Jerry Falwell

I wasn't going to write about religion for awhile. I had a little bit of God-lash. But, see what happens, as I try to pull away, it pulls me back in. The Rev. Jerry Falwell died today. This could be a perfect opportunity for me to be gracious, take the high road and to look back on his life and recount the positive influence he had on America and Christianity. But that would also be a lie. I would not wish anyone ill and I genuinely feel for his family, but let's not kid anyone about the destructive influence he has had on American politics and religion. Without even resorting to exaggeration or other people's words, we can do that. We can do it with his words:

"Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions"

"Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan in America"

"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country"

"Textbooks are Soviet propaganda"

"Homosexuality is Satan's diabolical attack upon the family that will not only have a corrupting influence upon our next generation, but it will also bring down the wrath of God upon America."

(re: 9/11 attacks) "...throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools, the abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked and when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad...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 try to secularize America...I point the thing in their face and say you helped this happen."

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

"[homosexuals are] brute beasts...part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven."

"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. What a happy day that will be!"

"The Bible is the inerrant ... word of the living God. It is absolutely infallible,without error in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as well as in areas such as geography, science, history, etc.."

"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharoah's chariotters."

If you'd like a slightly less sarcastic recap of Falwell's life, please check out JA's post: Jerry Falwell Has Died

Falwell and his ilk have a dangerous influence on every aspect of this country's politics. Unfortunately, that influence does not die with him:

Bush met with Dobson and conservative Christian leaders ...