British judge wants to know if Mormonism is a fraud

By Michael J.W. Stickings

The Telegraph reports:

A British magistrate has issued an extraordinary summons to the worldwide leader of the Mormon church alleging that its teachings about mankind amount to fraud.

Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been ordered to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London next month to defend the church’s doctrines including beliefs about Adam and Eve and Native Americans.

A formal summons signed by District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe warns Mr Monson, who is recognised by Mormons as God’s prophet on Earth, that a warrant for his arrest could be issued if he fails to make the journey from Salt Lake City, Utah, for a hearing on March 14. 

It's an odd request, "issued in response to a private prosecution attempt by Tom Phillips, a disaffected former Mormon who now runs MormonThink a website highly critical of the church," and of course Monson won't show.

But still, wouldn't it be great if organized religious institutions were required to explain themselves, to tell us why their shit doesn't stink?

It's easy to target Mormonism, just like it's easy to target, say, Scientology, but such ridiculousness is hardly limited to these newer religions/cults. Have you ever actually thought about, oh, to take just one prominent example, mainstream Christianity? It's utter nonsense. The whole lot of it. And the only reason we don't think about it the same way we think about, say, Scientology is that it's very old, as if being so old somehow shields it even from the glare of Enlightenment. So it's Monson for now, but...

Next up: Pope Francis!

Is Harry Reid the luckiest man in Nevada?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Maybe so. Facing unpopularity and a touch re-election fight, it looked like he was done... until the Republicans breathed life back into his political career:

After years of maneuvering, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid got the race he wanted.

Sharron Angle, a former Reno assemblywoman and Tea Party favorite, emerged from Tuesday’s Republican primary, lifted to a landslide by a solid base of conservative supporters but carrying political baggage that experts say gives the embattled Reid a new lease on political life.

Known as a staunch conservative, Angle now faces the challenge of appealing to the broader electorate, a task made difficult by her rigid ideology — she supports phasing out Social Security and dismantling the Education Department.

Even by Republican standards, Angle is a wacko, and Jonathan Chait already has three posts up detailing just how crazy she is -- see here, here, and here.

In the third post, via David Frum:

In the early years of [the 2000s], there were efforts in the Four Corners states to place Scientology front group programs into prisons at taxpayer’s expense. Sharron Angle, a Nevada legislator, worked very hard to convince her fellows on the legislature that a Scientology front group called Second Chance would be a good program for Nevada prisons.

That's right, she's a teabagger with connections to Scientology.

And in the first post, some helpful perspective:

How crazy is Angle? Glenn Beck -- Glenn Beck! -- warned against her. She is at least somewhat tied to the militia movement. Moreover, she has undergone little scrutiny, and it's a good bet that more will produce of further radical views. Her nomination is just a staggering failure of the party establishment.

Yes, we're bound to get more and more, as we watch the Republicans commit political suicide. I would just advise Reid not to sit down. He's obviously got a massive horseshoe up his ass.