RELIGIOUS AGENDAS

RELIGIOUS AGENDAS

Tom Gross.
Published: Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Section: COMMENTARY

Reasonable, peace-loving people of any faith should be very wary of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's attempts to engage in international politics ("Falwell vows crusade to thwart PLO," Main News, Jan. 21).

Falwell is not merely opposed to the PLO's position on the peace process, he is opposed to any peace in the Middle East (as are Pat Robertson and many other Christian Fundamentalist preachers).

According to their interpretations of the Bible--particularly the enigmatic Book of Revelation--the Second Coming of Christ will occur only after a devastating war between Israel and her enemies. The Falwells and Robertsons of the world are mixing a deadly concoction of politics and mythology to speed up what they believe is divine prophecy. And anyone who thinks these dangerous views don't affect participants in the peace process should be reminded that President Reagan also professed a belief in Armageddon, the Final War.

Surely the Fundamentalists on all sides--Christian, Jewish and Muslim--are largely to blame for the intractable hatred and violence in that troubled region. But with the growing influence of the radical religious right wing in this country, we should all be clear about its frightening agenda and of its potential impact on world events.

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