Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Jerry Falwell is dead

And I have absolutely nothing kind to say about this horrible man, so I shall refrain from saying anything. But that won’t stop me from linking to others who aren’t holding back.



Down With Tyranny:

One should never speak ill of the dead. I must have missed that lesson; maybe snuck off to a Dodgers game at Ebbett's Field instead of going to Hebrew School when they taught that one.

[…]

If Charon can ferry his bloated carcass across the Styx, I'm sure there'll be a huge party in Hell tonight to welcome one of Satan's most effective servants on earth. Jerry Falwell was found dead in his office after a gigantic breakfast featuring all sorts of preparation of pig flesh. I doubt though that the Third Circle of Hell-- Cererus' sweet little eternity where gluttons like Falwell are condemned to live in mud, cold rain and hail falling on them while they eat their own excrement-- will be where he'll wind up. Nor will the Fourth circle-- the materialism circle-- be his final resting place. Nah, the welcome mat is out for ole Jerry at the Eighth Circle (for those guilty of deliberate Evil), either in Bolgia 4 (false prophets, tailormade for him) or Bolgia 5 (corrupt politicians). The false prophets wind up with their heads twisted around facing backwards and the rotten pols spend eternity in a lake of boiling tar. Of course Bolgia 9 would be no stretch either-- an unpleasant little eternity for the sowers of discord. Dante has assigned Muhammad there.

Andrew Sullivan:

Since I can think of nothing good to say about him, I'll say nothing. And pray for the repose of his soul.

John at AMERICAblog:

Jerry Falwell was a hateful bigot…

Yes, no one likes speaking ill of the dead. But we don't whitewash a life of bigotry and intolerance simply because the man is now gone. Al Sharpton (not a presidential candidate, but still) has already praised Falwell - that's absurd. Falwell supported apartheid, Mr. Sharpton. Falwell accused you and me of having caused September 11. Dead or alive, that is not the kind of man who deserves our praise. Jerry Falwell wasn't afraid of being a bigot in life, we shouldn't be afraid of calling him one in death.

HRC:

“Reverend Falwell’s death today causes my thoughts to turn toward the members of our community who have at great personal sacrifice contended with the Reverend’s work and teachings. As I remember Reverend Falwell’s life, I also remember all of the families of people who have died of AIDS,” said Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign. “Reverend Falwell’s legacy is not about the tenets of Jesus’ ministry such as healing the sick and standing with the disenfranchised but about shunning and ridiculing those who have suffered and died of AIDS and their families. Many faith leaders today are moving away from his divisive approach and toward the compassion and inclusiveness that Jesus modeled every day of his ministry.”

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

“The death of a family member or friend is always a sad occasion and we express our condolences to all those who were close to the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Unfortunately, we will always remember him as a founder and leader of America’s anti-gay industry, someone who exacerbated the nation’s appalling response to the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, someone who demonized and vilified us for political gain and someone who used religion to divide rather than unite our nation.”

John Cole at Balloon Juice:

I have a number of nasty things I would like to say about this fellow and the damage I think he has done to our discourse and our politics, but now is not the time…

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I take no joy in his death, not because I think he was a good person, but because it is no victory to me. He has his followers and family and institutions in place to carry on his legacy; his reign of hate is in no way even dented, much less ended, by his passing.
-Peace

Mark said...

You Mrs Seething Mom have stepped out into exactly what you deserve. You re-post of the vile from Down With Tranny shows just how stepped in Your own Hate you are. Your words and those whom you link, are that of a cowards, bigots, and lives lived anti to Christ. The very things you and others accuse Falwell of, reek from your own skin. Judgement and Hell are the only thing I agree with. I pray they stop worshipping at the alter of Man, and start seeking God before it's too late.

Anonymous said...

.....Down With Tranny.....

Priceless.

Mark said...

that actually is pricless! LOL Tyranny, I stand corrected.

Anonymous said...

The fact is, hate breeds hate. If a man builds a whole career on preaching hatred and intolerance, as Falwell did, he will be hated in turn by those he attacked. To expect otherwise is to deny human nature.

I won't pretend to be sorry he's gone. That would be hypocritical.

Seething Mom said...

No Mark, I pretty much agree with anonymous here. There is nothing to be joyful about. This man has plenty of people waiting in the wings to carry on his legacy of hate.

I don't "hate" Jerry Falwell, but I hated everything he stood for. And I "hated" how he twisted Christianity into something ugly and exclusionary. But as far as Jerry goes, I didn't hate the sinner, I hated the sin.

But on another note Mark, I do not understand why you come here. Your finger wagging and sanctimonious lecturing is falling on deaf ears. This site was intended to be a sanctuary away from that kind of stuff. Maybe it is time to find a place more receptive to your views because this is NOT it.

I apologize for my lack of hospitality, but I am really having a hard time understanding why you would even want to come here. You are going to convert no one, and it is obvious you are absolutely convinced that you hold the absolute truth on everything.

We are at an impasse Mark. You are wasting your time with the people who come here. You are just what people who come here are trying to escape.

Mark said...

Your finger wagging and sanctimonious lecturing is falling on deaf ears. This site was intended to be a sanctuary away from that kind of stuff.

I forgot, it is only 'sanctimonius' when it differs from your opinion. My fault. God's truth, not mine, offends you the most! and those who seek refuge from His light because they love their darkness. You right, it's much more comfortable and no onw knows that better than the prince of lies.

Alicia said...

Wow ... telling someone she has "stepped out into exactly what you deserve" seems very unlike what Christ taught. Who gave you the authority to judge others? I thought Christ preached that we aren't to judge others. We're supposed to work hard to be good people.

sanc·ti·mo·ni·ous (sāngk'tə-mō'nē-əs) Pronunciation Key
adj. Feigning piety or righteousness

That seems about right with what you're doing. You truly believe the hate you're actively spewing, and you know what ... that's fine. Believe it all you want if it helps you. But what's with pretending to be Christian and coming here to basically waste everyone's time with your inane posts? Whenever any of us try to discuss anything with you (such as the last time I tried) all you end up saying is, "you're all evil and going to hell! I'm right and you're wrong because my interpretation of a judgemental Christ who hates everyone unless they're straight is RIGHT damn it!" You have never provided any proof as to how homosexuality is damaging anybody. All we get is a bunch of head-shaking and you sticking your fingers in your ears. Seriously, what is the point in your coming here? Your tone is very hateful and disrespectful.
Anyway, on-topic: I'm not happy he's dead, I'd rather the ideas he believed in so fervently were dead instead. It's not my place to judge him as a person but I hope that wherever he ends up in the afterlife, his silly notions towards those who aren't like him disappear.

Anonymous said...

Whenever any of us try to discuss anything with you (such as the last time I tried) all you end up saying is, "you're all evil and going to hell! I'm right and you're wrong because my interpretation of a judgemental Christ who hates everyone unless they're straight is RIGHT damn it!"

The man is a living, breathing Chick tract. What could possibly be more effective at turning people off of Christianity?

Mark said...

alicia,
You attribute words to me I have never used, ever. Please provide proof or you remain a child that lies becuase her little mind can't think of anything else to say. Your parents should be proud. and I mean child literally.

We're supposed to work hard to be good people.

No, Alicia, that would be Islam, not Christianity.

I thought Christ preached that we aren't to judge others.

Wrong again alicia. Christ never said we are not to discern good from evil. That's almost assinine if you had any common sense. I have never made devine judgement on anyone. That would be the NO NO. Again, Islam allows that, no followers of Christ dear.

infidelly,
I am not interested in turning the message of Christ into an attractive come all message based on a lie. Christ's saving grace is offered to ALL! but is not without cost.