November 15, 2012 • 137 notes • The Atlantic

theatlantic:

In Focus: Polygamists in the Rock

A small community of fundamentalist Mormons, about 15 polygamist and monogamist families, have established a unique home for themselves, living in modern homes literally carved into the side of a massive sandstone rock in the desert south of Moab, Utah. Rockland Ranch, informally called “The Rock,” was founded about 35 years ago by Robert Dean Foster, who set out to create a safe, remote space for a Christian community that embraced plural marriage. Large houses were built by using dynamite to blast caves into the sandstone cliff, then finished into relatively modern homes complete with running water, electricity, internet access, and more. Reuters photographer Jimmy Urquhart was recently invited to visit and photograph The Rock, and returned with these images, a rare glimpse into a unique Utah community.

Read more. [Images: Reuters/Jim Urquhart]

October 27, 2011
It’s tough to be a Mormon hipster, according to The New York Times. (via Young Mormons Find Ways to Be Hip - NYTimes.com)

It’s tough to be a Mormon hipster, according to The New York Times. (via Young Mormons Find Ways to Be Hip - NYTimes.com)

October 25, 2011 • 389 notes • life
life: Few religions are as misunderstood and feared as Haitian Vodou. Countless people around the globe, shown images of a ceremony, might confidently say, “Yes, that is Vodou.” But very few, when pressed, could coherently discuss the core tenets of the belief. For photographer Anthony Karen, Vodou is at once a fascinating subject and — in a very real sense — the gateway to his vocation. “About 13 years ago, I was in a transitional point in my life. I felt Haiti calling to me. I traveled there, and had the opportunity to sit in on two Vodou ceremonies. On the same trip, I discovered my passion for photojournalism and have traveled extensively to Haiti over the years.” Here, LIFE.com presents previously unpublished pictures of a June 2011 Haitian Vodou ritual in honor of St. Francis de Assisi.

life:

Few religions are as misunderstood and feared as Haitian Vodou. Countless people around the globe, shown images of a ceremony, might confidently say, “Yes, that is Vodou.” But very few, when pressed, could coherently discuss the core tenets of the belief. For photographer Anthony Karen, Vodou is at once a fascinating subject and — in a very real sense — the gateway to his vocation.

“About 13 years ago, I was in a transitional point in my life. I felt Haiti calling to me. I traveled there, and had the opportunity to sit in on two Vodou ceremonies. On the same trip, I discovered my passion for photojournalism and have traveled extensively to Haiti over the years.”

Here, LIFE.com presents previously unpublished pictures of a June 2011 Haitian Vodou ritual in honor of St. Francis de Assisi.

October 19, 2011 • 24 notes • utnereader

Why Does God Love Beards?: A discussion of facial hair in world religions.

utnereader:

(via Slate)

An Amish splinter group has gone on a crime spree, forcibly cutting the beards off of their rivals. Many religions, including Sikhism, Islam, and sects of Judaism, encourage or require their men to keep beards. Jesus Christ is often depicted with a beard. Why does God like facial hair so much?

October 18, 2011 • 23 notes • Los Angeles Times
latimes: Celebrities gave Kabbalah Centre cachet, and spurred its growth: The heightened profile of the L.A.-based Kabbalah Centre popularizing previously secret Jewish mysticism came with a continued emphasis on soliciting donations, sometimes in ways some found offensive. Then the IRS stepped in. The second part of two-part Times investigation. Read the first part here. Photos: Sandra Bernhard, left, introduced Madonna and Roseanne Barr, center, to the Kabbalah Centre. The list of celebrities attracted to the center later included big names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images, Associated Press, Associated Press

latimes:

Celebrities gave Kabbalah Centre cachet, and spurred its growth: The heightened profile of the L.A.-based Kabbalah Centre popularizing previously secret Jewish mysticism came with a continued emphasis on soliciting donations, sometimes in ways some found offensive. Then the IRS stepped in.

The second part of two-part Times investigation. Read the first part here.

Photos: Sandra Bernhard, left, introduced Madonna and Roseanne Barr, center, to the Kabbalah Centre. The list of celebrities attracted to the center later included big names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images, Associated Press, Associated Press

October 16, 2011 • 144 notes • Los Angeles Times
latimes: Chinese Jews feel more at home in Israel: Descendants of Persian traders in Kaifeng, China, move to Israel with the help of a religious group and finally learn Jewish rules and traditions. The first family of Kaifeng Jews to immigrate to Israel was almost sent back to China. Shlomo and Deena Jin (no relation to Yecholya Jin) had overstayed their tourist visas in 2005. As they faced deportation, Shavei Israel worked with authorities to allow them to stay after going through the conversion process. Shlomo, at the time in his late 40s, endured a circumcision to complete the conversion. Photo: Jews from Keifeng, China, pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The group came straight from the airport. Credit: Michael Freund

latimes:

Chinese Jews feel more at home in Israel: Descendants of Persian traders in Kaifeng, China, move to Israel with the help of a religious group and finally learn Jewish rules and traditions.

The first family of Kaifeng Jews to immigrate to Israel was almost sent back to China. Shlomo and Deena Jin (no relation to Yecholya Jin) had overstayed their tourist visas in 2005. As they faced deportation, Shavei Israel worked with authorities to allow them to stay after going through the conversion process. Shlomo, at the time in his late 40s, endured a circumcision to complete the conversion.

Photo: Jews from Keifeng, China, pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The group came straight from the airport. Credit: Michael Freund

October 16, 2011 • 71 notes • Los Angeles Times
latimes: Couple’s success spreading kabbalah yields to discord, tax probe: Philip and Karen Berg, founders of the L.A.-based Kabbalah Centre, set out to make secret Jewish mysticism available to the public. But former followers are now critics, and the IRS is investigating. Stay tuned for Part Two on Tuesday. Photo: The book “Practical Kabbalah” is displayed at the “Angels and Demons, Jewish Magic through the Ages” exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. Credit: Gali Tibbon / Getty Images

latimes:

Couple’s success spreading kabbalah yields to discord, tax probe: Philip and Karen Berg, founders of the L.A.-based Kabbalah Centre, set out to make secret Jewish mysticism available to the public. But former followers are now critics, and the IRS is investigating.

Stay tuned for Part Two on Tuesday.

Photo: The book “Practical Kabbalah” is displayed at the “Angels and Demons, Jewish Magic through the Ages” exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. Credit: Gali Tibbon / Getty Images