Djelloul Marbrook

It’s always good to see journalists pushing the envelope. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer nudged it into rare metaphysical territory November 9 when he interviewed Joel Osteen, the best-selling pastor of Houston’s Lakewood Church, which draws more than 47,000 attendees a week.

“Well, beyond the devil, are there groups, organizations, individuals you feel are part of this group that you call the enemy?” the intrepid anchor asked. Osteen, had he been an evangelical fringe dweller, could, of course, have listed NOW, Al Qaeda, the interchangeable Democratic or Republican parties, La Raza or eighty-five percent of all Americans, for starters, but he replied thoughtfully that he doesn’t do politics.

We know the devil does. And, him being in the details, it was admirable of Blitzer to try to pin the pastor down about this. Journalism is usually so tame and unenterprising. Maybe Larry King will follow up by interviewing the devil himself. Maybe he’ll even ask him how he feels about the triumph of greed in American life. God forbid we should ask the pastors.

—DM