I will not mourn Rev. Falwell’s passing from the American political scene, where I feel he did tremendous damage to our freedoms and common vision as a united people, nor his passage from the religious scene in this country, where I feel he did more harm, long-term, to Christianity through his harsh rhetoric and politicizing of faith than any of the groups he lashed out against. I will not crow over his passing, either, just make note of it, and hope that he finds greater patience, tolerance, open-mindedness, and love with his newest Audience than he showed in his religio-political career.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
NPR has a nice timeline of Falwell’s career here.
Hm. I believe that would be Bolgia 9, as a sower of discord.
You know, I cheered. Which was horrible, but there you go.
Pity he has to spend eternity consorting with long-haired, peaceful, loving, tolerant, generous, forgiving, compassionate, non-dogmatic, non-judgemental hippies like That Guy at the right hand of God…
DOF says mine was “one of the insightful and cooler-headed posts” on the topic — which, given how sharp I felt it was is saying something.
I’m not going to go all nil nisi bonum over this — Falwell insertion of conservative Christianity into American politics set this country back a good century, in many ways — but I’m not going to spend more time dinging the guy (there are so many other targets left). I suspect, if my view of the Afterlife is accurate, that Rev Falwell has had his nose rubbed in his mess sufficient to effect whatever change of heart might be needed; one reason I don’t crow is that I expect to get a similarly sad-but-firm talking-to when I meet my Maker, and pointing fingers at someone else and saying, “but he did worse!” will be as lame an excuse as it is when my six-year-old does it.
Dave I suspect that you will be like Soloman or any wise man in that you’ll admit your trespasses and except your judgement with both candor and courage. :)
That and you’ll have Margie Love backing you up, and that is a huge plus.
You show admirable restraint, no foolin’.
I wonder if he did set the country back a century as you say, or if the country simply hadn’t made as much progress as we wish were the case. Demagogues have to have something to work with. It doesn’t excuse them, of course.
DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD! THE WICKED WITCH! A MEAN OLD WITCH! DING DONG THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD! Call me a jerk but I could care less that he died.
Oh, there’s plenty of blame to spread around, DOF. The tempter and the tempted both have to take responsibility.
BD, thanks for the kind words. If fessing up my trespasses and accepting judgment were that easy, though, I could do it now, right? :-) At any rate, at that particular bar, the only thing I should be worried about are my own trespasses, not Falwell’s.
Actually, Webs, it sounds like you care a lot that he died. :-)
I profoundly disagreed with Falwell on a number of theological issues. To my mind, his greater sin was the blending of his religious causes with political causes, encouraging a mingling of church and state that, inevitably, is intensely corrosive to both.
I don’t have a problem, per se, with someone bringing their morality to their politics (indeed, to the extent that it’s possible, I’d worry about someone failing to do so). Falwell went far beyond that.
I was just being an ass.
In my mind it really is a shame that he died cause the next person that takes his place might be more intelligent. Imagine someone that believes as he does, but figures out a way to sound like less of an asshole. What you get is more and more people falling in line with their belief system.
I think Falwell’s morals are a bit more on the extreme side than most, so when he brings them to his politics he just looks like a nutball.
Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don’t?