Jerry Falwell delivered these words a few days after September 11, 2001:
“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 try to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’ ”
The fundamentalist Christian Televangelist, and spokesman of the ironically named ‘Moral Majority’ died today at the age of 73.
I imagine that the world may be just a few ounces lighter in hate today.
Yes, and I seem to recall him blaming Hurricane Katrina on the debauchery of the New Orleans gay community.
Good riddance .…
Wow. What a bigot. I knew he was an ass, but I didn’t realize just how much of one.
I tried to locate a reference to Falwell blaming Katrina on the gay Community in New Orleans, but About.com (http://gaylife.about.com/b/a/198659.htm) lists a couple of groups, including the Reverend Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church and an evangelical group called ‘Repent America’, but not Falwell for that bit of filth. According to Religious Tolerance.org (http://www.religioustolerance.org/tsunami04m.htm) Falwell, ‘was silent this time’ after the widespread condemnations he received for his 9/11 pronouncement.
I just found out that he spoke those words on September 13th, which, unfortunately is also my birthday.
and the buddhist in me says, may he, too, rest in peace. even though he spread pain and divisiveness, even though he was, supposedly, one of the most important people to make reagan and the two bushes happen — he is/was still my brother.
my feelings around writing this are ambiguous. on the one hand, i truly believe in the concept of sister/brotherhood of all humanity. on the other, i cannot find warmth in my heart for this man. yes, i do wish him peace. i really do. but it is not a warm wish.
Not being religious and actively living a ‘secular lifestyle’ (and in fact, the very kind of person he pointed his finger at), I don’t wish him anything because he is simply gone, and good riddance.
As for the line of thinking of Terentius (190 — 160BC) that says ‘Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto’ (I’m human: Nothing human is alien to me), the best I can muster is a sort of pity for how sick and twisted he was, but nothing more.