No quarter for the Christian mafia?

Men write to me and say, "I want to be a part of a Christian Mafia." What they’re really saying is "I want to be a part of a group of men that are so committed to each other that they would die for each other." The men [in "The Sopranos"] are incredibly affectionate to one another. They kiss more than any other men you’ve ever seen, so there’s this deeply rooted love and trust that exists there. The challenge is when you violate that trust they’ll kill you. That sucks. But the glue that holds them together and the fact that they are so tightly bound is real attractive to people, myself included.

Author Chris Seay in an interview with The Rutherford Institute

Via Scott Horton at Harper's, the self-proclaimed “Christian Mafia," which included Mark Sanford and John Ensign, earns skepticism from all quarters. Like all mafias, however, the time to stick together is when the going gets tough. 

Below, Harper’s contributing editor Jeff Sharlet returns for a third appearance on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show to talk about the organization and its curious attitudes about crime and accountability:

 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy