Nearly two weeks after the raid on the FLDS compound in Texas, the Big Questions are starting to bubble up. What about the civil rights? What is the fallout for the LDS church? And what does the whole mess say about religion in general?

The LDS Church is on its last nerve with international media for failing to distinguish between the mainstream Mormon church, LDS, and the one with the "F" — sometimes confusing the two. The flippin' Agence France-Presse ran a photo of the Salt Lake LDS Temple with its stories of the FLDS raid in Texas. You can imagine a PR suit answering a phone 24/7 in a windowless room the church office tower:

No, that is not us. Let me send you our press packet."

The raid will only add to the recent "Perfect Storm" of media coverage of the LDS Church discussed by DNews Mormon Media Observer, Joel Campbell.

In the Tribune, Michael Nielsen, a social psychologist on the editorial board of Dialogue, heads in a different direction, offering some suggestions on how the LDS church should address the inevitiable confusion of the LDS faith with the polygamous cult in Texas. Including:

Develop a new understanding - a revelation, even - regarding ... the section of Mormon scripture that forms the foundation for polygamy and celestial marriage. As part of this, discontinue the policy allowing men to be sealed to more than one woman. Such a change would make it clearer than ever that polygamy is in the past.

(I especially like the "develop" a revelation part.)

But it takes a comedian, in this case Bill Maher, to see the broader picture:

...Whenever a cult leader sets himself up as “God’s infallible wing man” here on earth, lock away the kids. Which is why I’d like to tip off law enforcement to an even larger child-abusing religious cult. Its leader also has a compound. And this guy not only operates outside the bounds of the law, but he used to be a Nazi and he wears funny hats.

That’s right. The Pope is coming to America this week...

But, really, what tripped up the “little cult on the prairie” was that they only abused hundreds of kids, not thousands all over the world. Cults get raided. Religions get parades. How does the Catholic Church get away with all of their buggery? VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME! (full transcript)