arcticpenguin
11th July 2003, 02:56 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/books/07/11/mormon.book.ap/index.html
"Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith," in bookstores Tuesday, looks at the dangers of religious extremism through those who claim to follow the original teachings of the Mormon church, notably the tenet of polygamy.
...
n "Under the Banner of Heaven," Krakauer turns his attention to the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica, in rural Utah at the hands of Brenda's fundamentalist brothers-in-law.
The author uses those deaths as to argue that, because of Mormon inconsistencies and silences about the dark corners of the faith's past, the LDS church has been unable to break free from embarrassing and sometimes tragic episodes.
The church has been forceful in rebuking Krakauer's book. Spokesman Michael Otterson called the writer's attempt to link religious zealots with Mormon history and doctrine "a full-frontal assault on the veracity of the modern church."
...
Krakauer tries to add a larger context to the killings and their alleged connection to Mormon fundamentalism by examining the secretive communities of polygamists, those who have given up the practice and the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. Alleged abductor Brian David Mitchell claims God told him to take Elizabeth as a "sister wife."
...
Krakauer's "basic thesis appears to be that people who are religious are irrational, and that irrational people do strange things," Otterson said. "He does a huge disservice to his readers by promulgating old stereotypes."
The Mormon church has nothing to do with fundamentalists, church officials say. It excommunicates those who advocate plural marriage. Still, zealots such as Lafferty and Mitchell tarnish the church's image, and polygamy remains inextricably linked to the church's early decades.
...
Krakauer's language in the book is pointed: "Mormon authorities treat the fundamentalists as they would a crazy uncle -- they try to keep the 'polygs' hidden in the attic, safely out of sight, but the fundamentalists always seem to be sneaking out to appear in public at inopportune moments to create unsavory scenes, embarrassing the entire LDS clan."
Interesting and complicated topic. I think I might have to agree with the mormons that trying to tarnish them with the actions of a small group who in fact are no longer in the church seems unfair. Any large group will have a few wackos.
As for the basic thesis that "people who are religious are irrational", I can't argue with that, but that doesn't necessarily mean their religion is responsible for everything they do.
"Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith," in bookstores Tuesday, looks at the dangers of religious extremism through those who claim to follow the original teachings of the Mormon church, notably the tenet of polygamy.
...
n "Under the Banner of Heaven," Krakauer turns his attention to the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica, in rural Utah at the hands of Brenda's fundamentalist brothers-in-law.
The author uses those deaths as to argue that, because of Mormon inconsistencies and silences about the dark corners of the faith's past, the LDS church has been unable to break free from embarrassing and sometimes tragic episodes.
The church has been forceful in rebuking Krakauer's book. Spokesman Michael Otterson called the writer's attempt to link religious zealots with Mormon history and doctrine "a full-frontal assault on the veracity of the modern church."
...
Krakauer tries to add a larger context to the killings and their alleged connection to Mormon fundamentalism by examining the secretive communities of polygamists, those who have given up the practice and the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case. Alleged abductor Brian David Mitchell claims God told him to take Elizabeth as a "sister wife."
...
Krakauer's "basic thesis appears to be that people who are religious are irrational, and that irrational people do strange things," Otterson said. "He does a huge disservice to his readers by promulgating old stereotypes."
The Mormon church has nothing to do with fundamentalists, church officials say. It excommunicates those who advocate plural marriage. Still, zealots such as Lafferty and Mitchell tarnish the church's image, and polygamy remains inextricably linked to the church's early decades.
...
Krakauer's language in the book is pointed: "Mormon authorities treat the fundamentalists as they would a crazy uncle -- they try to keep the 'polygs' hidden in the attic, safely out of sight, but the fundamentalists always seem to be sneaking out to appear in public at inopportune moments to create unsavory scenes, embarrassing the entire LDS clan."
Interesting and complicated topic. I think I might have to agree with the mormons that trying to tarnish them with the actions of a small group who in fact are no longer in the church seems unfair. Any large group will have a few wackos.
As for the basic thesis that "people who are religious are irrational", I can't argue with that, but that doesn't necessarily mean their religion is responsible for everything they do.