It's apt that this epiphany took place in the vicinity of a chapel, as Moore's work and life has been profoundly influenced by his Catholicism. I wasn't sure, before I met him, whether or not he was lapsed, but when I ask if he has faith he says, "Oh, yeah. Absolutely, yeah. I go to Mass. I don't advertise that. You don't see me write about it a lot, or even at all. I don't know if I've even said it out loud before. I'm not a proselytiser. I don't want you to go to Mass. And I think the Church, as an institution, is seriously flawed."
Moore has been critical of Bush for being influenced by the church over anti-abortion legislation. "I think my position has more integrity if I'm not lapsed"' he says. "I not only still believe and still participate as a practising Catholic, I also believe that a woman has a right to her own body, and the government should stay out of people's bedrooms.
"Religion is used to oppress people throughout the world. It's the biggest con game, whether it's Northern Ireland or Israel in the Palestine territories, or name any other place." He continues: "I don't know how Osama bin Laden convinced 19 people to fly into a building. If it was for some hereafter business, they were being seriously misled. Let me tell you about Osama. I don't view him as an Islamic terrorist. I don't see him as some leader of oppressed peoples going after the Great Satan. This man is a multi-millionaire, a rich man. That's how I look at it. A rich man used 19 other, younger people to murder 3000 people. Now to pull off something like that, you do need something big like religion to scam people."
Moore has been critical of Bush for being influenced by the church over anti-abortion legislation. "I think my position has more integrity if I'm not lapsed"' he says. "I not only still believe and still participate as a practising Catholic, I also believe that a woman has a right to her own body, and the government should stay out of people's bedrooms.
"Religion is used to oppress people throughout the world. It's the biggest con game, whether it's Northern Ireland or Israel in the Palestine territories, or name any other place." He continues: "I don't know how Osama bin Laden convinced 19 people to fly into a building. If it was for some hereafter business, they were being seriously misled. Let me tell you about Osama. I don't view him as an Islamic terrorist. I don't see him as some leader of oppressed peoples going after the Great Satan. This man is a multi-millionaire, a rich man. That's how I look at it. A rich man used 19 other, younger people to murder 3000 people. Now to pull off something like that, you do need something big like religion to scam people."