Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith description
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. --John Moe |
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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith Customer Reviews
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Krakauer's Penchant for Smear
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After reading "Under The Banner of Heaven", I understand better how Sandy Hill Pittman and Anatoli Boukreev felt when they were smeared in Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". And after reading a fair portion of this book's reviews here on Amazon, I understand better why Mitt Romney's run for the White House was doomed because of anti-Mormon bigotry which is fueled by the likes of Krakauer.
Krakauer certainly has made a good living smearing people--including, in this case, the Mormon church. He insists that equating "Mormonism" with "Murder" in no way is derogatory...yeah, right. He references anti-Mormon historical sources but not pro-Mormon sources, and expects people to believe he tells a balanced story. He certainly is no historian. Perhaps "drive-by journalist" describes what he does.
Its interesting in the paperback edition of "Into Thin Air", Krakauer tries to justify his smears against Boukreev by rebutting points raised in Boukreev's response "The Climb". Very defensive and shallow. He does the same with the Mormon church's response to "Under The Banner Of Heaven" smear. Par for the course with Krakauer. |
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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith Books In Print, Audio Books.