So, Jerry Falwell is dead. As it’s customary to look back on a person’s life when they die, why don’t we take a look at Falwell?
- In the 1960s, Falwell referred to the civil rights movement as the “Civil Wrongs Movement”, advocated segregation, and featured segregationist politicians on his television program. As recently as 1990, he is quoted as saying, “I do question the sincerity and non-violent intentions of some civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mr. James Farmer, and others, who are known to have left wing associations.”
- Says that while he opposed Apartheid, he also opposed sanctions against the South African Apartheid regime. Falwell says of Desmond Tutu: “I think he’s a phony, period, as far as representing the black people of South Africa.”, a remark which he later apologized for.
- Opponent of secular public education, advocate of Christian domination of the educational system: “I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won’t have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them.”
- Says of 9/11: “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 have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this happen.”
- Like Peter Popoff, he preached “prosperity theology” which says if you give money “to God” (i.e. preachers, televagelists, and your church), then God will reward you. Falwell: “Let me say a word to you who are struggling with debt right now. A bad attitude about money got you in debt. Whenever I’m counseling a couple who’s having financial difficulties, I say, ‘give me your budget now. What’s your income, how much are you spending, where are you putting it?’ And if I don’t see tithes and offerings at the top, I’ll say ‘there’s your problem right there.’ You’re robbing from God. ‘Oh, we can’t afford it right now pastor.’ No, no, you can’t afford not to. If you need a miracle, you’d better put the miracle working God in your budget. I’ve never led people into that that they didn’t come back a few months later and say, ‘I don’t know how that works, but it does.’ … That’s spiritual mathematics.” (Or that’s a scam by televangelists to con poor people out of their money.)
- Says of AIDS and homosexuality: “AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals” (Although, for some reason, the US’ Black community has the highest rates of AIDS infections, even though the US’ Black community is among the least tolerant of gays compared to other racial groups in the US. The situation is similar in Africa: high rate of AIDS, low tolerance of homosexuality.)
- Defender against the evil homosexual agenda of Tinky Winky.
A quick compare and contrast:
“My feelings as a Christian point me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter.” – Adolph Hitler
“This ‘turn the other cheek’ business is all well and good but it’s not what Jesus fought and died for.” – Jerry Falwell
“Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith … We need believing people.” – Adolph Hitler
“Universal education is the most corroding and disintegrating poison that liberalism has ever invented for its own destruction.” – Adolph Hitler
“I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won’t have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them.” – Jerry Falwell
“We want to fill our culture again with the Christian spirit … We want to burn out all the recent immoral developments in literature, in the theater, and in the press … we want to burn out the poison of immorality which has entered into our whole life and culture as a result of liberal excess.” – Adolph Hitler
“We’re fighting against humanism, we’re fighting against liberalism … we are fighting against all the systems of Satan that are destroying our nation today .” – Jerry Falwell
I once read a quote stating that if fascism ever arrives in the US, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. Indeed.
“Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions” – Jerry Falwell
