The Rev. Jerry Falwell left a $34 million parting gift to Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church when he passed away May 15.
"That means the university is completely debt-free now and beginning to work on endowment," LU Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. announced from the TRBC sanctuary Friday afternoon.
...His father looked at the policies as a way to ensure the future of the college, and the most recent policy was bought in September 2006, Falwell said. The insurance money will help put the rapidly-growing university on solid footing. LU expects more than 10,000 students on campus this year.
"It allows us to remain committed to what Liberty is all about," Falwell said.
Campbell County authorities arrested a Liberty University student for having several homemade bombs in his car.
The student, 19-year-old Mark D. Uhl of Amissville, Va., reportedly told authorities that he was making the bombs to stop protesters from disrupting the funeral service.
Seriously, this kid is an indication of how dangerous the rhetoric of the religious right really is. This religious right terrorist wasn't just some nutjob in some far away land, he was one of Jerry's kids. And he was apparently ready to kill for Falwell and his message of intolerance. Who else is willing to kill for the religious right hate speech?
As you know, anti-gay bigot fringe religious extremist Jerry Falwell has been on my mind ever since he died a few days ago. And I started thinking about the time that Falwell went nuts over Tinky Winky, the purple Teletubby, because apparently Tinky Winky was gay and was going to convert all of the world's children to homosexuality (that's what Falwell claimed, really). It got me remembering a prescient article from The Onion about Sesame Street and the Letter D. It's a classic.
Letter D Pulls Sponsorship From Sesame Street Noted Consonant Alienated By Controversial New Gay Muppet
NEW YORK—A spokesperson for the letter D announced Monday that the consonant is withdrawing sponsorship from Sesame Street following a Children's Television Workshop announcement that a homosexual muppet will soon join the show's cast.
"The letter D is proud to have brought you many wonderful Sesame Street episodes throughout the program's 28-year history," said Patricia Willis, public-relations director for D. "But the letter D does not condone the sort of morally questionable lifestyles that Sesame Street is advocating with the introduction of this new character. It can no longer in good conscience associate itself with the show."
Willis said D's withdrawal is effective immediately, and applies to both capital and lower-case versions of the letter.
The gay muppet, "Roger," will be introduced on Sesame Street Dec. 23, CTW director Leslie Charren said. Thus far, no other sponsors have pulled out, though the number seven has requested an advance tape of the episode before it makes a decision.
Many public-television insiders believe D's withdrawal was motivated by a desire not to alienate religious conservatives, a section of the population that employs the letter frequently.
"D is for, among other things, demagoguery, dogma and doctrine, words crucial to right-wing groups like the Christian Coalition," said Yale University political-science professor J. Wright Franklin. "It is likely that D felt it could ill afford to offend such a large segment of its users."
While a long-term replacement for D has not yet been secured by Sesame Street, the number three will temporarily fill in for it in a number of the show's animated shorts. Other pieces will simply skip from C to E, with vocalists stretching out C into two syllables to match the rhythm of the alphabet song.
Sesame Street is stung by the sudden departure of its longtime supporter. Speaking to reporters, cast member Cookie Monster said: "Me disappointed letter D choose to end relationship with Sesame Street due to pressure from extremely vocal minority. We accused of endorsing deviant lifestyle. Me say homosexuality natural, not immoral. Diversity and enrichment. That's good enough for me."
The media has done a pretty fair job presenting Jerry Falwell's life and legacy. CNN did a particularly good series of reports that didn't attempt to whitewash Falwell's extremism or bigotry. But one point many in the media keep repeating, and keep getting wrong, is this notion that Falwell was in any way responsible for Reagan's election win in 1980. According to one of Reagan's closest friends, it's simply not true.
A friend of mine happened to be with with one of Reagan's closest friends and strategists on the day Falwell died. Reagan's friend said that Falwell's impact was marginal at best. W.A. Criswell of the First Baptist Church in Dallas was far more instrumental in persuading evangelical Christians to vote for Ronald Reagan. And Reagan had been working that community for decades. His mother was a millenialist - devoutly religious and convinced she was living in the end times. Reagan was uniquely prepared to connect with evangelicals. Falwell was like the rooster who took credit for the dawn.
When Hitchens is good, he's really good. This is one of those times.
As an aside, the very fact that Falwell is being compared on some conservative blogs to Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, and JFK (I'm not kidding), is all the more reason the public should be made aware of just who this man was, just what he represented. If we fail to remember the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat them. He was a bad man representing bad people. Not because he was a conservative, and not because his people were Christians. But because he was a hateful bigot representing a small but powerful extremist fringe of Christians who even after his death want to jam their own version of Christianity down the throats of the majority of Christians (and others) like me who don't agree with them, which is our right. They don't want freedom of religion, they want freedom for their religion, exclusively. While Falwell may be gone, his people and the dangers they pose to our democracy and our freedoms and our religions remain. It is our duty not to let Falwell's followers rewrite his legacy in an effort to propagate his damage after death.
I decided to see what the various Republican candidates had to say about the death of anti-gay bigot and religious extremist Jerry Falwell. The statements ranged from an outright endorsement of the man's ideas to a simple condolence to his family. Here is the order of how closely they embraced Falwell, in rank order:
1. Hunter - Hunter went over the top, devoted his entire home page to Falwell. Unfortunately he, oddly, used an image of his words so that I can't copy them.
"Today, America has lost a true spiritual leader and a man of great faith in Jerry Falwell. His great words and actions will never be forgotten by the hundreds of thousands of people around the world that his life has touched. Jerry's moral character and principle will forever be remembered deep within my heart and those whose lives were so blessed to be touched by him."
3. Gilmore - on his home page, but not the top of his home page
"In the passing of Rev. Jerry Falwell, we have lost someone who brought inspiration and faith to millions of people around the world. Dr. Falwell was a valued supporter of mine for many years and I was an admirer of his good works. The educational institution he founded, Liberty University, has become a major employer in Virginia and is well regarded by educators from throughout the country. Not only did he inspire people in Virginia and America with his faith based efforts to lift up the lives of our citizens, he also has helped people throughout the world with his mission work. We will miss him."
"An American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith has left us. He will be greatly missed, but the legacy of his important work will continue through his many ministries where he put his faith into action.
"Ann and I have had the honor to talk and meet with Reverend Falwell and get to know him as a man of deep personal faith and commitment to helping those around him. He will be forever remembered."
5. Huckabee - on his news page. But note the very odd back-handed compliment of Falwell in the third sentence. Many did not know that Falwell had compassion for people? Hell of a thing to say about a religious leader - people didn't know he had any compassion. (Of course, Huckabee is correct - this would be news to me.)
“I’ve known Dr. Falwell since the mid 1970’s. I’ve been to his church and spoke at the university last fall. He was one of Christendom’s great leaders who stood by his convictions and never lost his common touch. Many did not know about his sense of humor and compassion for people from all walks of life."
“Dr. Falwell helped spark a conservative movement that renewed our belief in our core values and a new confidence in what is good about America. His efforts helped elect one of America’s greatest leaders, President Ronald Reagan, in 1980. We are deeply indebted to his service to our nation.”
Lukewarm Falwell Supporters
6. Thompson - yes, the link is on his home page, but not a very warm endorsement at all. Rather pro forma.
"I join millions of Americans in remembering Jerry Falwell as a religious, educational and cultural leader. A man of boundless energy, he dedicated his life to serving his students, his church and our great nation. Our prayers are with Dr. Falwell’s family in their time of loss."
7. McCain - on his news page, and not much of an endorsement, but better than Giuliani
"I join the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University and Americans of all faiths in mourning the loss of Reverend Jerry Falwell.
"Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Falwell's family at this difficult time."
8. Giuliani - not on his home page, and buried on his news page (the title of the release doesn't even say Falwell). Also, written the way you'd write a eulogy about someone you couldn't stand.
“I express my condolences to his family, Reverend Falwell’s family, and to his much larger family …He was a man who set a direction. He was someone who was not afraid to speak his mind. We all have great respect for him … he is a person who told you what he thought and you knew where he stood. ... My sympathies and my prayers go out to his family…”
He told CNN just one week before his death that he still believes that gays, pro-choicers and other liberals caused September 11. So much for his apology.
WASHINGTON – Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign, issued the following statement today in regards to the news about the death of Reverend Jerry Falwell:
“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.”
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.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force weighs in, quite appropriately:
Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director 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.”
CNN reports that anti-gay bigot Jerry Falwell was found unconscious in his office this morning. His condition is reportedly "gravely ill."
Falwell is a nasty man. He is one of the worst anti-gay bigots of the religious right. I don't like speaking ill of someone who may be dying, but there is no way to discuss this incredibly offensive religious extremist without discussing the hate that made up so much of his life. Let's look back at Falwell's rather hate-filled, bigoted life:
In the 1980s Jerry Falwell was an outspoken supporter of the Apartheid regime in South Africa. When president PW Botha was elected President by the White South African minority, Reverend Falwell went to South Africa and made statements supporting the government there and urging American Christians to buy Krugerrands, a coin issued by the South African Government[17]. He drew the ire of many when he called Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu a phony. He later apologized for that remark and claimed that he had misspoken
The anti-Christ will be a Jew
Falwell has asserted that when The Antichrist ("The Beast") comes, he "must be, of necessity, a Jewish male."
Gays, prolifers and feminists caused September 11
After the September 11, 2001, attacks Falwell said on the 700 Club, "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.'" (a sentiment with which Robertson concurred).
AIDS is the wrath of God
"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals."
After Southern Baptist Convention President Bailey Smith tells a Dallas Religious Right gathering that "God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew," Falwell gives a similar view. "I do not believe," he told reporters, "that God answers the prayer of any unredeemed Gentile or Jew."
February 1993: The Internal Revenue Service determines that funds from Falwell's Old Time Gospel Hour program were illegally funneled to a political action committee. The IRS forced Falwell to pay $50,000 and retroactively revoked the Old Time Gospel Hour's tax-exempt status for 1986-87.
March 1993: Despite his promise to Jewish groups to stop referring to America as a "Christian nation," Falwell gives a sermon saying, "We must never allow our children to forget that this is a Christian nation. We must take back what is rightfully ours."
1994-1995: Falwell is criticized for using his "Old Time Gospel Hour" to hawk a scurrilous video called "The Clinton Chronicles" that makes a number of unsubstantiated charges against President Bill Clinton--among them that he is a drug addict and that he arranged the murders of political enemies in Arkansas. Despite claims he had no ties to the project, evidence surfaced that Falwell helped bankroll the venture with $200,000 paid to a group called Citizens for Honest Government (CHG). CHG's Pat Matrisciana later admitted that Falwell and he staged an infomercial interview promoting the video in which a silhouetted reporter said his life was in danger for investigating Clinton. (Matrisciana himself posed as the reporter.) "That was Jerry's idea to do that," Matrisciana recalled. "He thought that would be dramatic."
November 1997: Falwell accepts $3.5 million from a front group representing controversial Korean evangelist Sun Myung Moon to ease Liberty University's financial woes. The donation, and several Falwell appearances at Moon conferences, raised eyebrows because Moon claims to be the messiah sent to complete the failed mission of Jesus Christ, a doctrine sharply at odds with Falwell's fundamentalist Christian theology. (In 1978, before the Moon money started flowing, Falwell told Esquire magazine, "Reverend Sun Myung Moon is like the plague: he exploits boys and girls, and he should be exported.")
Do any of these people believe at all in what they preach? I mean, seriously. Now adultery isn't a problem for the religious right. Not to mention, Gingrich is divorced - twice - and now on his THIRD wife. And he asked his first wife to sign divorce papers while she was recovering from cancer surgery.
Seriously, do Christan conservatives believe in anything at all? Because they sure put on a great act of trying to force their views on the rest of us, while not living by the same values themselves.
