As you know, Jerry Falwell died this week. Rarely has there been a more polarizing figure in American life, especially one who supposedly spoke for Jesus. Falwell, more than anyone else, helped deliver the formerly apathetic evangelical vote into the Republican party, giving that party a strong theocratic base. Of course, Falwell himself showed far less sympathy than Jesus ever did. Whether it was blaming homosexuality and abortion for September 11, equating Jews with the Antichrist, supporting apartheid in South Africa, equating fundamentalist beliefs with political acceptability and doing anything possible to smite gays, Falwell became a catalyst for bigotry and prejudice that has germanated in numerous other religious movements and figures.
Now I try not to speak ill of the recently dead and it takes a lot to startle me. But I was blown away by the venemous vitriol to Falwell's passing by the liberal blogs and many of the message boards on places like The New York Times. Here's a sampling:
- "He’ll be remembered as a hatemonger who helped destroy the Republican Party and his work to try to destroy the entire country. Falwell was neither moral or the majority.
Long may he burn…." - "Falwell occupied one end of a dark spectrum, Osama at the other end. Believe it or not, they share the same ideology “hate and kill that which is not part of you.”
- "I am trying HARD not to be happy that he is dead, because he was such a sick delusional psycho….preaching hate, creating division, & generally just a power hungry VERY deluded person…. I say good riddance!"
Well, well. You can look at DailyKos, HuffingtonPost and numerous other blogs and message boards for more rejoicing and insults far worse than these. Now I certainly didn't like Falwell either, but the blind hatred and intolerance I'm seeing from liberals is equally as bad as anything Falwell ever said.
Even though Falwell was a bigot and hatemonger, at least he didn't embezzle, cheat on his wife and family or do anything as morally wrong as the Jim Bakkers, Jimmy Swaggarts and Ted Haggards did. Falwell at least practiced what he preached and didn't stray from his version of the Bible (as wrong as I think it was) and his ultimate judgement and resting place will be decided by God (if that's what you believe).
His passing should be a final reminder that morality does not equal ethics, and blind hatred of other people and beliefs will continue on the right and the left.
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