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A Peek Inside the ‘Onion’ of Scientology

By Kristin Rawls

… You write that Hubbard thought homosexuality was a “sexual perversion,” but don’t say much about this in the book. How does Miscavige regard homosexuality and how are LGBT people treated by the official Church? Within Scientology, you absolutely cannot be gay. They see it as a flaw they’re going to “fix,” not as something that’s just human. I didn’t meet a single person in Scientology who was happily gay. The gay people I met joined Scientology…

Punks vs. Monks: Rockers Speak Out Against Genocide in Myanmar

By M. Sophia Newman

…many and what we are seeing today in Burma.” Punks in Yangon are speaking out against the monk-led genocide to international media. The outsider subculture contrasts with the Buddhist Burmese majority, whose strong reverence for monks discourages openly opposing them. Punks’ response also contrasts sharply with that of dissident-turned-party-leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released in 2011 from a lengthy house arrest imposed by the junta. Suu Kyi…

Like a Virgin

By Donna Freitas

…into denying sexual desire and teaches them to regret sexual experiences. But I did my best to put that feminist critical urge aside for a moment in order to truly listen and consider for one reason and one reason only: The stories I heard from these women were stories of empowerment, stories of not only reclaiming virginity but reclaiming self-esteem, restoring a full place in religious community, with God, and, in some cases, a surprising and un…

If You Liked The Martian You’ll Love These 3 Sci-Fi Shorts

By Andrew Aghapour

…of aliens, mysticism, and supernatural forces. Instead, The Martian is about smart people solving difficult problems. (How do you grow food on Mars? How do you send more food to Mars as soon as possible? How do you get water out of rocket fuel?) Scott highlights this pragmatic spirit with a visual gag: after Watney narrowly escapes death, he is shown contemplating a statuette of Jesus on the cross… before cutting it to pieces. The cross wasn’t ev…

Feeding on the Faithful: How Supernatural Thinking Empowered the Third Reich

By Eric Kurlander

…n Intellectuals Across Empire. It’s a model of transnational scholarship, but also makes a number of fascinating claims regarding the mutual cultural and intellectual affinities among German and Indian intellectuals. What’s your next book? I’m currently co-writing for Oxford University Press a book titled Modern Germany: A Global History, 1500-present. What makes the project interesting to me—and hopefully our audience—is that we’re trying to tell…

Debunking the Myth That Democracy Is “Incompatible” With Islam

By Asma Afsaruddin

…in addition to tribal and social organizations that promote a culture of authoritarianism. Outside of the Arab world, there are long-term functional democracies in Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Malaysia. More recently installed democratic governments in Pakistan and Palestine further challenge old stereotypes about the links between Islamicate cultures and representative governments. Such facts on the ground clearly establish that when discu…

Is Abortion No Longer Significant for Evangelicals — or Has it Just Become Like Water?

By Bradley Onishi

…n ever before have been put forth in state legislatures. According to the Guttmacher Institute: More abortion restrictions—90—have already been enacted in 2021 than in any year since the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973. Many of these actions took place in the beginning of the year, despite the need for state legislatures to address critical issues ranging from racial equity to the COVID-19 response and pandemic-related health care. If…

Growing Up Cult: A Memoir of Life with Sri Chinmoy

By Brittany Shoot

…on, doubt, or criticize the leader. If someone does question the leader’s authority, that person is singled out and punished. Perhaps what is the most important common trait is that in order to preserve unity and to keep total authority, there is a clear separation between those inside the group and those outside the group. Finally, if someone does leave the group, that person is punished by being banished, excommunicated, stripped of economic sup…

My Womb for His Purposes: The Perils of Unassisted Childbirth in the Quiverfull Movement

By Kathryn Joyce

…the movement, which stresses that God will take care of his flock if they put utter and complete faith in Him. Garrison describes her own past attempts at unassisted childbirth: I had envisioned a glorious testimony of God’s protection and provision—His reward for my complete trust and obedience in allowing Him to use my womb for His purposes. I imagined myself explaining after my successful home birth that it was because I had been faithful in se…

The Dirty Little Secret of Every Ponzi Scheme, or: Bernie Madoff’s 150 Year Sentence

By Louis A. Ruprecht

…n financier. He understood that paper money was the wave of the financial future for any modern nation state. But he also understood that money could not just be printed willy-nilly. In fact, as he pressed the case for his new style of bank and his new style of banknote, he often remarked that any banker who printed runs of paper money without the necessary capital to back them up deserved a death sentence. He came to regret that suggestion. The e…