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FX’s ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ Adaptation Rejects Reductive Elements of Krakauer’s Book, But Confirms That ‘Mormonism Breeds Dangerous Men’

By Benjamin E. Park

…r the Banner of Heaven appeared the very next year, immediately becoming a bestseller. The book tells the story of the grisly murders of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter, Erica, at the hands of her brothers-in-law, Ron and Dan Lafferty. Though excommunicated from the LDS church, Krakauer argues that the brothers were inspired by their religious heritage. The Laffertys were the natural culmination of 150 years of history centered on blind ob…

#MeToo and the Problem with the “The Billy Graham Rule”

By Sara J. Moslener

…sex are threats to powerful men’s reputations. In such a circumstance, the best solution is sex-based segregation. But what Graham, Pence, and their ilk fail to understand is that neither women nor sexual desire are the problem; the problem is the abuse of male power. This is why women fear confronting powerful men, or simply men who have power over them. It’s easier to claim that sexual desire is inherently dangerous than to hold powerful men acc…

No God but Country: The Religion of John McCain Has Something Important to Tell Us

By Kathryn Lofton

…d.” When asked whether he has participated in adult baptism, a ritual requisite for converts to the Convention, McCain says no, calling it “a personal thing,” adding on another occasion that “I didn’t find it necessary to do so for my spiritual needs.” McCain’s decision not to participate in a major ritual of Baptist practice may be laziness, may be diffidence, or it may be a desire to evade hypocrisy. If I don’t take communion when I attend an Ep…

Evangelical Author on Why Christian Conservatives Supported Trump

By Eric C. Miller

…kes me wonder if they weren’t simply convincing themselves that he was the best option at the time and that, somehow, their vote was a “righteous” vote. He’s had about a 10-15 percent drop-off in support from the evangelical community since taking office. So while there may be a sort of exaggerated self-reporting around the time when an evangelical casts a vote, there is some indication that there was never really that depth of devotion. I don’t t…

Mitt Romney Plays the Tin Man at the NAACP Convention

By Anthea Butler

…ere possible to fully communicate what I believe is in the real, enduring, best interest of African-American families, you would vote for me for president.” Well, Mitt, we really don’t understand who you truly are in your heart. You don’t know how to show us what’s really there. And If you can’t fully communicate what you believe is best for African Americans at the NAACP convention, you can’t do it anywhere. So what was this speech about? I belie…

A Pastor Takes on BP in New Orleans

By Brentin Mock

…rned from Katrina and Rita.” A United Neighborhoods Approach Some of those best practices were honed at the Mary Queen Viet Nam church, where those helping to rebuild gathered, eating together from their own hands for months in the flood’s aftermath. They didn’t stop at bricks and mortar; community activism gave birth to organizations such as the Mary Queen Viet Nam Community Development Corporation, and the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Assoc…

Soccer and the Sublime in the Shadow of Apartheid

By Preston Davis

…e platform to see a world less so. It is a human event that allows for any number of sins from the calendar of human frailty. You can bask in the craft of Leonel Messi, who manipulates the ball like a marionette to puppet; but you cannot be free of the ego of coach, villain, and Saint, Diego Maradona, pacing the sideline, looking for an opportunity to abscond with the limelight. The glaring example for this year’s tournament comes in the form of a…

Is Liberalism Islamic?: An Interview with Mustafa Akyol

By Haroon Moghul

…y in unprecedented levels. I also think that today liberalism presents the best medium for Muslims to live Islam in the various ways that they understand it. Let me push you a little bit here. I would argue that most interpretations of Islam place a strong emphasis on the social, the communal, often above the individual—and if we stress the liberation of the individual from larger collectives, does Islam play any role in the great social questions…

Eddie Izzard on Atheism, Transgender, and “The Invisible Bloke Upstairs”

By Becky Garrison

…t’s what it was. I suddenly realized I was hiding behind myself and it was best to just come out in front. It’s kind of like being a transvestite. I think gradually people just move on over that. When did you realize you are a humanist? I am getting this award as a humanist but… I said I was an atheist in 2008. I remember hearing about the humanists and I always thought of myself as a human being. I don’t know. This is a difficult question to answ…

Of Personhood and the Pill: What’s at Stake?

By Atlee Parks Breland

…r. In a typical cycle, two embryos are transferred, to give the mother the best chance at getting pregnant at all without risking high-order multiples. However, this isn’t an exact science. There is no way to know in advance how many eggs will fertilize, or how many embryos will develop. If a woman has more embryos than can be transferred, doctors pick the two best, and freeze the remaining embryos for later use. However, the sad fact is that abou…