Huffington Post offers slice of life piece on Christianity

Huffington Post correspondent Mark Osler offers this personal reflection on an experience with a shipping clerk who offered to pray for him after he sent a package.

I know Mark from my time in Waco, but his piece inspired me to look at bit at the site's religion coverage, which is a mix of news an opinion typical of an online source. I also found this piece on online proselytizing for Mormons interesting.

Mormons blamed for failure of Prop. 8, focus of protests

There have been news reports of protests against Mormons since it was reported that Mormon support for Proposition 8 turned the tide and let the measure pass.

Mormon facilities have been vandalized, and some congregations have added security to deal with increased threats. Protests have been held in large California cities as well as in Salt Lake City, . There have been calls for boycotts of the state of Utah as a tourist destination, which might threaten the Sundance Film Festival.

Religion angle sparse in coverage of mass removal of girls from Texas ranch

Here in Texas, we have been aware of the plans for Warren Jeffs's group to move to a compound in the western part of the state for years, thanks to an article in Texas Monthly in November of 2004 (Sects with Strangers). Sorry there is no link, but the magazine doesn't have searchable archives. Its articles are available full-text from Academic Search Complete.

Now, years later, 52 girls have been removed under suspicion of abuse, according to this article in the New York Times.

The article focuses on the government action rather than the history, but does include a reference to the group's beliefs and the fact that they are in contrast to those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Would some religious explanation be appropriate, or would it be better for a follow-up article?

South Park episodes on cartoons, Mormons re-running this week

As the Danish cartoons are controversial again, Comedy Central's irreverent South Park is rerunning the episodes Cartoon Wars 1 and 2 this week and next. In the episode, Americans fear Muslim reprisal for an episode of Family Guy in which there is a brief image of Muhammed. The boys try to stop Fox from airing the second part, but for personal reasons, not for concern for offending Muslims. The South Park Episode Guide can be found here. Comedy Central did not allow an image of Muhammed to appear in the episode, but there is one in the opening of each show.

Also re-airing this week is the "All About Mormons?" episode which has stereotypes of the church and an irrevent look at beliefs.

For discussion:

What can you say in a cartoon that you wouldn't in live action?