Jerry Falwell Has Died
UPDATED by MvdG
Americans United issued a statement on the death of Jerry Falwell; Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United:
“Jerry Falwell politicized religion and failed to understand the genius of our Constitution, but there is no denying his impact on American political life. He will long be remembered as the face and voice of the Religious Right.
“Falwell manipulated a powerful pulpit in exchange for access to political power and promotion of a narrow range of moral concerns. I appeared with him on news programs dozens of times over the years and, while I disagreed with just about everything Falwell stood for, he was a determined advocate for what he believed.
“Falwell reached his apex of power in the 1980s. Since then, leadership of the Religious Right has passed to James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, Donald Wildmon and others. However, Falwell remained influential in politics, with Republican presidential candidates seeking his support this year.
“Americans United extends its condolences to members of Dr. Falwell’s family, the congregants of Thomas Road Baptist Church and the students and staff of Liberty University.â€
Agreed, agreed and agreed.
A loss to many: may God bless his soul. I am a Christian myself and can honestly say that I did not agree with much Falwell said. He was, firstly, too right-wing for me and, secondly, he used God a bit too much; and I’m not talking about in Church. Thirdly, he was a bit too anti-everything for me.
80 Responses to “Jerry Falwell Has Died”
He must have missed a payment to the devil.
And here I thought the Kos Kids would be making such posts, but, actually, no, they were humane from what I saw.
Respect for the dead is overrated, especially when the dead guy/gal was an intolerant demagogue their entire life.
Addendum: If you live like an a**hole, you should die in shame.
Chris – Tell us how you really feel about the man. Althought he’s been a slimeball since the PTL/ Hertitage days, I’ll show some respect and not slime him before he becomes worm food.
And Chris demonstrates exactly what an a**hole is.
So you guys honestly believe the world is a better place because of the Falwell and Robertson types?
“AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexualsâ€
“The idea that religion and politics don’t mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own countryâ€
“If you’re not a born-again Christian, you’re a failure as a human beingâ€
“Textbooks are Soviet propagandaâ€
“Homosexuality is Satan’s diabolical attack upon the family that will not only have a corrupting influence upon our next generation, but it will also bring down the wrath of God upon America.â€
“God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserveâ€
“[homosexuals are] brute beasts…part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven.â€
Just a few choice picks from the deep well of Jerry’s intolerance and ingnorance. I can’t bring myself to feel any sadness at the news of his death. I do feel some people are despicable and spend their lives actively trying to ruin those who disagree with them. He was such a man and I feel the world is a better place without him.
Chris,
I have no use for pompous, hypocritical, dogmatic people either.
It’s just that I don’t see myself publicly clapping when Al Sharpton passes away.
More like they don’t believe that the event of someone’s death is a good time to focus on hatred and division.
And they don’t believe that disagreements, no matter how severe, justify the level of hatred that you appear to want to push here.
I disagree with Noam Chomsky as severely as I do with Jerry Falwell. But I’m not going to use the event of Chomsky’s death (whenever that happens) to cheer or tell nasty jokes about him.
True. But isn’t it just a bit hypocritical to react to such people with reciprocal hatred?
casualobserver,
I’m not happy he’s dead, and I’m not clapping. I feel sorry for his family, and I wish he had come to his senses during his life, and worked for unity and peace instead of profiting from dividing our country.
With that said, I don’t think it’s honest of us to gloss over this guy’s misdeeds and failings. Being dead does not excuse you for the choices you made during your life.
But you’re right, it’s no time for celebration.
You may disagree with Chomsky, but Chomsky’s ultimate message is one of peace, harmony and life. That’s very different from the hate preached by Falwell.
I’m unsure of what to say because of the old saying “If you have nothing nice to say…”
A person has died, but I firmly believe it was not a good person who died, so I am not saddened by his death. I wish no ill on his family, who I assume must be suffering, but I refuse to do this ceremonial “I respected him though I disagreed with him” that is obligatory on the death of another. When David Duke dies, people will not hasten to say that it saddens them, though they didn’t agree with him. Falwell was not a racist (I’m guessing his views had evolved since the days he opposed integration), but he was just about anti everything else, and therefore in my opinion a force for ill in society.
Chris – you are a shining example of the true intolerance and hate-filled rage that permeates the lunatic far-left.
“True. But isn’t it just a bit hypocritical to react to such people with reciprocal hatred?”
Actually its not. You see Falwell spent his life trying to make the people he didn’t like live by his rules. The point of america and freedom in general is that as long as we are not hurting others, we should be free to do as we please. But for people like him thats not good enough. The mere existance of things or behaviour he finds distasteful need to be outlawed, whether or not it affects him in any tangible way.
Its not the hatred and ignorance that makes him special. Its the power he wielded with the purpose of taking freedom from those who lived not according to his views. Those who feel the need to stamp the rest of us with their lifestyle bug the hell out of me. I never insisted Jerry Falwell live like I do. I do not profess a set of views yet fail to live up to them daily. There is nothing hypocritical about my hatred of the man, it is pure and honest and affects him in no way should he have chosen to ignore it, which he did.
I pity him, really. He was just one of a generation of sad, misfit wannabe-Billy Grahams.
Swaggert and Robertson, guess they’re gonna have to fight over who picks up the check.
Falwell was as charlatan.
AR,
Want me to send you a hanky?
Keep saying the left is filled with hate and intolerance. It might be true someday, but for now, you’re the one who aligns yourself with the politics of discrimination, torture and unending war.
AR – Lynx isn’t crying crocidile tears. Falwell was in a power grab since the PTL days. Too bad he didn’t change his stripes like Geogre Wallace before he died. He was from the same mold as Jimmy Baker.
Chris – I didn’t say the left. I said the lunatic far-left, where you reside. The left as a whole are good, decent people, whom I agree with on way more than you think.
But, being the young and single-minded (and simple-minded) Communist/Socialist/Radical you envision yourself to be on campus, you simply play the fool.
AR,
You okay man?
Sorry Chris – Noam Chomsky is evil personified.
Rudi – actually, I don’t see a strong parallel between Baker and Falwell. Baker was weak man, driven and eventually consumed by his and his wife’s desire for fame and money.
Falwell saw himself as a power-broker, a man of substance who was trying to guide the common masses back from the brink of immorality, and gifted with a vision and the drive to make it happen.
So in short, Baker was but a clown, but Falwell (at least for a time) was a truly dangerous man.
I did not wish ill on him or his family, but do not think for one second I was a supporter of him or his ideals. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Holly,
Yeah, I know. Ending war will be the death of us all.
Ok, Chris, so you believe that Fallwell represents “hate” while Chomsky is a “man of peace” who works towards “ending war”.
What I think you do not realize is that these are interpretations, not objective facts. Others who disagree with you might read Chomsky as a virulent anti-American who has a history of condoning genocide (Cambodia) if and when it suits his political agenda to do so. In short, they might interpret Chomsky just as negatively as you interpret Fallwell.
Thus, the comparison I make is valid. It is no more proper for you to use the death of Fallwell to spread your hate than it would be for someone who detests Chomsky’s ideas to use his future death as a chance to hate on him. Your behavior convinces no one, it only increases polarization, hatred, and dehumanization across ideological boundaries.
Never better, man. And thanks for asking.
Jason,
Try again.
Chomsky is critical of the U.S. government. I suppose you could call that anti-American, but I would call it Democracy. Good to see where you stand on that.
As for Chomsky’s “history of condoning genocide,” as you put it, you can read what he has to say about it here: http://blog.zmag.org/node/2890
Have you been drinking some of that Dershowitz Kool-Aid?
Falwell was the most disgraceful person in American politics in the last 30 years, period. There may have been more evil people, but none as powerful as Jerry Falwell. He single-handedly turned the Republican Party from a party of small government into the party of homophobia and bigotry. And he mobilized millions of ignorant people to support this new party – many of whom were formerly apolitical.
What’s worse is that he had none of the redeeming compassion for the poor that earlier religious zealots in American history had, like William Jennings Bryan. While it’s customary to say the obligatory condolescences for the dead, I think Falwell bears an exception. We are better as a country with him gone. But we would have been much better had he never showed up in the first place. Sorry, that’s tough, but it’s the truth. And if you feel that way about Chomsky or anybody else, you have every right.
Using standards that are not consistent with those that he uses to judge other actors, yes. That is a “red flag” of bias.
Cloaking bias inside of nice-sounding terms like “democracy” doesn’t make it so. Also, I don’t see where “democracy” is advanced by acting as an apologist and blame-shifter for repressive regimes the way Chomsky did for the Khmer Rouge. Remember, according to Chomsky, no one in the world seems capable of bad actions on their own — anyone who does bad things can just blame the United States as the real cause.
More to the point, do you have the capacity to argue issues without constantly trying to redirect the discussion into an ad hom attack? Because you seem to have a serious problem staying on point…
Just for kicks I went over to read what the KOS kids were saying. Clapping and backslapping all around.
I can’t think of one thing I disagreed with Falwell on. But whatever his views, he had the right to express and pursue them, just as I have the right to oppose them. But verbally spitting on the mans still warm corpse does not say anything about Falwell, but says a heckuva lot about the one’s doing the spitting.
Whoops! That should be, “I can’t think of one thing I AGREED with Falwell on. ” Talk about an unfortunate typo.
Lynx: I’m unsure of what to say because of the old saying “If you have nothing nice to say…â€
Well sad Lynx, my thoughts exactly.
Elrod, good to see you post and I can’t say I disagree.
Chris, I didn’t like Falwell either but can’t you put the hate-fest off until tomorrow? There is enough hate on both sides, do you really need to stoke the coals?
Hey Holly,
How ironic does this make the latest chapter of The Event?
AR – Falwell tried to take over PTL and Heritage to have his own little broadcasting empire. When he got in and found out the level of corruption and criminal activity, he could save the beast. Liberty is just a cleanen up version of PTL. While he didn’t get the immediate cable empire, the press coverage put him up front to push a political agenda. I doubt he worried about the partners that Jim and Tammy scammed.
*couldn’t save the beast
ChuckPrez, I kind of wondered how he got on that list anyway!
Jerry Falwell in the aftermath of 9/11:
Jerry Falwell sure knew how to honor the dead.
I wonder if those who (rightly, IMO) condemn Falwell’s post-9/11 remarks are equally vigorous in condemning Churchill’s or Chomsky’s.
> It might be true someday,
It is true already — you have demonstrated it here, as well as on other occasions, and the Left has demonstrated it not only since the 1980 elections, but since the 1960s.
> Ok, Chris, so you believe
> that Fallwell represents
> “hateâ€
while expressing the belief hatefully
> while Chomsky is a “man
> of peace†who works towards
> “ending warâ€.
That is obviously false, but the question now is if Chris actually believes that or is being dishonest with us.
http://www.paulbogdanor.com/chomskyhoax.html
> Chomsky is critical of the U.S. government.
So was Hitler. Do you care to be more than deceptively superficial? It’s a tactic that fails every time when directed at the intelligent and knowledgeable.
As read in the comments at Crooks & Liars: “Falwell grounds out….Robertson up to bat….Dobson on deck.”
Let this inning be over quickly-Pyst
I think it is a sad statement when the best response that many can come up with towards intense ideological disagreement is to openly hope for their opponents to die.
That’s a very good question, Holly, a very good question. I can’t say I wasn’t thinking “wtf” when I read it.
Falwell was scum. it’s better that he’s gone. That other scum remains, and is currently in utero is just the way it goes, to paraphrase the recently cold Vonnegut.
Jason: ‘I do feel some people are despicable and spend their lives actively trying to ruin those who disagree with them.
True. But isn’t it just a bit hypocritical to react to such people with reciprocal hatred?’
Calling someone an ass is not hatred, nor defamation. It’s definition. To deny such is hypocrisy. To not recognize the difference is stupidity.
jjc: Great turn of the thread on its ear.
Falwell may not have done as much damage as a Hitler or Stalin or Mao or Mugabe or Saddam, but he was evil. It takes many little evil men for the bigger evils to climb on their backs to power.
Falwell begat Reagan begat Bush 1 begat W begat today’s mess. He dead. Praise Jesus!
Jason, I don’t openly hope for my ideological opponents to die. And for 99% of my ideological opponents, I will express genuine remorse and condolescence for their passing. But Falwell was a uniquely evil and cruel man. I didn’t wish he died. I just won’t pretend to say that I feel sad now that he’s gone. If you feel that way for the small handful of people who you think uniquely contributed to the downfall of America, then you have every right.
What does Noam Chomsky have to do with Jerry Falwell? If you despise Chomsky then you can scorn him upon his death too. I certainly won’t blame you if you do, or claim that he deserves some special moment of blame-free remembrance. But save that day for Chomsky’s end. Today Jerry Falwell died. And he had enormous influence in American politics – all for the worse.
I find it truly sad that in a ministry that spanned more than 50 years, the quote Rev. Falwell will be remembered for was one he immediately repudiated. Of course, I’m talking about his post 9/11/2001 remarks blaming various Americans for bringing down God’s wrath upon our country. This is a testimony to the tongue being able to set a forest on fire, to quote the words of James in the New Testament. To their credit, media outlets are noting that he apologized for the comments, but the remarks are being quoted nonetheless.
Falwell, like all of us, was a mix of admirable qualities and blind-spots. He was an unmatched organizer with strong leadership skills. Unfortunately, like many fundamentalist Christians, he had too narrow a view of the role of women in general, and in relation to the church, excluded them from key ministry roles, such as the pastorate. On the other hand, toward the end of his life, Falwell’s “rough edges” were beginning to soften, as evidenced by his kinder demeanor in T.V. interviews. If he had lived another 10 years, I believe he would have eventually repudiated many of his “over the top” statements made earlier in life. While he may never have reversed his (biblically correct) disapproval of the gay lifestyle, it’s likely that he would have found more compassionate ways to work constructively on the issue, as have other evangelical leaders of our day.
Rev. Falwell, rest in peace.
> jjc: Great turn of the
> thread on its ear.
> Falwell begat Reagan
> begat Bush 1 begat W
> begat today’s mess.
No turn, twist as you may.
A little strong there, wouldn’t you say Elrod?
Who’s deaths did he order? How many died as a direct result of his efforts? Was there no good whatsoever in his ministry? What ‘cruelty’ do you refer to, other than a difference of philosophy on the nature of sin?
I didn’t like him, his philosophy, his ‘moral majority’, or any of that, but I wouldn’t characterize him as part of the pantheon of ‘uniquely evil 20th century characters’.