Jerry Falwell dead at 73

[dimebag1980]

My deepest sympathy goes out to his family. And while I refuse to speak ill of the dead, I must say I've never cared much for religious fanatics... and I considered him to be one. Even when I was the most stubborn conservative I knew, I still didn't care for them.

Again, I do send my sympathy to his family. No one wants to lose a loved one. I just wish I'd felt differently about Falwell's viewpoints in life.

[Charlotteman]

Wow this comes as quite a surprise. I wasn't aware he was ill. He remained obese during his last years~'

R.I.P.

[skylinefan]

Although I do not want to talk ill of the dead I cannot but think that his legacy will be divisive politics that pitted people against each other in an atmosphere of hate. On the one hand he did meet with Christian gays in 1999 in an attempt to open up a dialogue, but on the other hand he and his buddy Pat Robertson blamed 9-11 on gays, feminist, abortionist etc. He and his Moral Majority poisoned political discourse by mixing the dangerous brew of politics and religion which I can only hope will be corrected as more of his ilk die-off.

That being said he was a man of amazing coordination abilities and charisma, but he squandered these talents by advancing an agenda full of hate, bigotry and homophobia.

[Cadeho]

Awww man, you guys are no fun. I've never cared for the man, nor do I respect him. But I will keep my comments to myself. Now it's only Pat Robertson carrying the torch.

[Lowerdeck]

Now we need the other two branches of the Unholy Trinity to fall (Robertson, Wildmon).

The world is better off without morons like Falwell spewing bigotry and hatred. I'd say a lot worse, but don't feel like getting warned today.

[dimebag1980]

Now we need the other two branches of the Unholy Trinity to fall (Robertson, Wildmon).

The world is better off without morons like Falwell spewing bigotry and hatred. I'd say a lot worse, but don't feel like getting warned today.

[runawayjim]

Don't wish ill on them, though, because they're actually just doing what they believe is right. I believe it's NOT right, but I really don't wish ill on any of them. I just wish people like this could see where their major views are beyond extremist and need to change. I'm living proof of that. It's very difficult to actually look inside yoruself and make changes when you're a stubborn extremist type, especially a "Christian" extremist like those guys. They think what they're doing is what God wants. Well, I'm not one to argue about God either way, but I still think these guys are insane in their viewpoints. They really need to look within themselves and start changing from the inside out.

[JDC]

My deepest sympathy goes out to his family. And while I refuse to speak ill of the dead, I must say I've never cared much for religious fanatics...

[Pillsbury]

What has he done to warrant being compared to Hitler?

Let me edit: I don't have much nice to say with the current leadership we have in America, but I'll continue to scream it as loud as I can. I should hope that people with opposing viewpoints will do the same.....

[erdogs]

I didn't agree with much of what he has said, but he was consistent with his views. He explained his view on homosexuality once as being on the same level as adultery and pre-marital sex, no greater or lesser a sin than the other. There are those in my family who feel the same way, so should I hate them or rejoice in their death? These are things the bible teaches, so he was following his religion. If he would have gone against those teachings, he would be considered a hypocrite. He never once preached about doing harm to gay people, so comparing him to Hitler is way over the top. I'm not going to shed any tears or lose any sleep tonight, but I don't see this as something to be celebrating.

[monsoon]

..... He explained his view on homosexuality ..... no greater or lesser a sin than the other...... These are things the bible teaches, so he was following his religion. .....

[skylinefan]

I don't think people are rejoicing in Mr. Falwells death, but I cannot help but think about the poison he spewed at Thomas Roads Baptist Church and how it effected young gay people struggling with their sexuality and at the seme time being told by a bigot that they are going to burn in hell unless they change. I am aquainted with a gay man who grew up in Lynchburg and attended Fallwell's church and heard all of this nonsense about if he did not change he would not inherit the kingdom of heaven. How on Earth can Mr. Falwell make that determination when judgement is supposed to made my god and not man. Because of Mr. Fallwell's bigotry and hate filled message, this man had to suffer through countless hours of therapy, depression, thoughts of suicide and a failed marriage. So I can be forgiven for not mourning the death of a hate filled bigot who blamed the tragedy of 9-11 on gays, feminist, and pro-choice people. A man of God should have soothed a hurting nation versus what he and Pat Robertson did using this tragedy for political gain. This may help explain some of the range of emotions people are displaying at the news of his death.

[richyb83]

Are you saying there are alot of fat southern white people??? Sounds like a little bigotry rearing it's ugly head. Definetly a double standard.

[erdogs]

He blamed 9-11 on Gays & Lesbians. Ironically it was people "who were following their religion" which were responsible for bombing those towers in the first place

[runawayjim]

BTW, they were not following their religion. What they did goes against the teachings of Islam.

[nashscan]

I guess there's no better time than a death for liberals to start the bashing of conservative family values. You never to dissapoint! I knew what I was going to read before I even clicked on the title of this thread. I appreciate your consistency and amusement.

[Gusterfell]

while he never caused physical harm to others, his extreme views are just as dangerous as the extreme views of the terrorists.

[runawayjim]

I guess there's no better time than a death for liberals to start the bashing of conservative family values. You never to dissapoint! I knew what I was going to read before I even clicked on the title of this thread. I appreciate your consistency and amusement.

[nashscan]

so do you think all gays are sinners and will be going to hell and that they caused 9/11?

[monsoon]

.... I don't know much about Falwell. Nor do I care. ....

[runawayjim]

I think everyone is a sinner, not just gays. Of course gays didn't cause 9/11. I don't know much about Falwell. Nor do I care. I don't share his views. My point is that it didn't take long the libs to start with the usual left-wing dogma. I'm not going to go into further detail than that. Many of you feel so strongly about your positions that It wouldn't be in good judgement to do so.

[Pillsbury]

and the stuff that falwell has said goes way against the teachings of christianity. i've studied the bible, and the stuff that falwell has preached is not 100% accurate if you actually read the bible. he took the bible to say what he wanted it to say. it says nothing about sexual orientation being a sin.

true christians, those who follow the teachings of jesus, do not preach hatred. they do not tell people they are wrong. they do not judge others. they allow god to do all the judging. falwell preached hatred. he told people they were sinners and damned to hell. he judged others. he preached his twisted version of christianity, just as the terrorists followed their twisted version of islam.

while he never caused physical harm to others, his extreme views are just as dangerous as the extreme views of the terrorists.

[kayman]

IMO, Jerry Falwell was a circus clown, plain and simple. Hell, I have feeling he didn't even believe half the stuff that even came out of his own mouth. One minute he was having open dialog with homosexual Christians then the next he was condemning them to the lowest reaches of hell for 9/11. Him, Pat Robertson, Wildmon, and Dobson are all ringleaders of their own delusional version of Christianity.

I send my condolescences to his family but it is what it is and that is all she wrote.

[MadVlad]

Somewhere, there is a teletubby thanking his lucky stars....

[runawayjim]

Well let's face it: if you read the Bible it describes homosexuality as being a sin. If you are a fundamentalist, then you will believe that. If you're like most Christians, however, you may understand the Bible as being a book both human and divine, carrying with it the divine filtered through human prejudice. I am a Christian and a supporter of gay rights. We all interpret the Bible in a way most pleasing to our own view of the world.

Also, as a liberal, I disagreed with Falwell. It's unfair, however, to compare him to the fundamentalists in Islam. Perhaps when a group of Southern Baptists fly an airplane into a building, incite hatred at the showing of a cartoon, and murder the decendant of a famous artist simply because he's an atheist and a liberal, then I shall change my mind. As of yet, I've not seen it---you can create art where the Blessed Virgin is dipped into human waste, and the conservatives will whine and write letters, but you don't see murdering him in cold blood.