Readers’ Responses to Our Question (187)

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When will the dweebs selectively quoting from the Bible ever realize they're just digging themselves into a deeper hole? You're really lost when you're still defending a segregationist like Falwell. And, yes, it's true. He was right there at the birth of the Republican party's Southern stategy. Do some google searches.

What a disgusting man. People like him give a bad name to religion.

We can only HOPE that with his death comes the end of an era, and era of ignorant biggotry. I hope in his next life he is born a jewish, black lesbian in the south somewhere.

Not very favorably. Deservidly so.

hi and whoa!!! this blog has become a microcosm of the unseen spiritual battle between goodness and wickedness.

jerry falwell was a human. so he sometimes was ruled by goodness, and he sometimes fell prey to wickedness. just like us. we may have hated him, we may have loved him, and we may have been ambivalent. it's GOD who allows each of us that free will and the responsibility which comes with it.

in matters of a person's soul, i think i'll choose deference to God's opinion, which will unfold with the future.

i fear for those who put themselves in the seat of God and make grave pronunciations on anyone's soul. that choice bears unspeakable responsibility.

-Mike G

Perhaps you did not read my statement thoroughly or with adequate reading comprehension. As the opening statement suggests, I am not the fundamental Christian you apparantly have taken me for. In fact, I state quite clearly that, in the first paragraph of my statement, I wrote:

"I refused to bow to Falwell. I likewise refuse to bow to God."

Where you might get the notion that I pine for the days when people with my convictions were burned at the stake were the "good old days" is quite beyond me. My only recourse is that, perhaps, with zeal in your heart and rational reason at the backdoor, you read my post too quickly and lost that I am a "Questioner" (i.e. if you need to label me, Satanist is probably the stigma applied most often to my particular beliefs).

My sole intent was to front the point that there is quite vivid hatred for Jerry Falwell, but he only preached the message of God as it is written in the Bible. The purpose being that hating Jerry Falwell is hating the messenger who is only delivering the word of a God who loves you not for what you are, but what you can be if you acquiese to his control.

I am quite accustomed to spiteful, illogical criticism, being what I am, but I would prefer to be demonized for what I have actually stated.

Uh-oh.. M. Medved may have put his finger on the reason Falwell's passing has stoked such an angry and hatefilled response.

"As the driving force behind the emergence of the modern Christian conservative movement in U.S. politics, Falwell changed history – as even his most vitriolic critics concede. “The Moral Majority” which he founded played a crucial role in the Reagan landslide of 1980, and even more conspicuously led the way to the stunning, unpredicted Senate sweep that gave the GOP control of the upper house of Congress for the first time in 26 years. Twelve Republican challengers – most of them outspoken Christian conservatives – seized the seats of twelve highly entrenched Democratic incumbents (including such luminaries and former Presidential candidates as George McGovern, Birch Bayh and Frank Church). Liberals may lament the outcome of that watershed election but it’s impossible to dismiss its importance."

"Did Rev. Falwell get called to Heaven or struck-down by God?"

We were discussing this last night over dinner. Here's what we agreed on:

One morning he went out and had a nice breakfast with an old friend, returned to his office and then left this world without a struggle.

The people who vehemently hate Jerry Falwell never met him. They transfer all their feelings of discontent to him. They blame him for all sorts of failure and wrongdoing and take joy in vilifying him.

His enemies who knew him loved him. I won't name them but they all have only kind words to say at his death. That alone might stand as a tribute to the life he led.

"Did Rev. Falwell get called to Heaven or struck-down by God?"

God knew and loved Jerry Falwell better than any man. You decide.

Hey Doug, did you forget the true abomination Falwell committed when he blamed September 11 on his political enemies. It's not easy to sink lower than he sank with that comment.

Hey Doug, did you forget the true abomination Falwell committed when he blamed September 11 on his political enemies. It's not easy to sink lower than he sank with that comment.

To Victor Van Meter:
In the 15th century before Anglo Saxon ways became influential, the Inquisition was tying millions of people to crosses and burning them alive. Are you trying to say those were the good old days? ... From God's mouth to your nasty little bigoted heart.

Not that anyone listens to the Questioners, but I'll speak on Falwell.

I truly do believe Falwell spoke the way God speaks...and I cannot stand Jerry Falwell. I cannot stand Jerry Falwell because his stance in life was that everyone is unacceptable and God will only accept you if you conform to His divine will. I have never bowed my person to anything in life. I refused to bow to Falwell. I likewise refuse to bow to God.

In honesty, Falwell is hated now, but would likely have not been hated in the past, before Anglo-Saxon law had moved itself into a sort of secular motion. In the 1500s, Falwell would likely have been received as a rather stoic defender of the faith. The changes in message since then are likely not due to a change in faith, but a change in preaching.

Ministers now are engaged in making God palatable to a largely independent crowd. In essence, it used to be that to enter Heaven, you had to buy your way into Heaven with faith. Nowadays, most of the message I hear directed towards me sounds less like spreading a message and more like selling a used car. I hear you can now get away with paganism and say you're sorry, when the church used to kill you themselves. There are churches devoted to and run by homosexuals when they would have turned their back to you in the past. Apparantly, the church will take you anyway you are.

Of course, this is deceptive, because God will not. We are told that He loves us all, but He seems to actually love what we become when He has taken away our voice of dissent. I am sure any political leader would love a people who were incapable of disobeying him.

Which leads me back to Jerry Falwell, and why he was so hated. He was hated because he preached the message of God, and he is not the reason he is hated. The reason is in America itself. Freedom of speech, freedom of choice, and freedom of religion are certainly NOT well-received by God should they not follow His direction; He will not accept you pending your apology for them. But they are tenets of American society. We largely lambast Falwell for his "bigotry", "ignorance", and "prejudiced attitudes." Of course he had them. God ordains them.

In the end, we can hate him if we have no problem hating the messenger. God has not reversed his position on anything I am personally aware of (at least I seem to have missed his memo), and so the Bible's rules stand. So you can attack him all you want for telling you that you will go to Hell unless you prostrate yourself before God and beg forgiveness. God has said no less.

If that particular aspect of Jerry Falwell (his 9/11 statement detractors aside, that was a particularly low blow) offends you, perhaps it is that you are more offended by the idea that someone may not like you simply because you refuse to give up something close inside you. Maybe you are a gay or lesbian who does not feel you are doing anything wrong in your homosexuality. Maybe you are a woman who refuses to be submissive as you were intended to be. Maybe you dislike the idea that you may be shunned from God's presence if you believe in another faith.

In that case, you have every right to dislike Jerry Falwell. Just understand why you hate him so much. He was simply passing on the message as it was written in the first place.

So let's please not kill the messenger, here.

Did Rev. Falwell get called to Heaven or struck-down by God? Only he knows.

Jr Conner,

I wonder how you justify your statements "Falwell was a great lover of people and God" and "he hated sin not the sinner"? Based on Falwell's post 9/11 comments--where he blamed gays, lesbians, secular society, et al., as the ones responsible for the tragedy--I see little great love for people God created and a whole lot of hate. I wonder how the loved ones of the 9/11 victims will remember Falwell and his hateful comments, which further victimized them. Hopefully, they--like the rest of us who reject hate and intolerance--will simply be able to forget him.

Wow, people should really know what they are talking about before they blog.....just spouting off shows your own lack of education (putting it politely). Using words like biggot, hate-monger, prejudice, ignorant, and intolerant to describe anyone just shows that these writers are themselves guilty of these offenses. Jerry Falwell was NOT caught with hookers and gay men and did NOT hate gays, lesbians or feminists.........he simply hated deviant behavior and lifestyles. He hated sin not the sinner.........just as God does. He did not tolerate what he did not believe in and NONE of us have to either. Falwell was a great lover of people and God, otherwise he would not have put himself on the line day in and day out to help people see what a life with God as central can offer. End of Story

Rev. Larosa,

Just curious, since you're quoting Paul and Levitical Law in the same breath, as it were: do you believe Levitical laws still apply? As a child of unmarried parents, I'm not allowed to enter a church at all, yet I've been an ordained minister for just over 7 years. We choose to ignore those laws we disagree with and follow others more suited to our personal preferences. Most of my colleagues argue that Levitical Law was erased with the New Covenant in Christ. Christ himself revoked the food-cleanliness laws when he rebuked Peter for claiming that what enters his mouth can make him unclean.

And as for Paul, do the members of your church follow this gem from his letter to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 14:34 - "women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says."

Or how about his mistelling in Romans of how Abraham reacted to the news that Sarah would become pregnant? Read Paul's account:

Romans 4:18-21 - "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." **Without weakening in his faith**, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. **Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God**, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." (asterisks for emphasis mine)

The Old Testament account?

Genesis 17:17 - "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?'"

I'm guessing your church doesn't require the female members of the congregation to remain silent, yet we choose to ignore that little tidbit and focus on certain rules. If Christians want to be dogmatic about the Bible, they should be dogmatic about ALL of it.

Too many Christians throw discernment out the window in favor of words written by men, who in their very nature are fallible creatures and whose opinions and attitudes are strongly influenced by the societal mores of the time in which they live or (as in Paul's reference to Abraham) faulty memory.

The extreme conservatives seem to forget that men (even Paul) are fallible and that the Holy Spirit is an equal member of the Trinity, capable of speaking to us and guiding us in God's will so many years later. The issue I took with Falwell is that he attempted to take that role and left no kindness or tolerance for those that disagreed with his interpretations, skewed as they may have been.

God and I are on very good terms, brother, and beleive me when I say my issue is most definitely not with Him, but with those who would argue law and doctrine over true faith, as I believe the Pharisees and Jerry Falwell were both guilty of doing. I don't stand in judgment of the man, but I don't condone his actions, either.

I have purposely and respectfully read all the comments listed in this blog. I must admit some well enlighting, some were insightful and some were indicative of the multi catergorical and pluristic society in which we live. According to my statistics of the comments well over half were ones of something less than kind remarks about Falwell. In addition, these comments speak to the unscientific perception one could come away with. One would think this man above all others was hated more than any body else living today.

Permit me it you will to review what he did NOT do. He never killed anybody. The Green River killer was guilty of killing many women, the Bosten Strangler also killed many and a young man recently was arrested for stabbing to death his entire family. Jerry did NONE of this. He never committed any type of abuse toward women, children or men. He never received a DUI or was even arrested on any type of felony or misdeamenor. In addition, he was never found to not pay his taxes on time and in full. Nor was he ever a part of a scheme to sell real estate to unsuspecting clients on a river in Arkansas. He was never accused of insider trading on any stock.

With that said allow me to ask the question, "What did he do?" He helped over 50,000 alcholics recover and live a productive life in society. He provided a home for unwed mothers in a non-judgmental environment. He started a school that has graduated over 115,000 students that today include, doctors, lawyers, ccounselors, social workers and many faithful pastors. He spoke to the need for us all to continue to look for ways we can improve our own performance and our service to those less fortunate.

One gentleman (I use that word complimentary) spoke of Jerry's unwillingness to help the poor.
The many children that have come out of the Home for Unwed Mothers he started and are now going to Liberty on a full scholarship may disagree with you. The many thousands of dollars the Thomas Road Baptist CHurch has poured into local feeding programs for the poor might deemed your comments unviable.

I am a counselor and see people everyday that are hurting. I could not do what I am doing if it was not for Jerry's Distance Learning program that is an intricate part of Liberty University's programs. Many others out there will say the same thing. Jerry has probably done more to change the landscape of College training than anyone I know. Many of the training programs that are a normal part of College programs were being used by Liberty l;ong before other colleges thought to include it in their programs.

What will Jerry be remembered for? Let state what he has done. Took at small group of believers in an out of the way community, with no major highway going through it, and turned it into one of the largest churches in our country. He started with just 5 teachers and 150 students and started what is now, hear this carefulloy, the LARGEST evangelical college in the WORLD. Started a home for alcoholics and drug addicts that they might live a productive life. Started a home for unwed mothers to include a loving and non-judgmental environment. Finally, started the Liberty Bible Institute, that people who could never afford or have the time to go to college now have a way to study the Bible in the privacy of their own home and at a very resonable price.

History may or may not look kindly on him,yet he affected more lives positively than all the hateful, mean and uncaring people making comments on this blog COMBINED!

Most people's problems are not with Dr Fallwell but rather with God.

Shouldn't someone who confesses to be a follower of Jesus Christ follow the
Bible?

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous [1] will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually
immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
[2] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9
understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and
profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10
the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, [1] liars,
perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound [2] doctrine, 11 in
accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I
have been entrusted.

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman,
both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to
death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is
abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself
therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto:
it is confusion. 24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in
all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

Romans 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between
themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for
ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for
even their women did change the natural use into that which is against
nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which
was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
pleasure in them that do them.

Most people's problems are not with Dr Fallwell but rather with God.

Shouldn't someone who confesses to be a follower of Jesus Christ follow the
Bible?

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous [1] will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually
immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
[2] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9
understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and
profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10
the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, [1] liars,
perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound [2] doctrine, 11 in
accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I
have been entrusted.

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman,
both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to
death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is
abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself
therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto:
it is confusion. 24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in
all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

Romans 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between
themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for
ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for
even their women did change the natural use into that which is against
nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which
was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
pleasure in them that do them.

All of you who call Falwell bigoted, full of hatred, and intolerant tend to sound bigoted, full of hatred and intolerant in the way that you do so.

It is amazing to me that all of you seem to be tolerant of every view except conservative Christianity. What happens to you tolerance? Why are you not bigoted and full of hate based on the way you talk about him?

I think what we have here is a bunch of pots calling a kettle black.

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III @ May 17, 2007 1:27 AM:

With due respect, Falwell (actually all those of his ilk) was selective in the parts of the Bible, that he preached. He also managed to miss the essence of the New Testament. I am very suspicious of 'Christians' who miss the essence of the New Testament.

Most importantly, he was intolerant of those who wanted to help the poor and mis-fortunate; and frankly I got the impression that in his mind it is a personal failing to be poor. Whereas the Christ unconditionally helped those in need, Falwell demanded obedience to himself as a pre-condition for help. Whereas the Christ condemned the wealthy and powerful for oppressing their fellow men, Falwell snuggles up to them and justifies their every action.

Whereas the Christ valued life, I have never heard Falwell (or any of his ilk) condemn war, or the death penalty for that matter. Respect for life cannot be selective. Nor can helping those in need be conditional to their subservience.

It is this selectivity in Falwell (and those of his ilk) that is detestable. It is the arrogance that they exhibit towards everyone who does not agree with their every utterance that is offensive.

Rev. Jerry Falwell will be remembered differently by everyone. One thing is clear "One should not speak evil of the dead."

Rev. Falwell preached what the Bible has always said. For fundamentalist this is what is to be preached. For the liberal this will sound like bigotry, etc.

I will say this, The Bible is quite clear regarding certain issues. Sin is sin whether it be homosexuality, gossip, adultery, lying, blasphemy, worshiping idols of our own making, murder, hatred, not honoring father and mother, etc. The above is not a complete list. We are guilty of every one of the sins just mentioned. That is what Falwell preached. But he also preached the Jesus died for our/mine sins. That belief in Jesus would save us and give us forgiveness of sins if we repent. It is the only to heaven. That is pretty exclusive, but Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; nobody comes to the Father, but through me."

Again, that is a pretty exclusive statement. If any one wishes to argue about it, then argue about it with God. He said it. I am just the messenger.

Finally, just because one is a Christian does not mean that one checks his/her Christianity in at the door when performing public service. The First Admendment is very clear about that both in the regards to freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof. What has to be remembered is that the Church does not control the State, but that the State does not control the Church. We all have some type of morality. Morality, even murder, fraud (form of lying), etc., is legislated. What is not to be legislated is religion.

This country was founded on the ideals of freedom of conscience. That is our moral guide of right and wrong. We know when we do wrong and when do right. We justify a lot to keep from saying, "I was wrong." We need to repent and change our ways.

Falwell's fat ass is now roasting in Hell. Praise God!

You liberals shoudl change your motto to "live and let live, as long as I agree with how." You peple are amazing hypocrites.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
no, liberals preach accomodation for everyone except those who preach exclusion. This is logical. Hypocrites are those who preach love for everyone except those they disagree with for moral reasons. The illogic is that morality is absolute. Clearly morality is not absolute or there would be a global love fest among religions.

You liberals shoudl change your motto to "live and let live, as long as I agree with how." You peple are amazing hypocrites.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
no, liberals preach accomodation for everyone except those who preach exclusion. This is logical. Hypocrites are those who preach love for everyone except those they disagree with for moral reasons. The illogic is that morality is absolute. Clearly morality is not absolute or there would be a global love fest among religions.

Falwell will be remembered as a irredeemable bigot.

Falwell will be remembered as a irredeemable bigot.

The day of his funeral ahould be a National Day of Celebration. My friends and I will be partying to celebrate the fact that such a hateful, evil man is now in hell meeting his equals.

He couldn't be in heaven, he wouldn't like Jesus who hung around will all those prostitutes and poor people.

Ding Dong Falwell's gone - Jerry Falwell's gone. Yeah! - Party on!

Mr. Fallwell's contribution to America and Americans was negative. He inspired division on the basis of his religious faith. A narrow vision which mixed religion with politics and acquired great power and wealth. He is best quickly forgotten as history will not remember him kindly.

Mr. Fallwell's contribution to America and Americans was negative. He inspired division on the basis of his religious faith. A narrow vision which mixed religion with politics and acquired great power and wealth. He is best quickly forgotten as history will not remember him kindly.

He should just be forgotten. However, power and influence and wealth tended to keep one living forever.

You know, Jerry Falwell was one of the great influences that helped me to realize that I am an atheist. So, I must thank him for the clarity.

BTW, I'll bet he took amazingly enormous craps with a body so bloated. So much for taking care of his temple (body). What a bigoted jackass he was.

JustRemember - I believe that ululating is the word you were searching for when describing the fat woman in a scarf whose tongue was gleefully wagging after 9/11. Of course, you wouldn't be familiar with it since it's neither of Greek nor Latin origin.

nmaif - Thanks for the anecdote and you're right - Christianity has been politicized. In my opinion, by preachers seeking temporal power and a Republican party trying to turn churches into their version of the old Democratic union halls. If I were a Christian I would be even angrier about it than I am already.

I work for a social polling site called BuzzDash, and they’re taking a vote right now to see how Jerry Falwell will be remembered.

It’s real time, so you can watch the numbers change as the day goes by. It’s in the News and Politics section; here’s the URL: www.buzzdash.com

Whew! Thank something or somebody! He's gone forever....we hope. Unless they let some other phony dude fill the slot. Woops! Look out....here comes Dr.Dotson! Run everybody...he wants your shoesole.

Whew! Thank something or somebody! He's gone forever....we hope. Unless they let some other phony dude fill the slot. Woops! Look out....here comes Dr.Dotson! Run everybody...he wants your shoesole.

I think Falwell turned more people away from God than
towards God.

He was a hate-monger who played on existing bigotry in order to build a lucrative empire. Remind anyone of Jesus throwing the money-lenders out of the temple.

Truly, he is an example of a modern Pharisee with a cloak of false-righteousness covering the lack of Christian love. Jesus hung out with hookers and tax-collectors. Falwell obviously didn't follow his example as evidenced by his hate-filled tirades.

I am sorry he didn't live longer so he could witness the crumbling of his political machine.

It Jerry's next life he comes back as a Dung Beatle.

What I want to know, America, is why you never spot fakers like Falwell, Bush and Cheney? Could it be that you're faking too, that your self-dealing, insufferable, quack "religion" is just a fig-leaf that covers up your cruelty, your lack of pity or remorse.

Falwell is gone, but he left ignorant millions behind him, ready to conspire, bully, hurt, punish, lie, betray, torture, make war, in the name of their god. What do they teach you in those churches and institutes anyway, that makes you so trusting and sheep-like, that blinds you to some childishly simple truth? What are you going to give us next? Fascism? Holy War? The Inquisition? Or something so terrible there's no name for it yet?

Look in the mirror, America, if you can stand the sight. Look your self-righteousness in the face. Stare down compassion if you can. Too cowardly to turn away, you see there what a lifetime of hypocrisy will amply confirm. Hideous, isn't it? All red and swollen and crusted with filth, like a baboon's hindquarters.

Take a good, long look. Drink it in. Now go and pray to that god of yours, if you dare.

Exaggerate is spelled with two g's.

Exaggerate is spelled with two g's.

Falwell is one of those responsible for the decline in respect for
Christianity, at least for me. I remember in about 1980 when I
had moved for a new job and was shopping for some kitchen towels-- I found some in blue and white checks, cute little
house with a red roof in the middle, and, get this, written over
the house, "Bless this kitchen." I bought 4 of them and used
them until they were threadbare. Now, because of the politici-
zation of religion by Falwell, Islamic extremists, etc, no
company would dare put such a religiously oriented saying
on their dish towels. I miss the age of (relative) religious
tolerance. Christianity has evolved from a (relatively) benign
presence in America to an oppressive one.

Pam and John:

Overexagerate is urban slang. Something you might miss in the midst of celebrating.

"Ding Dong the witch is dead and the world is a better place for it."

"Ding Dong Cha Cha Cha!"

Funny how your posts strangely remind me of the fat lady in the headscarf -tongue wagging gleefully after 9/11.

Cheers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buzRV-t5fLM

Pam - Just Remember's comment was directed at me. It is rough when you haven't had a classical education. The ablative case, sadly, will forever remain beyond my feeble mind's grasp. Occasional thoughts of suicide when I'm not fantasizing about living in Edwardian England. Anyway, Ding Dong Cha Cha Cha!

"For they that sow to the wind: they shall reap the whirlwind."

"Legacy"? Yep, 20 years from now Falwell will be as famous and respected as are Aimee Semple McPherson and William Miller.

From Just Remember:
"You need to make a real effort to stop overexagerating, It ruins any argument you may have had. "

I'm surprised that someone who claims to have a "Classical Education" would use a word like "overexagerating". There is no such word - it would be redundant if there were, and you would also be misspelling it.

Ding Dong the witch is dead and the world is a better place for it.

The death of anyone is tragic and oh! his poor family! Get a grip. Too bad Hitler doesn't have a grave - you all could visit it bearing tear besprinkled flowers. The death of evil men who sow hatred is a good thing. The sooner the better.

Thank God he’s gone. I will shed no tears for this big, silly man. He managed to do quite a bit of damage to the faith he professed and common human decency in his lifetime. Pat Robinson can be safely dismissed as a witless baboon. But Falwell had the allegiance of millions of gullible and vindictive American Christians. He and they made life inexcusably more difficult for perfectly good and descent people just because they were free thinkers or gay. Blaming them for 9/11 should be his epitaph.

Farewell Falwell.

He will be remembered as someone who perverted Christian virtue for personal gain, used people's religion to brainwash them, and helped saddle the American people with one of the worst administrations in my 45 year memory. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

What a hateful man. Good riddance.

The best riddance of all. I shall mourn Jerry Falwell as much as I mourned the last piece of used food flushed down the tubes. It will be so nice to look at newsreel footage of his "I'm so pleased with myself" smirk and know that he is now permanently consigned to the past tense.

Left behind? Yes, like all hate-mongers masquerading as TV messiahs.

Res Ipsa Loquitur!

The best riddance of all. I shall mourn Jerry Falwell as much as I mourned the last piece of used food flushed down the tubes. It will be so nice to look at newsreel footage of his "I'm so pleased with myself" smirk and know that he is now permanently consigned to the past tense.

Left behind? Yes, like all hate-mongers masquerading as TV messiahs.

Res Ipsa Loquitur!

Straight to hell to be with Ronnie and Dick. Too bad it's twenty years too late!

Straight to hell to be with Ronnis and Dick. Too bad it's twenty years too late!

Using Mr. Falwell's Bible we can see that God took him because he ignored God's commandment regarding over-eating. Just another sinner that God decided to eliminate in order to make the world a better place. Good riddance to this hateful man, and let's all thank God for killing him, although sooner would of been better considering all the people attacked by this hateful fat man.

Look, he blamed 9-11 on gays and abortion.

One less religious fanatic nut in the world.

Condolences to Falwell's family, etc., but the world would be a better place without his brand of divisive hatemongering. Too bad Pat Robertson, James Dobson and other "True Christians" will only pick up where Falwell left off. From where I stand, there isn't a lot of difference between the Moral Majority and the Rev. Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church.

Condolences to Falwell's family, etc., but the world would be a better place without his brand of divisive hatemongering. Too bad Pat Robertson, James Dobson and other "True Christians" will only pick up where Falwell left off. From where I stand, there isn't a lot of difference between the Moral Majority and the Rev. Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church.

Good riddance to a man who seemingly was only out for himself. Although it's sad when someone dies, Falwell will probably be remembered as the "religious leader" who took advantage of his flock of sheep and his office to gain self-empowerment and enhance his own prestige. It would be kind of interesting to get a visual when he answers to "The Man".

Condolences to Falwell's family, etc., but the world would be a better place without his brand of divisive hatemongering. Too bad Pat Robertson, James Dobson and other "True Christians" will only pick up where Falwell left off. From where I stand, there isn't a lot of difference between the Moral Majority and the Rev. Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church.

He SHOULD be remembered for these evils: As the "good person" who said about an effort to minister to gay Americans, "thank God this vile and satanic system will one day be utterly annihilated and there'll be a celebration in heaven," and when confronted about it simply lied, saying he'd pay $5000 to anyone who could prove he said it. Tapes were produced, including one from his very own Old Time Gospel Hour "store." As the "enemy of anti-Semites" who fought having to pay in court, losing two rounds and in the process his lawyer accused a Jewish judge of ruling against Falwell because he was a Gentile.

As the man whose "compassionate heart [and] gentle spirit" let him mass mail a fund-raising letter in 1987 claiming that gays with AIDS were purposely donating blood because "they know they are going to die—and they are going to take as many people with them as they can."

As the "forthright" man who only apologized for claiming that ""abortion rights activists, gay people, civil liberties activists." et al., caused 9/11 after realizing that mainstream Americans had finally found their threshhold for his rivers of poison, but two weeks later allowed yet another fund-raising letter to go out on "Jerry Falwell Ministries" stationery over his son's name claiming, "liberals, and especially gay activists, have launched a vicious smear campaign to discredit him. ... [He is] being roundly vilified by the news media for remarks he made in a TV interview while calling for spiritual revival in America. ... Please return the enclosed Vote of Confidence Reply Card right away in the envelope I have provided within the next 5 days.... And with your card, please remember to include a special Vote of Confidence gift for Jerry Falwell of at least $50 or even $100 along with your signed card."

Shame on Warren and Eck and Sarna and Forbes and Thomas for trying to reinvent this money-grubbing megalomaniac in death just because they weren't among his victims in life. Jesus weeps indeed.

The death of anyone is a very sad and tragic event for anyone, especially the deceased's loved ones. I feel that the Rev.'s death will only remind people across the world of how much hatred one person can have. Not only was he filled with hatred for certain minority groups, but he had a tremedous amount of power, power that he used in a hypocritical manner.

He "professed" the word of God, as he saw fitting, but could somebody please remind me where in the bible it says that one should spread their hatred throughout the world.

My condolences to the family of the Rev., but the world will not miss this pathetic man or his disgusting preachings.

Another warmonger died. It's good news for the world we live in. He'll definitly go to hell.

Another warmonger died. It's good news for the world we live in. He'll definitly go to hell.

I have seen many good Christians and, in my opinion, Jerry Falwell was anything but. Reminds me of an old saying which I have adapted to his situation. "It is easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than for Jerry Falwwell to enter the kingdom of God"

I have seen many good Christians and Jerry Falwell was anything but. Reminds me of an old saying which I have adapted to his situation. "It is easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than for Jerry Falwwell to enter the kingdom of God"

Mike - Those who sow hatred deserve their condemnation. Too bad your moral turpitude prevents you from seeing it. Burn in Hell, Jerry.

I guess I am having a hard time listening to all of you enlightened Liberals talk with hate and the happiness of someones death while lambasting the deceased for his hatred. You liberals should change your motto to "live and let live, as long as I agree with how." You peple are amazing hypocrites.

I guess I am having a hard time listening to all of you enlightened Liberals talk with hate and the happiness of someones death while lambasting the deceased for his hatred. You liberals shoudl change your motto to "live and let live, as long as I agree with how." You peple are amazing hypocrites.

I’ve just seen pictures of a mocking memorial erected in honor of the late Jerry Falwell. Signs posted at the memorial read, “Rest in Torment” and “Falwell dies but the Rainbow lives”. Gray duck tape bordering a makeshift plot bare an invitation written in black marker to, “dance on my grave”. And, I’ve seen a picture of a man doing just that.

At no point prior to now did I ever think I would feel complied to defend Jerry Falwell, but the actions of this mindless and heartless few have prompted my response.

Yes, if you’re a homosexual living in America, you feel tormented at times. Maybe you always feel tormented, but try putting things in perspective.

Homosexuals have never been enslaved here in America (at least not by force), or the subjects of mass genocide. Homosexuals are protected by the same laws as minorities. And while our society has not been purged of prejudice, we’re actually a lot more tolerant than the majority of countries across the globe. In comparison to the bulk of sovereign governing bodies throughout the World, the Federal and curtain state Governments of the United States are on the more progressive side of the spectrum. And, don’t forget, simply being an American means you enjoy a standard of living grossly superior to that of almost every other nation.

Jerry Falwell was convinced is ideals were best for America. Many of us have disagreed. But not all of us have his faith in our own convictions. One thing Falwell was not is a fair-weather fan. He stuck by what he believed in, when it was popular and when it wasn’t. And, believe it or not, he did do some really good things for people trying to deal with alcoholism, single-parenthood, and other less-than-comfortable situations. I personally don’t believe the man was a Saint, but dancing on a makeshift grave is beyond tasteless, far worse than tacky and just plain wrong.

He was a country boy, with country ways and all that other simple American stuff, but I’m reminded of a little folksy adage I heard often growing up in the South; two wrongs don’t make a right.

The reaction to the passing of Jerry Falwell of a small, hopefully isolated group of homosexuals in the Castro District of San Francisco displays woeful ignorance, hatred, and embarrassing pettiness. In a way, this group has become their own enemy, displaying all the characteristics of the people they’re fighting against. Good work.

I know some will defend their actions by saying they were just blowing off steam. Well, maybe, but it doesn't make it right.

The Reverend Falwell had stature and power; it is t