Falwell’s Legacy

185 words.

To clarify my previous comments on Jerry Falwell: I’ll give him credit for being a great businessman, a great politician, and a great propagandist, but I will give him no credit whatsoever as a moral authority or Christian ambassador. I think he and Pat Robertson and James Dobson and Don Wildmon and all their ilk, like the Roman emperors of old, have hijacked Christianity in a quest for money and power and influence, and in the process sullied the reputation of all well-meaning Christians around the world. The saddest part about Falwell’s death for me is that his empire probably won’t be diminished one bit.

As for the “too soon” remarks… Consider that there are millions of people, many of whom are far better human beings than Jerry Falwell, who are not mentioned at all when they die. I’m sure Falwell would be proud of his ability to influence people even in death. I do feel bad for his family and what they will surely have to endure for the next few weeks, but then I felt bad for his family before he died, too.

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