Thursday, July 17
Los Angeles Times: In God's name: Is it madness?: "The sanity of Ron Lafferty, however, was a matter of legal dispute. He wore a sign reading 'Exit only' on the seat of his prison jumpsuit to one hearing because of his belief that an evil homosexual spirit was trying to invade his body through his anus. After a jury found him guilty, a federal appeals court worried that he might not have been competent to stand trial because of his belief that he answered only to the laws of God. The court vacated the jury's verdict — a decision with potentially unsettling implications. As Krakauer asks, 'If Ron Lafferty were deemed mentally ill because he obeyed the voice of his God, isn't everyone who believes in God and seeks guidance through prayer mentally ill as well?'"
