Evangelicals from the dark side: Terrorism filling a spiritual void?

There is so far no evidence to suggest that Alton Nolen, the man who is accused of beheading a coworker in Moore, Okla., Thursday, has any formal connection with terror groups.

New Yorker
New Yorker

Yet there is also little doubt that Mr. Nolen was deeply sympathetic toward extremist Muslim groups, posting rambling Islamist invectives, photos of Osama bin Laden, and an image of a decapitation to his Facebook page. …

It is the nature of the attack that has brought extra scrutiny, however. Authorities say Nolen stabbed and then beheaded the first woman before stabbing the second multiple times. He was then shot by the company’s CEO, Mark Vaughan, who is also a reserve deputy with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.

In recent months, the Islamic State in Syria has gathered global attention for releasing videos of the beheading of Western captives. Americans have been affected by the videos, polls suggest. The images have been a primary factor in driving fear of terrorist attack to post-9/11 highs.

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