All Comments (18)

I agree with Dr. Niebuhr--up to the last paragraph.

I don't see Falwell's movement as being "fundamentally about secular politics and so . . . open to people on social and ideological (rather than purely religious) grounds. That's what Moral Majority was. And that's why he didn't call it the Christian Coalition."

I, a Roman Catholic, found Falwell's movement fundamentally opposed to the notion of America as a secular republic. I found Falwell and his followers, regardless of religious denomination, interested in destroying the separation between church and state. It's best to characterize Falwell's movement as placing the greatest value on destroying this wall. All could be forgiven with respect to one's religious background, as long as that wall would come tumbling down. That is an ideological position par excellence, and Falwell would oppose anyone with a secular ideology.

In this regard, he is no different than the jihadists that terrorize the world today. He, too, started with the premise that his vision of American has a supernatural basis (scriptural); that it is superior to all other visions; and that other visions are dispensable. The only difference between the jihadists and the Moral Majority is the name. It's the same old idea: get politics to follow religion.

Clearly, unlike Dr. Niebuhr, I see religion as ideological.

Gentlefolks: This Dr. N's moderate note was found whilst researching information on his ancestors:
Reinhold & Richard Niebuhr for their insights into the American & English revolutions. Most recently I have been reading on John Wilkes, and his hero, Savonarola, who had the distinction of joining Hus & Joan of Arc in being burned at the stake, while JW endured would be assains from those idiots who gave us Concord & Lexington. Additional comments, remind of attitudes, that gave us those historic bonfires. As for the media, they distinguished themselves at Hurricane Katrina by claiming that no one did anything for its victims, while the Salvation Army, from US & Canada, worked hard to help. Newsies, like intellectuals, may look down on the low church.
May God have mercy on man-unkind.

PAGANPLACE:

"I think his (and the media's) generally false portrayal of 'The Left' as *anti-Christian* for standing against *theocracy* might be with us a while."

There is a rabid and hateful anti-Christian left. That does not mean that everyone left of center is anti-Christian. It is equally incorrect, though, to identify all Christians with the bogymen of the “Christian Right”. There are hate mongers on both sides, and they never tire of using each other as examples.

The Evangelical Atheists on these blogs are incredibly bigoted in their own way. They have all the fervor of Christian Fundamentalists, and they are just as unsophisticated in their understanding of the roles of the Christian Churches have had in increasing social justice, preservation and nourishment culture, literature, music, philosophy, and the the sciences.

It appears the only one who could get Jerry Falwell to shut-up is God.

The media's persistent failure to distinguish Falwell's Christianity as only one sort of faithful Christianity was--as you say--an important boon to the religious right's power grab. The media's reduction of Christianity to its Falwellian version forced a spurious choice for huge numbers of people: if you are a Christian you follow Falwell (however great your misgivings), and if you abhor Falwell you abhor Christianity. If the numbers in the first camp are perhaps diminishing somewhat, those in the second seem only now to be flexing their muscles. The fact that the nation is illiterate about religion (and, to be candid, the church is largely illiterate about Christianity) pretty much guarantees that the discussion now going on will remain terribly uninformed.

But the media is still not helping. To be sure, the adjective "evangelical" is now used more often, so the fact that there are other kinds of Christians is at least implied. But they don't get any coverage. A recent CNN program, entitled "What is a Christian," highlighted evangelicals, some primarily conservative Black church leaders, and Unitarians. But, except for brief clips of a couple of other interviews, the majority of Christian viewpoints in this country were missing from the presentation. Where were spokespeople for mainline Protestants, progressive Catholics, center-to-left theological education, the large number of "progressive Christian" groups, etc.?? Why were none of these groups covered in the program? And, almost as bad, where were interviews with people who had actually thought about the question, "What is a Christian?" As in discussions of politics, so also in religion, the national media is part of the problem.

Roy,

I don't care for Falwell, his ilk either; nor for his approach. But heated rhetorical theatrics like:

“...the word Christian raises the hackles of many now because of the perversion of it spewed by these bigots in Christ's name. If something now is defined as Christian, the immediate image is one of intolerance, exclusion and judgment.”

are exactly what I mean by “cardboard cut-outs”. What you have there is a caricature rather than an understanding of a flawed fellow human being. Falwell was equally crude and unbalanced in his characterizations of his opponents; and equally wrong.

The two extremes would have had to invent each other if they were not there for each other. Who will we scare the donors with next?

Falwell/Haggard/Swaggart/Baker/Dobson/Robertson et. al. have hijacked Christianity for their own power, greed and political agendas. Once synonymous with Christ's love and forgiveness, the word Christian raises the hackles of many now because of the perversion of it spewed by these bigots in Christ's name. If something now is defined as Christian, the immediate image is one of intolerance, exclusion and judgment. Only God will judge but Christianity has suffered most by it's new connotation given by these hate mongers in George Bush's "Christian" America.

Now history will judge Mr. Falwell and I would bet it will not be pretty. He will be remembered for saying AIDS was God's punishment for homosexuality and for blaming 9/11 on gays and feminists amongst others. He will join the ranks of Taney, Faubus, McCarthy, Cohen, Spellman and a host of others who thought their cause was just.

Jerry Falwell = George Bush !!!!! . . . . . . "By their FRUITS, ye shall know them." . . . . "Didn't I do good deeds in your name?!" . . . . . . . "Depart from me, I know you not."

I think his (and the media's) generally false portrayal of 'The Left' as *anti-Christian* for standing against *theocracy* might be with us a while.

With Jerry Falwell gone on the Christian Right, who will the anti-Christian Left have to frighten the donors with? If Falwell had not been pilloried by the anti-Christian Left he would have had to invent them. If the anti-Christian left didn't have Falwell, they would have had to invent him. Perhaps the age of cardboard cut-outs to scare the children would be better as a thing of the past. We can hope.

How about "acknowledging that there are a great many people in the United States who call themselves Christians" and who actually try to act on Christ's teachings. To most Americans, the title of Christian is short for narrow-minded, self-righteous, judgmental and smug. That is sad.

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen"

Yep, a nice quote, made it easy on the journalists. Who never bothered to note that only a monster would say something like this.

Christianity may not be a violent religion but it certainly is a sado-masochistic one. The notion of God sending his son to die for others -- this is about as sick as you can get.

You can pick out different part's of the Bible and make anything you choose out of it. You have to take the Bible as a whole to understand it. i do not claim to understand all of the Bible

Christianity is not a violent religion. People have used it to do very violent and evil things. Remember religion is always man's attempt to reach God. It was that prophet, who 80 percent of Americans believe is the Son of God, who first warned that a lot of people who called themselves followers of Jesus would be nothing of the kind.

I've always felt that Falwell worshiped himself and his own ideas more than God. And I believe that by the time of his death most Evangelicals felt that way also. I think his death, in a way, symbolizes a great shift among Evangelicals and other conservative Christians away from the politics of the Republican party, and more towards advancing the Chrisitan faith no matter who is in office.

Consider the following passage from the Bible Jerry Falwell's source of hate, how do you expect him a better man? read this passages,, credited to his human God - this can not be the God of Abraham or Moses or true God of Jesus that sent him as a human and a prophet not a son or part of trinity 3 godhead all are man made lies. Jerry Falwell was a supporter of this doctrin of hate mongering to minorities, if he could say anything to hard others did not agree with him.

Kings James version.....

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34-39 NASB)

and this:

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (Luke 12:49-53)

A prescription for internecine warfare and martyrdom!

Couple it with 300 years of war against "infidels," 350 years of choice between conversion or a date with the Iron Maiden, the burning or drowning of witches and heretics, Srebrenica and the genocide in Bosnia…But no one asks, "Is Christianity a violent religion?"

Consider this:

(10) When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

(11) And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

(12) And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

(13) And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

(14) But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy)

Yes Bible - the one we all have is man made and the God Jesus is man made God, he never procaimed God himself rather a slave or servant or prophet of God the one and only soverign god need no son or anything like him.

So, was Lardbags Falwell the Goebbels of the Christian Right?