	Bob Hostetler > Writing

Bill Moyers's America

by Bob Hostetler

Journalist Bill Moyers was, until December 2004, the host of the PBS television show, "NOW with Bill Moyers." He enjoyed a sterling reputation among the media elite and many not-so-elite. I've never particularly enjoyed his work, and have known him to be decidedly to my left politically and theologically (join the crowd!), but always had a generally positive impression of him and his work.

But then came his remarks last month upon receiving the Global Environment Citizen Award from the Center for Health and Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, which appeared online at AlterNet and in print in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime," he began those remarks, "is that the delusional is no longer marginal."

What, you may ask, did he mean by "delusional?" People who believe Elvis lives? Folks who think Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone? Those who consider CBS News to be unbiased? No. The culprits in Moyers's America are "people who believe the Bible is literally true-one third of the American electorate, if a recent Gallup poll is accurate."

Moyers-an ordained Southern Baptist minister, it should be noted-goes on to lampoon readers of the best-selling "Left Behind" series of novels written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, which outlines a popular (though by no means unanimous) Christian view of the "end times," the last days before the final judgment. Apparently, Moyers considers people who believe that Jesus will literally return-as the Bible teaches-"are sincere, serious and polite," but pretty much crazy ("I'm not making this up," he says), not to mention dangerous.

Why? Well, he says, a "remarkable work of reporting by the journalist Glenn Sherer-'The Road to Environmental Apocalypse'"-makes it clear that "millions of Christian fundamentalists may believe that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed-even hastened-as a sign of the coming apocalypse." Despite the "hedge" word ("MAY believe"), Moyers plainly connects belief in the Bible-and particularly in the return of Jesus-with environmental neglect and devastation.

He goes further. He claims that "for the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington." In other words, people of faith are influential among the ideologues-gasp!-who populate the halls of power in our nation's capital. And, he says, "We're not talking about a handful of fringe lawmakers who hold or are beholden to these beliefs. Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent election-231 legislators in total and more since the election-are backed by the religious right.

There is so much that is wrong with Moyers's panicked claims and imagined connections that he should consider teaming up with Dan Brown, the author of the bestselling fairy tale, "The Da Vinci Code." To start, just as not everyone who reads "The Da Vinci Code" believes its fantastical allegations, so not every fan of the "Left Behind" series agrees with its theology. Second, is it more delusional to believe in the truth of the Bible-or to believe that the "59 percent of Americans [who] believe that the prophecies found in the book of Revelations are going to come true" are delusional? (Memo to Rev. Moyers: it's a common mistake, but the book is "Revelation" or "The Revelation," not "Revelations." As a journalist, you might have looked it up). And third: is it responsible to assert that "millions of Christian fundamentalists" are applauding or committing environmental crimes without citing a single name or quoting even one such person?

I know a lot of people who believe in the truth of the Bible-and many who have also read at least some of those "Left Behind" novels (I happen to be among them). I know thousands of people Moyers would label "Christian fundamentalists" (a loaded term for a supposedly responsible journalist to use, by the way). But I don't know ANYbody who believes "that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed-even hastened-as a sign of the coming apocalypse." Not one. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Now, to be fair, Moyers has every right to make such claims, even though they're peppered with ignorance and distortions regarding the people of faith he calls "delusional." He may not like people who believe in the Bible. He may consider them crazy and dangerous. He is entitled to his opinion. But he is not entitled to create his own "facts."

This article appeared in the February 4, 2005 edition of the Hamilton Journal-News.

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