crypto-monarchy
Ooh, creepy American Scientology-type cult in Germany.
Celebrities like the German golfer Bernhard Langer, the Bayern Munich soccer star Paulo Sergio and the ageless British pop singer Cliff Richard are promoting the campaign on billboards. Germans are urged to call a number (not toll-free) to get a free copy of a book that, the celebrities say, changed their lives. But the ads provide no clue to the sponsor of the campaign or the book.
The book, "Power for Living," is an evangelical Christian text that opposes smoking, homosexuality and abortion. Written nearly 20 years ago, it provides a primer for individual conversion, based on such principles as "God loves you," "Mankind is sinful," and "Everyone must accept Christ personally." Bible-reading is encouraged.
Young politicos hold a conference in New York and try to get dates on the side. The libertarians don't do so well:
Later, at a bar, I strike up a conversation with a libertarian student dressed all in black, reminiscent of a goth club kid who hasn't quite outgrown his wardrobe. He's written a novel but is having trouble finding an agent.
"It's called The Gospels of Lucifer," he explains.
"That's a good title," I say before asking if the book is what it sounds like. "The Gospels of Lucifer—as if he had written them?"
"She," he corrects me.
