In the wake of the reformation Europe was torn by religious wars for almost two centuries. France had the Huguenot wars, Britain the civil war between king and parliament, and in Germany, there was the 30 year war, which killed one third of the population. My home town was the…
Category: Politics
We Were Asking for It
If you sew the wind, you shall reap the storm. If you live by the sword, you shall die by the sword. It’s just sad.
Beyond Victory
Did you know that there are 45 million Pashtuns? I did not either until I saw Frontline’s documentary about the Taliban last week. Watch it here. The Pashtun tribes provide the ethnic base for the Taliban insurgency. Their demographics matter. According to Mao Zedong’s dictum, guerilla fighters move in the…
Recovering Our Honor
Thank you, Barbara Young. Mormons owe you: I am very passionate about this issue and Steve is completely supportive of me and my work for eqaulity,” Barbara Young said in a statement to the Mercury News after midnight. “We both love our Church and are grateful that our Church encourages…
An Open Letter to the ‘nacle
Remember when you were upset last fall when one poll after another revealed that a substantial number of liberals applied a religious test to Mitt Romney? I tried to explain to you that people felt threatened by our involvement in racist and sexist discrimination. We resisted racial equality for 24…
A Post That’s Not About Gay Marriage (except it totally is)
I have a question for you believing Mormons out there (there are some of you who read this, right??? I hope). First, some exposition: With one (brilliant) exception (me), my immediate family members are all active Mormons. They are, however, split pretty much down the middle: my mother and sisters…
The Divine Institution of Marriage: A Rebuttal
On August 13, 2008, the Mormon church released a statement titled The Divine Institution of Marriage, explaining the reasons for its support of Proposition 8. The church’s statement is well-written and comprehensive, and it seems to invite open, rational discussion on the issue. However, many of its arguments are flawed….
We Are a Minority
If you happen to live outside of Deseret and the colonies, a certain degree of social isolation is unavoidable for Mormons. Our Mormon experience sets us apart from our peers and our families. Mormons all over the world are members of a tiny minority that has to rely on the…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Prop. 8 Edition!
My apologies to those who are annoyed that Mormon-interest blogspace has turned into an “All proposition 8, all the time” zone. Don’t worry — the election will be over soon. (Hüffenhardt is already ready to celebrate.) Yet, between now and then, I’ll probably write one more article about it. Yes,…
We All Could Kill Children But What About God?
On the occasion of Ronan’s remembrance of the Coventry bombing, I am exploring theodicy with Jon and Right Trousers. I would agree with Right Trousers that the choices of the survivors can give meaning to the suffering of the victims. At least, we are taking responsibility for our actions. But…