by Professor Revilo P. Oliver

June 1987

There is a great value in books by men who, like Tolkien's diminutive hero, have "been there and back." One of the most potent antidotes to modern superstitions is William G. Simpson's "Which Way, Western Man?" (available from Liberty Bell Publications).(1) Mr. Simpson grew up with an implante d'faith in the tales of the "New Testament," and, unlike most Christians, who are content with a sentimental befuddlement, he had a faith so strong that he tried to live according to the grotesque gospels of the Jewish christ named Jesus. His practical experience of the doctrine enabled him to recover from it, and, unlike most ex-Christians, he had an intelligence so lucid that he emancipated himself from all varieties of the superstition, including the Marxist and "Liberal" cults, which are only superficially disguised versions of the Judaeo-Christian hoax.

A remotely comparable book, which may have some value for one class of readers, has been published in Buffalo by Prometheus Books, "Salvation for Sale," by Gerard T. Straub ($19.95 + $2.00). Mr. Straub, who was, in the theatrical sense of the word, the producer of one of "Pat" Robertson's razzle-dazzle shows on the Jews' boob-tubes, claims to have fallen for the "fundamentalist" hokum and actually believed the boob-bait he purveyed to the stupefied audiences. Having recovered from his hypnotic trance, he now discloses many of the sordid details of the evangelist's operations.

Addicts of the particular brand of spiritual narcotic dispensed by Robertson may be helped to break the habit by Mr. Staub's exposure. If you are making a comparative study of the fifteen or twenty leading gospel-hucksters who are competing for fools' gold, you will be interested in the description of Robertson's own variations on the basic evangelical technique that is used by all rabble-rousing con men and must be drearily familiar to every alert observer of the electronic racket.

Although Robertson is near the top in the highly lucrative business of milking suckers, he seems to have larger ideas than the dairy men with whom he competes. He is certainly a nuisance and may be a danger. Mr. Straub credits him with an ambition to mobilize his dupes for a Judaeo-Christian coup d'etat.

This book is not really comparable to Mr. Simpson's admirable work. Its author's recovery from religious fever is sadly incomplete. He no longer believes in the "fundamentalist" brand of holy hokum, but he has replaced it with an equally blind faith in "One World," "All Mankind," "Democracy," "Equality," and the rest of the Jesus-dope as it is now repackaged and relabelled for gullible "Liberal intellectuals."

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(1) For a review of Mr. Simpson's book, see my "America's Decline," pp.355-367.