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Mistakes like Didion’s and Frykholm’s are possible because of abysmal ignorance of religious truth among many reporters.

At first blush this seems the reasonable explanation, but still, something must have acted as a catalyst; there is more at play than abysmal ignorance.
I enjoyed a series of Dirk Pitt novels, yet was never accused of being an Atlantis freak or Nazi conspiracy paranoid.

It all connects to the late 70s outing of the perverts and the deviants. Their quest for legitimacy fuels the mindless rage and constant search for a lever with which to finalize their transformation into "normalcy". They wanted toleration? They got it. They want more? they're doomed to fail, because faith is like an iceberg (no pun intended). That most of us do not wear it on our sleeve, like they wear their deviancy, does not mean it is not there. And it is difficult to dismiss. It is huge. The irritating bible thumpers are like the part of the iceberg above water. The real body of Christianity is hidden from view. But it thinks, it votes and it responds.

Good luck to idiot perverts and their sympathizers.

Most of us Christians do not advertise our faith, and it is a huge mistake to assume that it suddenly appeared with the publication of a series that is fiction.

D'OH!

Sorry, on my pc this isn't formatting into paragraphs for some reason. To a large extent I agree with you. Most Christians who take their faith seriously are not out grabbing the shirt collars of total strangers. They are, however, often doing what they can to help improve what is appears to be becoming a time and extent of evil not seen since the days of Noah. There are also some out there - abortion clinic prayer warriors, for instance - who are more visible and irritate the tar out of the left, doing what they can to stem the tide. In my view, there is a role for the "irritating Bible thumper" as well. If they speak the truth of the gospel, it will not return void. And in this time, I believe there is an increasing obligation to be ready (and eager) to discuss the real hope found in the gospel message. Politics is important - fighting the moral vacuum and influence of the Clinton administration - pro-life movement are examples, and those wonderful trends you mention from the 70's -but much of it has no eternal consequences. And works of fiction have their role - I understand that "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was hugely influential in the anti-slavery movement. I believe that Left Behind, because it presents the hope of the Gospel, will also have influence in those who are difficult to reach with a more straightforward Gospel message.