something to offend everyone
Karen Armstrong’s interview at Salon with Steve Paulsen has something to offend everyone, as Paulsen notes:
It's easy to understand her appeal in today's world of spiritual seekers. As an ex-nun, she resonates with people who've fallen out with organized religion. Armstrong has little patience for literal readings of the Bible, but argues that sacred texts yield profound insights if we read them as myth and poetry. She's especially drawn to the mystical tradition, which -- in her view -- has often been distorted by institutionalized religion. While her books have made her enormously popular, it isn't surprising that she's also managed to raise the ire of both Christian fundamentalists and atheists.
My only real disappointment with the interview was Paulsen’s erroneous assertion that Hitler was “secularist,” despite the fact that he was Catholic. This could have been an opportunity for Armstrong to refute this common misconception, as well as mention the church’s collaboration with genocide, but she let it slide.
(Thanks to Liberal Avenger for the tip.)