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Juliana Redd wanted to marry Perry Myres in a ceremony at a Mormon temple, and her parents did not want her to– for reasons that CNN doesn’t give. So, what did they do? They kidnapped her!
They told her that they were taking her shopping for the wedding, and made her miss her rehearsal dinner. They returned after the couple was to be married.
Now, I don’t know why the parents were upset. It could be religious background of the parents and the woman were different than that of the groom. It could be that she had just told them she was pregnant (the couple are due to have their first child in May which would put the date of conception some time in August.)
In any case, this puts a fine point on who is in charge. Are the parents or is the woman?
According to the law, the woman was free to do whatever she pleased and the woman was kidnapped. However, if she was still living at home, or relying on her parents for transportation, is it still kidnapping?
We’ve had discussions before here at MInTheGap wondering about a woman’s place and covering. When is a child no longer the parent’s responsibility? Is it when the child leaves the house? When they file for emancipation? When they get married?
Biblically, I believe that it’s not until marriage– since the Genesis passages talk about that being the time that a person leaves their parents and cleaves to another. There are instances where widows have not gone back to their families (Ruth comes to mind) but women that were divorced were cared for by their husband’s family in certain circumstances.
In any case, I believe that children should obey their parents until such time as they are no longer under their authority. At that time it should change to honoring them. I don’t see how this whole proceeding of having one’s parents put on trial for kidnapping is honoring them.
If she was having a temple ceremony performed, as in married in an LDS temple, then it was a “sealing,” meaning sealing them together for all of eternity, including all of the secret temple rights, etc… It’s quite a big deal (the only way they can attain godhood), etc…and very much NOT an actual wedding service but a specific religous ritual…somewhat disturbing to those who do not hold to LDS beliefs, especially those who may disagree with what goes on inside that temple. So perhaps the parents were more worried about cultic stuff than anything else…
http://www.mrm.org/multimedia/text/temple-ceremony.html
It’s interesting how the press doesn’t care to actually do some research into getting the terminology and meaning right. I heard on the radio the other day how some baptist pastor was being imprisoned for some inappropriate actions with one of his “parishioners”– except Baptist Churches don’t have parishes! It’s one church fits all.
Indeed, Molly, it’s scary what you say about their “marriage” ceremony! Thanks for giving us more information.
There is nothing scary about a LDS temple sealing. As long as we’re worried about getting facts straight 2 wrongs don’t make a right. There is nothing strange or scary about two people being joined together for eternity as husband and wife. It’s actually quite intimate and beautiful to have a wedding ceremony that focuses on spirituality and love rather than how much the bride’s parents spent on the flowers. When it comes down to it lots of parents don’t like who their children choose to marry. These folks just took it a little too far. Lets not throw stones at an entire faith because of what a few people did. That would just be ignorant wouldn’t it?
And while we’re at it, let’s do a little more research. The bride’s parents ARE Mormon. The couple married early in August, just a day or so after the kidnapping, so perhaps she got pregnant on her wedding night. Getting married in the temple is sacred to Mormons, and they look forward to and prepare for it. So, no, her parents were not afraid of what would happen to her in the temple. The heart of this story is that some people messed up and a family is in need of healing, just the thing that God is in the business of doing. Since this is a Christian website, perhaps we should focus more on the act of forgiveness than the wrong done. Humanity has a long history of screwing up, but not so long a history of forgiving, do we? Thank God that my sins won’t be counted against me, but that I am forgiven by a loving Savior, despite all the stupid things I’ve done to hurt and mistreat others.
I totally agree that it’s important to realize that we have been forgiven, Ghia, but a person who wants to become more like Christ has to learn more about the right and wrong ways to do things. If you look this site over you will find both identification of the wrong way to do things as well as the exhortation to do right.