Michael Lewis

Author/Journalist

Lewis is a senior editor of the New Republic. He also wrote the book Liar's Poker about his experiences as a bond trader on Wall Street. As a journalist covering the 1996 Republican presidential primary campaign, he went to the First Annual Black Pro-Life Unity Conference so that he could meet the Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes. While sitting at a table with some of Keyes' supporters, Lewis mentions that he is an atheist: "It emerges that two of the people at our table are pastors; and it isn't five minutes before I am forced to admit that I am an atheist. The news is met as it always is: tell a Christian that you are an atheist, and he invariably responds with the uncomfortable smile of a man who thinks a joke is being played him." - from an article titled "Crucifixation" in the July 8, 1996 issue of the New Republic, p. 21.

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An Episcopal minister once invited Lewis to participate in a debate about religion. He sent a letter declining the invitation. "I wrote back to say that God wasn't my line of work: that I did not believe in Him, that I thought the Church had done more harm than good and that, in spite of his obvious virtues, I found a lot in Jesus to dislike. Within a week had another letter saying that I was just the man for the job." Lewis eventually relented and represented the 'atheist' position in the debate about religion." - from an article titled "Godlessness" in the November 8, 1993 issue of the New Republic, p. 46.