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Jerry
Falwell Monica Goodling, star graduate of Falwell's Regent University, was clearly "in over her head" as he stammered her way through testimony, in the investigation into Justice department corruption. Even with immunity, Goodling reminds us of a twelve year school girl posturing in the principle's office, trying to avoid implicating the rest of her popular click, for hazing other unpopular students. Dishonest and inept would be putting kindly. Pathetic in her utter incompetence, feckless partisan stooge is more accurate! One of Goodling's little gems was "Caging Lists are some kind of telemarketing thing, I think". Give me a break, she must think everyone is as stupid as the Fox News viewers seem to be. The names on these "Caging Lists" were poor, homeless, minority and even Servicemen in Iraq that the RNC was targeting to deny voting rights, just on the chance they might vote Democratic. What kind of legacy will Regent University have after all the truth finally is extracted from these sorry, lying, troglodyte lackeys? Not a legacy worthy of my Jesus, the fearless champion of the least among us. My personal reflection on Falwell goes back to 1975, when I was a junior high school student at Northwest Christian Academy, the private school of Northwest Baptist Church in Miami and home church of Anita Bryant. This Church was made famous for anti-gay crusading, including an attempt to create a law that would legalize discrimination against gays. Luckily, the amendment failed, but the worldwide publicity did lure one particular media hog by the name of Jerry Falwell. Falwell offered his services as a guest evangelist for a revival. The most vitriolic sermon I had ever been exposed to in my young life. He filled the offering plates, and I was filled with fear and loathing. With my soul poisoned with hate, I was scarred for years as I shunned people I had never even met. Our school lost many good teachers and students over this acrimony, while Falwell and others like him got rich! Twenty years later, I was working in Washington D.C. and went to visit the National Archive on a day off. It happened to be gay pride week and they had a copy of the 1977 Northwest Baptist Church newsletter entitled "Miami - Sodom and Gomorra" as an example of the bigotry of that time. That made me proud to know I was a part of history documented in the National Archive for future generations to see. I have since seen these bigots for what they are. I believe there is no way these wealthy evangelists, too many to mention, could ever really believe in the God of the New Testament. Even with just a basic knowledge of the teachings of Christ, no true believer could live in opulence at the expense of the poor, while promoting hatred, when Jesus was so clearly against these things. They are all nothing more than charlatans, exploiting the most degenerate aspects of human frailty. |