“The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews” --The Rev. Jerry Falwell

You have to admit, that kind of all-consuming, cross-religion hatred is hard to top.

This is making me nostalgic for a time before the Christian Right was in bed with the oil and defense industries. When they were just, you know, leering lasciviously at each other from across the electorate.

sifts through old Dead Kennedys records

Who wants to crash the funeral in teletubbies costumes??

If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being. -- Rev Jerry Falwell

I really believe that the Pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians, ... 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 [terrorist attack: 9/11] happen. -- Jerry Falwell, 700 Club, 2001-SEP-13.

All I can say is one less hate mongering, faux-christian neocon hiding behind the bible for his own personal gain.

As it is impolite to speak poorly of the dead. And..

As my Momma taught me if you can't say anyhting nice...

I shall not speak my opinion of this man.

Anyone want to take up a collection to send him a fan?

Coyote: "Why is it that you folks can't even let a body reach room temperature before you start mocking the dead?"

Be fair, now -- we mocked Falwell plenty when he was still alive.

Personally I believe it's bad form to rejoice in anyone's death. But if I feigned sorrow at Falwell's death I'd be a hypocrite. So I'll just hold my peace.

good riddance

To try to be positive, and respectful to the deceased, there was a beautiful exchange in 1983 when the Moral Majority accidentally sent a solicitation letter to Ted Kennedy. Kennedy responded with humor, and the two ended up having dinner before Kennedy spoke to Liberty University students. Falwell later spoke to Harvard students. It was omething like Lions and Lambs lying down together

Yes, Grant, the lamb and the lion shall lay down together, but the lamb won't get much sleep.

(hat-tip to Woody Allen)

An old friend of Jerry's says goodbye here.

Coyote, what's your take on the late Rev. Falwell? Overall, do you think he had a positive or negative influence on American society?

Just curious ...

Coyote:

Falwell was a disgusting, despicable human being who did his best to cram Christian fascism down the throat of the entire nation. You go shed crocodile tears for him...don't try to enforce your moralizing here. I was dancing on his grave long before he was dead.

Frankly, I don't give one fiddlers fuck about Falwell. Why waste valuable space and time on this great blog on such a hypocrite. This is Oregon not dumbshit North or South Carolina. Let those kissasses in the corporate media drool over their beloved Falwell. Let's spend more time here trying to convince the democratic leadership in our great state that they better get of their procrastinating asses and come up with an effective challenger for "Bushie Smith".

chickenhawk:

ummm...yeah...if you look at the homepage of this site there's a thread for your topic...

sheesh! how much time do people here spend telling others what and what not to blog?

May 15th shall hereafter be known as "Ding dong the dick is dead day."

Years ago, Robin Williams told an audience that God will be sending Jesus back to earth soon - and he won't look like Ted Nugent. He will look like Charles Bronson and be very ticked off. The first person that Jessus will smite when he returs will be Jerry Fallwell.

Guess what? Robin Williams is a prophet and Jesus has arrived. Hallalujah!!

Jerry Falwell is to Christianity as Osama bin Laden is to Islam.

Jerry Falwell spat on the graves of millions who died of AIDS, and thousands who died on September 11, 2001. I'm not spitting on Falwell's grave. I'm just dancing.

You know. I can't say I loved the man or agreed with him on anything. I didn't like him at all and most of what he said makes me want to vomit. I send my condolences to his family and wish them my best. I refuse to sink to his level by mocking his death on a blog like so many others here. There are times to fight and their are times to step back and say enough is enough. Jerry Falwell met his maker this morning. It almost turns my stomach to watch a bunch of people celebrating the death of a person. I didn't agree with him and I certainly will not miss his bigoted statements. I certainly am not going to laugh about a death (any death). I will be donating $50.00 in Mr. Falwell's name to the ACLU tomorrow. Maybe instead of acting like a bunch of blogging degenerates tap dancing on the grave of a dead guy you should do something good in his name. It's just a thought...or maybe I just think progressives should be above Jerry Falwell's level.

Garrett, I'm glad there are people like yourself that are able to resist responding to Falwell's death in a manner you feel would not be suitable for yourself. That's commendable.

As for those whose manner of response to Falwell's death you take exception to, I feel like some forgiveness is in order. Falwell seems to have deliberately and maliciously sought to mortally and spiritually hurt certain people. He's one of those for whom the word "evil" may at times have been fittingly descriptive.

Forgiveness is a relative effort for consideration in this situation. Will Falwell get it from those he hurt the worst and are unequivocally expressing their relief at his departure? Good question. I would say yes, eventually. But for now, Falwell's in the rather inevitable and sad position of harvesting a little of the poison he so gleefully sowed.

[b]ellie[/b]:Jerry Falwell is to Christianity as Osama bin Laden is to Islam.

[b]Luke[/b]: A surprisingly astute observation. Probably more accurate than you realize. Two fundamentalists, two very different lifestyles of activism.

garret: head back to church godboy. this is a free blog and people can say whatever they like. i spit on his grave and do so proudly.

Oregonatheist: You're just as pathetic as Jerry Falwell was. Grow up and let him go. Find someone alive to direct you bitterness at.

Garrett, I'll be rejoicing that the world is a little less bigoted today and I won't feel the least bit guilty about it. Feel free to react to this death as you see fit, but don't judge other people. Personally I don't buy into the thinking that a hateful bigot deserves respect simply because he stops breathing.

An interesting side-note, Fred Phelps plans to "preach" at Falwell's Funeral. From his website (which I purposely will not link from here): 1. Falwell was a true Calvinistic Baptist when he was a young preacher in Springfield, Missouri, and sold his soul to Free-Willism (Arminianism) for lucre.

1. Falwell bitterly and viciously attacked WBC because of WBC's faithful Bible preaching -- thereby committing the unpardonable sin -- otherwise known as the sin against the Holy Ghost.

2. Falwell warmly praised Christ-rejecting Jews, pedophile-condoning Catholics, money-grubbing compromisers, practicing fags like Mel White, and backsliders like Billy Graham and Robert Schuler, etc. All for lucre -- making him guilty of their sins.

I find it sad, tiresome, and unsurprising how quick Falwell, Phelps, and others were/are to judge and condemn others rather than looking inwards and acknowledging our shared humanity.

Regardless of your beliefs, we have more in common with our brothers and sisters on this planet than any comments from folks like these would have you believe.

This RINO is more than happy to see Falwell gone. IMHO, there is nothing worse than somebody spreading hate in the name of God. Falwell was more guilty of that than anybody, and if there is a hell, I'm willing to bet he had a spot set aside for him. No tears shed here, but I'll definitely drink to that asshole kicking the bucket.

OMG! Talk about hatred, please read your own comments then think about what your hate filled remarks mean. You people actually are evil.

The only thing sillier than what Falwell said are the dopes who bought it. Dance on his grave if you want to. His policies and ideas were/are rancid.

I send my thoughts and sympathy to his family. They have a lot of money left behind to spend. I wonder how sad anybody will be seeing them pay the " death tax"? We should really take a hard look at repealing the estate tax so that Jerry's relatives don't have to pay any taxes- thereby being forced to mourn twice. ( you may now turn off your sarcasm meter)

Chris and Garret: You guys sure you shouldn't be blogging on RedOregon.com?

Chris: The difference between an atheist, like myself and a christian, like Jerry Falwell, spreading hatred is quite striking. For one thing, Falwell professed to be a representative of the god of love, and yet his ministry was founded on hatred, divisiveness, and appealing to the lowest prejudices of our society. If you don't believe me, read the quotes posted earlier in this thread by Scott in Damascus; these represent the tiniest drop in the bucket of Falwell's filth.

Jerry Falwell spewed hypocrisy with every utterance, and delighted in the harm and damage his words caused. How many countless lives were ruined, how many families ripped apart because of him there is no possible way to calculate. At least KKK and Neo-Nazi leaders are up front about what their message is. They spread hatred and are proud of it. Falwell, to use your own biblical imagery, was most definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing. He was a hate-monger, pure and simple, yet he disguised it under a message of love.You're damn right I hate that man, and all others like him, and I offer no apologies for that hatred. I rejoice in his death because now, he has no more opportunity to continue his monstrous work. But don't worry, there are plenty more people to pick up where he left off. Such as Focus on the Family founder Ted Haggard...oh wait, I forgot that he's on the outs with the fundamentalist community since he got caught snorting meth and cavorting with male prostitutes. Oh well. To each his own...

Garret: I have plenty of bitterness directed at the living, let me assure you. To re-phrase an old chestnut, if you ain't bitter, you ain't paying attention. Surprisingly enough (to you), most of my bitterness is probably directed at people whom you would like to see out from behind the levers of power in this country. Guys like Falwell and his (im)Moral Majority are a big reason that Bush and the neo-cons with their war-mongering have largely been given free reign over the past 7 years to pursue their grudges and oil-grubbing holy wars against non-Christian nations. We now have a Supreme Court that is presiding over the first rollback of abortion rights that this country has seen on a federal level since Roe. v.Wade. The cronyism, nepotism and favoritism of the current Republican administration are endemic, and you can thank Falwell and his ilk for ushering them into power.

So, given that I have never in my life pulled the trigger for an 'R' and can't possibly imagine doing so at any point until they abandon their un-American party platform, see my above paragraphs regarding Falwell's message and please illuminate me as to just exactly how it is that I am as pathetic as he is. I'm dying to know.

Sorry; meant to direct that last post to Alex and Garrett, not Chris and Garrett.

Find someone alive to direct your bitterness at.

Wow. That is really messed up!

Christopher HItchens on the right Rev. Jerry Falwell:

"The empty life of this ugly little charlatan proves only one thing: that you can get away with the most extraordinary offenses to morality and to truth in this country if you will just get yourself called Reverend.

Who would, even at your network (CNN), have invited on such a little toad to tell us that the attacks of September the 11th were the result of our sinfulness and were God's punishment if they hadn't got some kind of clerical qualification?

People like that should be out in the street, shouting and hollering with a cardboard sign and selling pencils from a cup".

Like Lars after the next Arbritron book, Praise The Lord!

Garret: I have plenty of bitterness directed at the living, let me assure you. To re-phrase an old chestnut, if you ain't bitter, you ain't paying attention. Surprisingly enough (to you), most of my bitterness is probably directed at people whom you would like to see out from behind the levers of power in this country.

Where in any of my statements did I say I wanted someone like Falwell in power? You're so blind in your hate that you aren't even reading what I said. Jerry Falwell was a scumbag. A real piece of s#it. I'm not looking back wistfully at his life. I thought I made it pretty clear that what I was saying is we don't have to stoop to his level. He spat on the graves of gays, civil rights leaders, pagans and the people who died on 9/11. Thats the type of person he was. Just because I disagree with him 100% does not mean I'm going to stoop to his level and spit on his grave. What I did was I made a donation to the ACLU in his name (I doubt he would like that) and now I'm going to do my best to move on and forget he ever existed. He wasn't even all that signifigant as a political player. He was a part of the rise of the radical right but nothing more than a minor player when it all comes down to it. There is a wonderful article in Newsweek about how much of a minor player he actually was...maybe you should check it out. Two people can be on completely opposite ends of the political spectrum and be pretty similar. Just because anyone hated Falwell (as did many of us) doesn't mean you have to throw a party because he died. That sounds like something he would have done if someone like Bill Clinton died and it turns my stomach to hear progressives stoop to his level.

I wish his family comfort. That said, he was the worst thing to happen to Christianity since Nero.

Here goes again...

You're just as pathetic as Jerry Falwell was

Two people can be on completely opposite ends of the political spectrum and be pretty similar.

Your post is a little obtuse, but let me see if I follow your reasoning--and please correct me if I'm wrong. Is the second statement an explanation of the first? If that is the case, it seems that because I don't have the need to pretend to have respect in death for those for whom I had no respect in life, because I actually am glad that he's in no position to do any more damage--that makes me as pathetic as he is? If that's your argument, you've failed. Maybe that's not the whole thrust of it. If that's the case, show me where else you answered my challenge to back up your remark that I am as pathetic as he is. It's a helluva lot easier to call names than it is to back something up with reasoned argument.

It seems like you're a little angry here so maybe you aren't reasoning things through before you post them. Tell me how in the hell my reaction to his death is anything like his gloating over the deaths of whole groups of people, how the fact that I say 'good riddance asshole' (as it seems like you have now done) is the same as his blaming the death of thousands of innocents on gays, lesbians and feminists? Hyperbole on a ridiculous, exaggerated level to say the least.

As to your charge that I am so "blind in my hate" that I'm not even reading what you said, I would say that the exact opposite is true. Let me quote you quoting me: most of my bitterness is probably directed at people whom you would like to see out from behind the levers of power in this country.

Where does that say that I think you wanted Falwell in power? Where in my post did I say that Falwell was in power? I was attempting to put us on a common plane: presumably, as 'progressives,' you and I want the right-wing assholes that are currently running the show to get the hell out. That is what I meant and that is what I said. So either it is you who are too angry to read what I've said, or your reading comprehension is a little lacking. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and presume the former.

Now I'll quote you, and more specifically the exact parts of your initial post that led me to respond:

Jerry Falwell met his maker this morning.

Maybe instead of acting like a bunch of blogging degenerates tap dancing on the grave of a dead guy you should do something good in his name.

The first statement suggests belief in god and the afterlife, most likely something in the Judeo-Christian vein. No big whoop; most of my friends don't happen to be atheists; they are agnostics, pagans Christians, Buddhists, you name it. Doesn't bother me at all that someone believes in those types of things, as strange and incomprehensible as it may be to me.

It's the combination of that first phrase and the second that, as an atheist living in a Christian-dominated society, struck a certain raw nerve in me. Maybe your beliefs prohibit or discourage you from speaking ill of the dead. That's all well and good for you. Guess what? You don't get to frame the whole discussion based upon how you would or would not like to see it proceed. And do you consider everyone who doesn't see the world like you do, who doesn't feel the need to show respect to this hate-mongering sonofabitch, to be "degenerates?" As to the last, I do good thing all the time, I do them for myself, I do them for my family, for my friends, for humanity in general and people whom I don't know. I certainly don't need to be told to do them in Jerry Falwell's name.

it turns my stomach to hear progressives stoop to his level.

maybe I just think progressives should be above Jerry Falwell's level.

I think the progressive movement will do just fine without you monitoring how we choose to discuss the death of one of our foremost enemies.

You can fire the last salvo in this amusing little tete-a-tete; I'm done with this topic. In summation: good riddance Jerry Falwell, you were a fucking asshole, we won't miss you. And ps: I don't need religionists telling me what to say or how to respond to anyone's death. If you think that, then you're closer to Falwell than you know. Peaceout.

I think it's perfectly fine to have an intense dislike for bigotry and people who make spreading bigotry their life's work. Bigotry an affront to humanity and you could probably make the argument what Falwell has done has done more harm to humanity than a single murderer. The world is a better place today with him gone, I don't see any reason to not celebrate that fact. I'm not worried about offending his family, they aren't reading Blueoregon I assure you.

Oregonatheist: I'd love to have coffee and discuss this with you because we aren't getting anywhere sniping on a blog. You and I are sitting in the same bed and agree the same issues. You aren't getting my point. Let me explain it differently. Communist Russia and Fascist Germany were politically different yet had plenty of the same characteristics. Stalin liked to murder people just as much as Hitler did. So they were very different because Communism is the polar opposite of Fascism but they hated each other. Funny how so many people are alike when it all comes down to it doesn't it?

The point of the whole of my statements was to point out that you and quite few people thought a guy like Falwell deserves your time and effort. He really doesn't. He's dead. Don't give him the pleasure of celebrating his death...don't give his supporters the pleasure of celebrating his death. You should be above that. Ignore him. Don't spit on his grave, pretend like it doesn't exist. If you do that this world will be a better place than it was. Spit your vile at something that deserves it...like a person who is alive.

The world is a much better place for all with him gone

I hope he packed shorts and a tank top for his trip. I've heard hell is hot at this time of year.

Jerry Falwell spread more hate on Earth than some highly reviled dictators of the past. When Pat Robertson joins Jerry Fullofbullwell as his eternal bunk-punk the world will be even better.