Comments on: Tammy Faye Messner (1942-2007)

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:48:24 +0000

Think of Tammy as the female Michael Milken.

Charles Keating (old lady in courthouse: “Where’s my money?”) — “Keating Five,” John McCain…

By: Rudi

Rudi — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 18:34:35 +0000

A while back I thought that the cancer talk was another scam or delusion. But her last appearance on Larry King destroyed that cynical view. Her actions of late did some good to redeem her image. I will judge her better than a couple of men who were heavily involved in the PTL con. Jim Baker and Jerry Falwell are/were Elmer Gantry’s in their use of PTL for a search of wealth and power.

Remember Jerry Falwell became a steward of the PTL mess. IMO it wasn’t to right Noah’s Ark, it was a blatant takeover of a evangelical TV network of greater size and strength than his small church. Tammy Faye probably did redeem her past sins, the other two NEVER.

By: GrumpyGoofball

GrumpyGoofball — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 18:03:03 +0000

I know Tammy Faye spent many years with Jim and with PTL, and yes, those shows they did were part church service and part telethon for their church and, as it turned out, themselves.

I do appreciate where she ended up at – because she broke down the curtain at Oz, called shenanigans on a lot of religious hypocrisy, and – most importantly – came out with positive messages about LGBT people at a time when few, if any, religious figures at that recognition level would even mention the word “gay”.

I consider myself spiritual, and not specifically Christian, but I seem to recall some powerful messages in the Bible about forgiveness. You can, without forgetting the trespasses, offer forgiveness. Tammy Faye has mine.

By: cosmoetica

cosmoetica — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:09:01 +0000

Laura:

I’m not a liberal. But I’m not going to forget the woman was a con artist who ruined the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Think of Tammy as the female Michael Milken.

One does not have to be a saint, however, to know that stealing from the poor and the elderly, PTL’s base, was wrong.

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:41:08 +0000

No one says she was a saint, none of us are.

I can see cosmoetica is another compassionate liberal.

By: Captain's Quarters

Captain's Quarters — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:46:05 +0000

There Once Was A Man With No Class …

John Kerry has decided to broaden his public appeal by branching into humor — deliberately, as it turns out, rather than just being a joke as in 2004. He delivered his highbrow brand of humor at a DSCC fundraiser last…

By: Holly in Cincinnati

Holly in Cincinnati — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:20:11 +0000

Shakespeare's Sister: RIP Tammy Faye

By: cosmoetica

cosmoetica — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:29:19 +0000

Well, given her post-PTL lifestyle I wd say she did well off the scam, and her repentence. Again, she did not deserve such a torturous end, but because someone dies does not mean their past should be wiped clean. She was no saint.

By: Lynx

Lynx — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:23:17 +0000

That puts her somewhere between Fred Rogers and Dick Cheney.

I think a good 90% of humanity is probably somewhere between those to extremes. Did she give the money back? If not, she’s much closer to Cheney.

By: cosmoetica

cosmoetica — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:16:55 +0000

But a little closer to Dick.

By: cosmoetica

cosmoetica — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:13:54 +0000

Mixed feelings.

Yes, she turned her life around, but she still scammed millions who pledged life savings to PTL.

That puts her somewhere between Fred Rogers and Dick Cheney.