The 9/11 Faith Movement

By Terry J. Allen, In These Times. Posted July 12, 2006.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, nearly half of all Americans believe the Bush administration is covering up its involvement in the 9/11 attacks.

Americans love a conspiracy. According to a May 17 Zogby poll, 42 percent believe the U.S. government and the 9/11 Commission are covering up what really happened on September 11, 2001.

There is something comforting about a world where someone is in charge -- either for good (think gods) or evil (think Bush insiders plotting 9/11). Many people prefer to believe a Procrustean conspiracy rather than accept the alternative: Life can be random, viciously unjust, and meaningless; tragedy and joy alike flow from complex combinations of good and bad intentions, careful plotting, random happenstance and bumbling incompetence.