Jerry Falwell, founder of the rather unhelpful Moral Majority is dead. His legacy will live on through the twisted prejudice of spittling rednecks and a conservative wedge of middle America whom he seeded and nourished during his years in prominence as a hate-monger.
Some of his finer moments, courtesy of Slate:
- On 9/11: “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 have tried to secularize America—I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this happen.’ “
- On Aids: “AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals.”
- On Homosexuality: “I believe that all of us are born heterosexual, physically created with a plumbing that’s heterosexual, and created with the instincts and desires that are basically, fundamentally, heterosexual. But I believe that we have the ability to experiment in every direction. Experimentation can lead to habitual practice, and then to a lifestyle. But I don’t believe anyone begins a homosexual.”
- On Martin Luther King Jr.: “I must personally say that I do question the sincerity and nonviolent intentions of some civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. James Farmer, and others, who are known to have left-wing associations.”
- On Public Education: “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.”
- On the separation of church and state: “There is no separation of church and state.”
- On Feminists: “I listen to feminists and all these radical gals. … These women just need a man in the house. That’s all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they’re mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They’re sexist. They hate men; that’s their problem.”
- On Global Warming: “I can tell you, our grandchildren will laugh at those who predicted global warming. We’ll be in global cooling by then, if the Lord hasn’t returned. I don’t believe a moment of it. The whole thing is created to destroy America’s free enterprise system and our economic stability.”
- On Bishop Desmond Tutu: “I think he’s a phony, period, as far as representing the black people of South Africa.”
- On Islam: “I think Mohammed was a terrorist. I read enough of the history of his life, written by both Muslims and non-Muslims, that he was a violent man, a man of war.”
- And on Terrorists: “Blow them all away in the name of the Lord”.
These comments coming from a political pig who mobilised the religious right to help Reagan get elected, made a documentary full of bullshit about Bill Clinton, supported Bush and whose Moral Majority grew to 6.5 million members and a war chest of US$69m with which to fight those who he hated so much.
So long, Reverend.
It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so scary how many people actually seem to agree with him in America?
The bit on feminism made me laugh. I just need a man around the house obviously:-)
On global warming, recommend Gore’s film if you haven’t seen it. I like the quote he found "it is hard to get a man to believe in something when his pay cheque relies on him not believing it", very true unfortunately! This gives you an insight into a lot of politics I think!