Posted on 05/20/2007 9:42:56 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
WASHINGTON -- Speak not ill of the dead. That's easy advice to follow until you are remembering those who spoke a lot of ill while they were alive.
Yes, I am talking about the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.
The founder of the Moral Majority was found dead Tuesday at age 73 in his Lynchburg, Va., office. Reports that his heart had failed were greeted with grim irony by those who thought it had failed years earlier.
This, after all, is the preacher who declared back in the 1980s that "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals."
Of "feminists and all these radical gals," he scoffed: "These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need."
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said on Pat Robertson's "The 700 Club" that, "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this, because God will not be mocked."
During South African Bishop Desmond Tutu's rise as an anti-apartheid leader, Falwell said, "I think he's a phony, period, as far as representing the black people of South Africa."
On Islam, "I think [the Prophet] Muhammad was a terrorist."
And the bleats go on.
Falwell was the sort of newsmaker who kept us wondering what he would say next, if only to find out whether it was more nutty than what he said in his previous eruption.
Yet, he backed away from his imprudent Sept. 11 remarks, for example, when many of his fellow social conservatives thought he had gone too far. He might have said nutty things from time to time, but he wasn't nuts.
And on those occasions when I encountered or interviewed him, Falwell seemed surprisingly friendly and gracious, compared to his bombastic TV image.
cptime@aol.com
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Falsani takes a break to suck her thumb
Cathleen Falsani apparently is taking the weekend off from blogging to suck her thumb. She deserves a rest. She actually should take more than a weekend off. Her employers at the Sun-Times should mercifully give her a l-o-n-g time off.
This morning on her blog, she lists all the nasty things Christians called her while defending Rev. Jerry Falwell after they read her vicious column this week. Falsani’s wallowing in a self-pity pool this weekend, sucking her thumb and contemplating how mean “Jesus followers” are to her.
Continue reading “Falsani takes a break to suck her thumb” »
Falsani should be fired
I saw the other day that she has recently signed on with Zondervan (the major Christian book and Bible publisher) for a couple of books. Hopefully they will have second thoughts about their relationship with her after her deplorable comments about Rev. Falwell.
“Quite a reach by Clarence”
Yeah. Like in absolutely no comparison can be made.
Regarding the headline, when did Falwell actually fall? He was still highly regarded by most Christian conservatives as he still represented the views that God put forth in the Bible.
Maybe his political influence wasn’t what it was at one time, but I believe he felt his primarily role in life was that of Pastor and evangelist, two very significant pieces of five-fold ministry.
And Farrakan attained nowhere NEAR the importance of Falwell, so why would he even be mentioned?
idunno...the guy seemed credible to me. every quote attributed to him on that page seems reasonable, if lacking for context to the average reader.
Preachers of the Gospel should do just that... preach the Gospel.
Response: The media long ago realized that by refering to people they give them a celebrity status and therefore can continuously refer to them as authoritative. Part of the blame is the idiot public and its celebrity worship.
A conservatives politics are governed by his morals
A liberals morals are governed by his politics.
Jerry Falwell voiced moral concerns for the political arena. How does a committed Christian seperate his religous views from political? They cannot be done. To turn from religous beliefs in the political arena is the same as denying Christ. Its forsaking Christ for a political career. King David failed many times, and yet he never seperated is role as King from his relationship with God. Jerry Falwell might have made some mistakes, but he shined the light of Gods word unto this countries politics and society. My faith is in Christ, not some politician. BUT because this country is a democratic republic, I have the opportunity and RESPONSIBILITY to choose the most worthy leaders. Leaders who will be the most God honoring. If I am to be God honoring, a natural conclusion is that I would choose a leader I feel will also be God honoring. If I'm expected to lead my house in a God honoring way, if I were a politician, God would expect me to lead my country in a God honoring way. Since I'm not a politician, I vote for someone I feel who best represents my interests in honoring God.
In other words Christianity and politics CAN NOT BE SEPERATED.
Not only was Muhammad a terrorist, he has also inspired about 1500 years of terrorism.
Your comments do an excellent job of relating one’s faith to politics. Thank you!
This, after all, is the preacher who declared back in the 1980s that "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals."
Well, when you read the Bible on that particular subject, it's hard to come to any different conclusion than Falwell did.
Just take a look for yourself..., go on, read the whole thing carefully...
Romans 1:16-32
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for
the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the
truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for
God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that
they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him
as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an
image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed
animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the
lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among
themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped
and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is
blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For
even their women exchanged the natural use for what is
against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men
committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the
penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those
things which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,
unmerciful;
32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who
practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the
same but also approve of those who practice them.
Did you catch that... "Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."
It sounds like Falwell was reading the same Bible that I am -- along with the rest of what it says in that passage.
Regards,
Star Traveler
I have no problem calling out the moral decay that limits the life of a society. All the prophets of the Bible did just that. And JF did that. He just let politics get in the way of his calling as a preacher of the Gospel. It became his ‘first love’.
I didn’t see the first Christians becoming a part of the Roman government in order to make it more moral. Being a follower of Christ is a relationship with Him and not to represent any government, which are all corrupt in one way or the other. Our marching orders are to change it the LORDS way, through changing the heart. Yes, we have a responsibilty to choose the best leaders. I’m just saying that a man with a calling should stick to that.
“And on those occasions when I encountered or interviewed him, Falwell seemed surprisingly friendly and gracious, compared to his bombastic TV image.”
I’ve heard some say the same about “Reverend” Sharpton. Guess Al only spits on whites and Jews when he’s performing for the camera.
But they responded quickly, producing Hollywood shows and movies that caricatured Falwell as a lout and a bigot and a rube and whatever they could throw. His biggest enemies were the gays, and the things they did in attacking Falwell were quite repulsive. It was vile and personal.
God will judge Jerry Falwell. He will do it appropriately and exactly. Jerry ran the good race. He fought the good fight. He died a gentle death.
And all the hatred and chortling of these wretched liberals means no more than when one of theirs dies and they fill the air with tributes and hosannas everywhere we turn. They are still gone, and they too will face the same God as Jerry.
She kind of reaped what she sowed.
It looks like Clarence is in a judging mood. Let’s see. Did Clarence find it equally important to judge John Kennedy? How about future opportunities to judge? What will Clarence say about JFK’s fat brother Teddy? How about that Arkansas paragon of virtue, B J Clinton? Will anything negative come from Clarence when Barney Frank is being mourned? Methinks Clarence will leave his criticisms to Christians only.
22 " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
23 " 'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.
24 " 'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
Do you KNOW this as a fact, or is it just your opinion? Is it based solely because he didn't do things the way you would, or did he "specifically" do or say things AGAINST the word of God. Did he leave his church ministry? Did his church suffer? Did he continue with Liberty University?
I didn’t see the first Christians becoming a part of the Roman government in order to make it more moral.
Wow your quite old. Methuselah only lived 969 years, your 2000+-. Seriously though, your logic is flawed, in that nothing is mentioned in the Bible, one way or another. I can't assume Jesus hated cheeseburgers simply because cheeseburgers are never mentioned in the Bible.
Being a follower of Christ is a relationship with Him and not to represent any government, which are all corrupt in one way or the other.
I believe the Roman Centurion, who asked Christ to heal his daughter(I believe) was a Christian and an agent of the Roman government. But we have no information on how he lived or governed his men.
Our marching orders are to change it the LORDS way, through changing the heart.
And yet God used prophets to confront rulers. Samuel to confront Saul. Samuel to confront David. Elijah to confront Ahab and Jezebel. If I recall correctly John the Baptist wasn't the most docile person, or the most loving. In fact he called it like it was, and called people to repentance.
Yes, we have a responsibilty to choose the best leaders.
Yes we do. And we need to elect those who most closely follow Gods laws.
I’m just saying that a man with a calling should stick to that.
I have no idea if Jerry Falwell being politicaly active was a calling from God. I don't speak for God. But I never heard Jerry claim he had a calling, one way or the other. So I can't make a judgement on that. But I can make a judgement on what he did and the outcomes. Jerry was instrumental in getting lacsidasical Christians mobilized. To stand up for wrongs in society. To put what the word of God says and means in front of everybody. Its because of people like Jerry Falwell that people know that homosexuality is wrong. That abortion is wrong. People can know what right and wrong are, what they choose is their decision. But Jerry wasn't wrong in the message. And 99% of the time he wasn't wrong in the approach. But non believers and weak believers villify him because it made them feel uncomfortable. Maybe you don't like him because he drew light into someone elses world, and since both Jerry and you are Christians, you had to defend yourself because of something Jerry said, which made you uncomfortable.
Realize one thing. You are on a discussion board about political things. If you truely believe in changing things in what you call "the Lords way", what are you doing here. And how is it any different than what Jerry Falwell did?
We all say things at times that others will disagree with, or find offense with.
And just as we have the right to say what we think or feel, others have the right in responding. And we have the right to our response, and so on.
Jerry Falwell was unapologetic in his proclaiming the word of Christ. And even though HE might have made some misteps or mistakes, the word of God is never in error. So when gays get riled up about Jerry, its not nearly about him as they would have you believe, its about the message. The same with abortionists and others.
I don't know how many times I saw Jerry on a news program where the interviewer or other guest woud disparage him, or talk over him or shout him down. I can't think of one time (which doesn't mean it didn't happen) where Jerry didn't respond with graciousness.
What amazed me was how many times he would still be on news programs, opposite someone like James Carville, who knows nothing of graciousness or respect.
I often would watch not so much for the subject matter, but to see how fast he'd be disrespected and his response. If I could plan on it happening, you know Jerry knew it was coming. And yet he was faithful. Proclaim the word, no matter the attack.
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