Posted on 12/02/2004 3:23:52 PM PST by heye2monn
BROOKS AND STOTT [Rod Dreher] I was thrilled to see David Brooks' column criticizing "Meet the Press" for having the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jerry Falwell on, as representatives for the religious left and right, respectively. Sharpton is a "reverend" in the same sense that Col. Sanders was a military officer. And Falwell -- well, maybe this is just me, but I have lots of conservative Evangelical friends, and I don't know any who consider him a representative leader. As someone who has worked in the MSM all my life -- except for three years at the Washington Times, and that glorious year as Kathryn's slave at NR World HQ -- I can attest to how completely out of touch most mainstream journalists are with the world of religion. They call Falwell and Robertson, for example, because Falwell and Robertson are on their Rolodexes, and will show up on time.
That says it all.
Falwell was, indeed, a hero of the Reagan Revolution in 1980, but was a quarter of a century ago, and in all seriousness, he should have hung up this gun years ago. Time for more thoughtful, more youthful, more persuasive spokesmen to arise.
TMI
Does anyone remember the context in which Barry Goldwater was supposed to have said, ""I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass." -- ???
Nordlinger on NRO (http://www.nationalreview.com/impromptus/impromptus200412020825.asp) had some positive things to say about Falwell, so maybe it evens out:
Couple of days ago, David Brooks published a column on John Stott, a British evangelical leader. There has been some discussion of this column — but I would like to make a queer point.
In 1989 — also in 1988, the presidential-election year — there was quite a lot of good press for Barbara Bush. But the praise always came with a companion point: "unlike that b**ch Nancy Reagan." (No, I don't mean "butch.") You couldn't say something nice about Barbara Bush, the new Republican First Lady, without saying something mean about Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Bush couldn't be admirable for her own sake; she had to be contrasted to Mrs. Reagan. In fact, if you were a liberal journalist — and if you were a journalist, you probably were — the damning of Mrs. Reagan was your ticket to praising Mrs. Bush.
My point? Brooks says more than once that John Stott is good, unlike that fool Jerry Falwell. (In fact, that is his ending — "Not Falwell, but Stott.") Fine. Everyone is entitled to his opinion about Falwell, as about Nancy Reagan. But I personally would be more inclined to listen to praise of Stott if I didn't have to endure the anti-Falwell stuff along with it.
"Serkin was great, unlike that showman Horowitz." Actually, that's a colossally dumb opinion. But if you like Serkin — just say so.
Know what I mean?
I hasten to add that David Brooks is great and indispensable and to the New York Times op-ed page what a light is to night, or medicine to a sick ward.
I confess to having a soft spot for Falwell for a couple of reasons. First, people who hate him number some of the worst people on earth. (I realize this is a poor reason to like somebody.) And second — as I have written before — Falwell gave maybe the finest, most dazzling forensic performance I have ever seen. He was at Harvard Law School, before an insanely hostile audience — a mob. And especially during the Q&A, he played with them as an exceptionally clever and confident cat does with a ball of yarn, eventually batting it out of sight.
There are other reasons as well — he has given speeches and interviews quite moving in their humanity. But I digress . . .
That's what they were saying about Reagan when he was Falwell's age -- that he was too old and should leave the scene. Yes, Falwell is overweight, a major TV problem, but he still speaks eloquently, has an authoritative baritone, and sincere gospel message.
Stick around Jerry. You still drive the liberals crazy after all these years.
I agree with you there. Unfortunately, I can't think of any obvious candidates. I mean, where is the "new" Francis Schaeffer? I've been waiting 20 years for him to emerge.
Jerry Falwell is no Ronald Reagan. I'm not trying to be disrespectful to Jerry Falwell, and I give him his due, but for crying out loud -- we're a nation of some 100 million-plus evangelicals, by some estimates...why does the media always go to the same old sources when they want the evangelical slant on things? Falwell...Robertson...Falwell...Robertson... Again, I don't fault them. I fault the MSM. I think the reason they constantly go back to Falwell is that they believe he doesn't project that positive an image. IMO, he holds his own, but as an evangelical Christian, I agree with Dreher's observation...I don't consider Falwell a truly representative leader of me and my perspective on faith and public policy.
Not every Republican / conservative is an evangelical Christian, and it's not just liberals who see Falwell as a sanctimonious blowhard.
Really?
Suggest you do a google on Rod Dreher and actually read what he has written.
Uh, about that knee jerk, you might want a doctor to take a look.
If Falwell warned regarding Sandra Day O'Connor he turned out to be dead on target.
But speaking of the "older generation," Chuck Colson has been consistently outstanding on these issues, but the media rarely go to him for comments. It's probably because he's so compelling.
What evidence is there that Sharpton is even a Christian?
The Jerry Falwell's of media interest only provide that media with grist for the anti-religious mill. Not only is it time for all of the Falwell's to fade away, but it is time to press forward with a conservative secular government that respects all religions and their right to celebrate their beliefs within their own communities. Nonsensical challenges to established traditions, usually led by the ACLU, must be defied or ignored until they too fade away.
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