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Philip Weiss and Zo‰ Heller

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Let Them Eat Jesus

By Philip Weiss
Posted Tuesday, June 8, 1999, at 1:32 PM ET

Dear Zoë,

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It's silly of you to call on presidential candidates to embrace atheism, and silly of A.N. Wilson to insist that Gore's Christian demonstrations reflect a new trend in American politics. This revivalism is a bright yellow thread of the last 25 years and, while sometimes nauseating, is often a good thing. People end up with the religion they can live with, and while I'm glad that you seem to style yourself an atheist, you're a member of a highly educated elite. So am I. Why proselytize your beliefs? Be thankful that religion is the opiate of the masses. If they all had existential notions about life, there would be far more chaos and delusion and mania than there already is. One of democracy's fictions is that everyone is ready for freedom. They're not. Look at Littleton. We all decry the Second Amendment (and yes, we should eviscerate it), but how many people can handle the First Amendment? It's ennobling and great, and you and I are living off it, but it also produces violent delusions in kids (and lectures from media bosses who say that any fool knows the line between fantasy and reality--I don't; do you?). And now you want to dispense free thought to the masses. Sorry, if they were worthy, they'd migrate to it on their own. Meantime, let them eat Jesus.

Yes, I was in a lather last night, one I think my computer truncated. I got going at the end on a related matter: public morals, abortion, and human rights. I'm sure you are pro-abortion, so am I. So are 60 percent of the public, many Christians among them, who've been educated by the women's movement and technology and the sexual revolution to treat the killings of young fetuses as a private matter. Good, this is a salutary development. But my concern, the same concern I have about Serbia, is that no one puts themselves on the line for anything. The cost of protecting abortion rights is borne by feminist activists, doctors, clinic workers (who die for the right), and judges. I wish the legislatures would take this chore back, and that the people and their elected officials would be forced to stand up for what they believe. Just as the human-rights talk about Kosovo is undermined by the refusal of anyone who espouses it to risk anything besides money and the murder of innocent Serbians in its behalf. I was moved by the Republican martyrology around impeachment. These people were willing to lose their political lives for a principle. Some did.

Speaking of religious moments, I had one last weekend, surrounding the Belmont Stakes. How are you on sport?

Love, Philip

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