Religious Extremism

FAIRFAX VA. (ANS) -- As stories of fundamentalist Mormon leader Warren Jeffs and tales of Islamic militancy continue pervade our headlines, there is no denying that religious extremism has become a hot topic in today’s society.



In his new book, 10 Minutes, author Jeremy Reynalds explores the religious extremism, which represents a mere fraction of the faithful, yet hits the headlines all too often today, followed by the pandering of the media to these influences, rising reporter Cameron Foster conducts a series of interviews with both Christian radicals and Muslim radicals, highlighting the extreme manner in which people twist and/or misinterpret the words of God and Allah.


After Foster conducts an interview with a respectable pastor for religious interpretation and thoughts on a video store shooting, his station demands that he interview Reverend Sidney Ashmore of the Primitive Fundamental Church, who believes that the killings were a result of God’s judgment on the city of Netherton. 


Far from the loving and forgiving God in which most Christians believe, Ashmore believes that God punishes sin and makes his opinion known through violence. 


As a Christian, Foster is unhappy with the proposed interview, knowing that it will lend to the secular media’s negative portrayal of Christianity; “…that guy’s a freak. He holds celebration parades whenever gays die. He doesn’t represent anything or anybody except his own weird ideas.”


Foster’s opinion on Ashmore largely reflects those of mainstream Mormons, who believe that people like Warren Jeffs disgrace their religion and make them a joke, undermining their credibility in society.


As the identities of the killers are revealed, it becomes apparent that another type of religious extremism is at play, as the shooters were two Muslim teenagers who conducted the murders as part of an initiation, punishing the video store for its refusal to removal pornographic and sinful materials from its shelves. 


10 Minutes is a fascinating exploration of many deep themes and topics that are timely and relevant to the ideas at play in today’s society, interwoven into a relentless, page-turning plot.

For more information or to preorder "10 Minutes", go to http://www.joyjunction.org/10minutes.