they didn't seem too concerned.

"[The officer] kind of chuckled and laughed a little bit and then he said that if it was up to him, he'd just throw dirt on [the cat]," Chatwin said. "And this is coming from a city marshal who's a member of the FLDS Church."

Why are polygamous groups always the ones who give the fundamentally harmless practice of polyamory such a horrible name? Talk about bullshit representation.

Oh, and there’s video of the kitten’s temporary rescue, below the fold. I’m not transcribing it.

Yet another case to keep in mind for the next time some apologist tries to pretend that “religion doesn’t hurt anybody”.

(via Pharyngula)

Tags: Mormons • Mormonism • Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints • FLDS • cats • kittens • Colorado City, AZ • Isaac Wyler • Andrew Chatwin