So "The Active Life" by Parker Palmer was very good, as to be expected. Mom gave that one to me and I really enjoyed it. It felt more like a discussion than a book about how to lead an active life that's not frantic.
"Leaving the Saints" by Martha Beck just blew my socks off! I read it twice in a row. It is a really beautiful account of the author going through hell as she put together her past with her present. She was raised a Mormon, and by the end of the book has left the Mormon faith for a faith that is authentically hers. Bonus is the light humor throughout what would otherwise be a gut-wrenching read. The topic of Mormonism lends a hand here, as she can freely talk about herding parrots, travelling Irishmen with mummies, and the special Mormon underwear. On a serious note, that book gave me some pause for thought about Mitt Romney, who is Mormon.
Now, I'm not saying that if Romney were elected, the Mormons would get hold of the government and everything would go crazy. But Beck does address the issue of polygamy quite a bit. While the official Mormon church does not advocate polygamy, they would return to it, according to Beck, the instant it became legal. I find this believable, since extremist Mormon groups currently practice polygamy today. And why would polygamy become legal? Well, if homosexuals were allowed to get married, then why would we say no to polygamists? Don't they also have a right to pursue happiness in marriage? And you know, I'm generally in favor of gay marriage. But I'm definitely not in favor of polygamy. So I'm thinking through the whole issue of marriage again, based on this book. Which really is only tangentially related to Mitt Romney, who may be a perfectly innocuous candidate.
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