Who funded the "Left Behind" books?

You think I've had a bit of an obsession with Reverend Moon lately? Check out Cell Whitman's site. And you damn well ought to do so, because he's got loads of good info.

I'm beginning to wonder whether Moon is the puppetmaster, or at least the moneyman, behind much of the current fundamentalist menace.

Not so long ago, the religious right had lost much of its Reagan-era muscle, due to a flurry of scandals (including the ones involving the Bakkers and Jimmy Swaggart). Pat Robertson's presidential run turned into a comedy; soon thereafter, the public learned that he had hired a gay ghostwriter to write his books -- one of which cribbed material from notorious anti-Semites. The Christian Coalition lost support. Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority fizzled out.

The country seemed to be regaining its senses.

Suddenly, the movement gained new muscles, or at least new money. To a great degree, this turn of events resulted from the popularity of Tim LaHaye's Left Behind series.

LaHaye -- like Doug Wead and Falwell and any number of other fundamentalists -- is a Moon-man. The aforementioned site offers a surprisingly chummy letter from LaHaye to Moon's lieutenant Bo Hi Pak, written some years ago:

Bo Hi, I am encouraged! Amid the bad signs I see today, I also detect a lot of good signs... Even physical ailments to three of the 76 (year old) flaming liberal Supreme Court justices.

What a Christian -- gloating over the physical ailments afflicting those who disagree with a him politically. Jesus would be proud of you, Timmy-boy!

Once again, my friend, I am in your debt for your generous help to our work. You don’t know how timely it was!

LaHaye goes on to say that the Moon-funded reorganization of his (LaHaye's) ministry allowed LaHaye more time for other projects.

Those other projects eventually included the Left Behind books, which peddled Apocalypse fantasies and reactionary propaganda to a new generation of ill-educated seekers. I am told that the books mute LaHaye's two great obsessions: Fiery anti-Catholicism and the Illuminati conspiracy theory.

The books avoided those pitfalls because LaHaye wisely farmed out the actual writing duties to a hireling. And just who (we may fairly ask) provided the cash which paid for that hireling's services...?

Every time you see those volumes dancing across the shelves at your local Wal-Mart, just remember: LaHaye's work was funded with drug money, fascist booty and laundered Yakuza plunder. Lucre doesn't get any filthier.

To paraphrase a wise Jewish fellow: By their loot, ye will know them.