FINDING MY RELIGION: Bill Moyers talks about faith, reason and his new PBS special

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/19/6 | David Ian Miller

[SmithL]

Can religion and reason peacefully coexist? From a scan of the headlines it doesn't seem so. The world appears polarized, incapable of even agreeing to disagree on matters of faith.

Journalist Bill Moyers believes that conversation can lead to a cure for what ails us -- but not conversation in which people simply shriek at each other. Moyers, who describes himself as "neither wholly a believer nor wholly a skeptic," thinks we can move away from pitting reason against faith and give equal weight to both in our discussions. Science can illuminate faith, and faith can inform science.

He launches the discussion on a new PBS special "Bill Moyers on Faith & Reason," which premieres Friday at 9 p.m. The seven weekly episodes explore new ways of thinking about religion and its role in the modern world. Each program features a conversation with one of the writers who attended the PEN World Voices Festival in New York last April: Margaret Atwood, Mary Gordon, Martin Amis, Salman Rushdie and others.

I interviewed Moyers by e-mail last week as he completed last-minute editing of the show before its premiere.

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What was the catalyst for "Faith & Reason"? Was there a specific incident or moment that gave you the idea for this show?

I had been thinking of a series like this for some time and weighing who should be part of it. Faith is such a smorgasbord that everyone's taste is different. I didn't feel comfortable trying to pick the "representative" Christian, Jew, Protestant, Catholic, Muslim or atheist.

Then I heard that Salman Rushdie, the president of PEN's American Center, thought religion was such a hot-button issue that he had asked over 100 writers to meet in New York...

[SmithL]

Worshiping at the alter of liberalism.

[MNJohnnie]

Well I guess technically Satanism IS a Religion.

[ClearCase_guy]

I've never understood why people find Moyers especially smart. I think his thinking is quite mushy. And I think the fundamental reason for that is that he has trouble with absolutes. He thinks that doubt and skepticism are somehow morally and intellectually superior to the notion that "This is true".

How can anyone have something valuable to say if they followup every declaration with the equivalent of "On the other hand ..."?

[Alex Murphy]

Worshiping at the alter of liberalism.

Bill only worships when his personal stock of Communion Wine runs low...

"I grew up in a culture where, almost unspoken -- but there were comments -- alcoholism is a moral failing. If somebody was a drunk, that person lacked character, lacked willpower."
Bill Moyers, 1998

Bill Moyers, drunk driving in Vermont, 2002

[Alex Murphy]

Bill Moyers' shady finances revealed on O'Reilly Factor (FR thread from 2003)

[bornacatholic]

A shudder runs down my spine.

*No doubt the shudder looked at what was in your mind and it panicked.