May 16 2007
Skewering Jerry Falwell
I guess it’s not surprising, with the passing of Rev. Jerry Falwell, that the unhinged should come out of the closet to speak ill of the dead. I won’t glorify the following comments by providing a link to the source.
“Reverend Falwell’s legacy is not about the tenants [sic] of Jesus’ ministry such as healing the sick and standing with the disenfranchised but about shunning and ridiculing those who have suffered and died of AIDS and their families. Many faith leaders today are moving away from his divisive approach and toward the compassion and inclusiveness that Jesus modeled every day of his ministry.”
Hmmm. I’m not sure what ‘tenants’ this guy is talking about, but he seems to imply that the focus of Jesus’ ministry was ‘healing the sick and standing with the disenfranchised.’ No, it was about pointing sinners to the Father and providing redemption to a lost, sinful world.
The author of this comment is close, though. Because Christ had compassion, He could bring the message that all - there’s the inclusive part - have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that there was hope for all through Him.
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May 16th, 2007 at 08:19 am
Nice to see a kindred spirit comment on my blog (Sprinkler Doc).
May 16th, 2007 at 21:32 pm
I respectfully disagree with your post. The criticism of Falwell you cite is quite mild in contast with Falwell’s heated and intemperate rhetoric that criticized others. In my opinion, Falwelll is a sad person. Although he professed to be a Christian, he spewed hatred and intolerance against gays, secularists, abortionists, “leftists” and anyone who did not share his extreme views, He confided to one associate that he ” made money” every time he bashed gays. What Falwell could never grasp is that there are Christians like me who believe that homosexuality is not a sin and that gays are god’s creatures just like the rest of us. Gays want to be accepted for who they are and not discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. If That is a “gay agenda” then that is not only a very human agenda, but one that is quintessentially american. Falwell’s belief’s, inter alia ,that 9-11 was caused by gays is not merely delusional, but borderline psychotic. Falwell’s gay-bashing not only brought his “church” money, but it had its darker side. Many gays have committed suicide over self-loathing. Others have been killed in hate crimes that may have been inspired by Falwell’s hate-speech. Families have been torn apart by parents who disown their gay children. Finally, consider Falwell’s invention of the “moral majority”- a patent lie because his extreme beliefs were never that of mainstream america. Falwell’s ministry may have actually done some good other than lining his pockets; however, I never heard about it above his intolerant rantings. His legacy will be similar to that of Hargiss’ right wing christian crusade. May God forgive him.
May 16th, 2007 at 22:58 pm
Henry,
You’ve obviously given this careful thought, but I would likewise disagree with you. I do not agree with every one of Rev Falwell’s positions, but his words never crossed the line to what you call ‘hate speech.’ (Fred Phelps and his minions routinely cross that line into ‘hate speech,’ but they’re clearly beyond the pale of any orthodox Christianity.) Falwell simply spoke the truth. I would challenge you to show where he said he ‘made money every time he bashed gays.’
Guilt is a human reaction to having crossed a moral line; self-loathing is the unhealthy, selfish perversion of that emotion. I’m sorry that people can let the guilt over their behavior slide into self-loathing. At the root, though, is that moral line, and that’s what Falwell and others preached. Because you choose not to see homosexuality as a sin doesn’t change it’s nature.
Let’s say you rip out that portion of Scripture that deals with homosexuality. Why stop there? Take out the other parts that make you uncomfortable, but nothing changes. Paul talked about the evil men this way:
The point is that the consequences of (and remedy for) sin doesn’t change, whether it’s murder, homosexual or heterosexual adultery, pride, arrogance, or disrespect to your parents. Seems kind of harsh, no? In your calling, you deal with the consequences of individual and corporate actions. Falwell simply called people to be accountable for their actions and to turn from their destructive behaviors.
Being straightforward about crossing a moral line is not hate speech. The trick is to present the message with love and respect.