[Photo from Liberty University website]Jerry Falwell has come back again in the form of his son, Jerry Falwell, Jr. Jerry and Jonathan Falwell are running Daddy's "ministry" now which you can check out here, if you're so inclined. Jerry Jr. is the president of the right wing Liberty University.
In a recent article at onenewsnow, Falwell Jr. reminded fundamentalist christianists that the election of Barack Obama did not destroy the Christian right; but rather that the movement remains strong. He further says that "Christians ... have a responsibility to pray for the president-elect [this was published on January 24, so maybe Falwell Jr. hadn't received word that Obama had actually become president] and not only to support him when he makes good decisions but also to lawfully oppose him when he promotes anti-Christian policies."
What are those anti-Christian policies you ask? Ah, heck, you know: homosexuality, abortion, blah, blah, blah. Rather than spell them out, Falwell refers to an article by another christianist who refers to an article by J. Matt Barber which is a vicious attack on the President and his faith.
Falwell then goes on to say that it has never "been the goal of conservative Christians to obtain political power or legislate morality! What?
Here's his logic: "Are we legislating morality when we, as citizens, fight for laws to protect marriage and life?"
Evidently, something is not connecting in his brain. The answer is clearly "Yes!" "Hell, yes!"
But, wait, there's more: "When my father [Falwell, Sr.] began organizing the religious right as a movement, leaders were reluctant to become involved in social reform. They were not seeking political power."
Excuse me! They were from the beginning seeking political power in order to put people in place to establish laws based upon their interpretation of select passages from the Bible! That was their exact purpose! When the Christian Coalition was formed some years ago, Pat Robertson warned the nation that his right wingnuts intended to get their christianist friends elected to school boards, to city councils, to county commissions, to state legislatures, to Congress, and to the presidency, if possible, in order to ensure their particular religious delusions became the law of the land!
How can Falwell, Jr., lie with such a straight pen?
Falwell thinks that da "candy man," Jim DeMint, from South Carolina was right when he said that it wasn't conservative ideals that were defeated in November. "Americans haven't changed," said da candy man, "Republicans have." And Falwell pines for the "good old days" of Ronnie Reagan and 1994 when Republicans were in control and all was well.
"We are hungry for a Ronald Reagan to lead us." Heh, heh.
Obama, of course, is leading the nation down the wrong path to perdition. As Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." And, says, Falwell, Jr., "These words should incite Christians to action. ... we must ensure that our government does not make us unwelcome in our own country."
Let's recap. According to Falwell, Jr., the christianist wingnuts on the right are not about gaining political power. But they must fight to gain political power to stop any and all attempts by Obama and other politicians to make keep abortion legal and provide for civil rights of homosexuals, etc. If Obama and other politicos who support his views are able to deny the "family values" as promoted by the christianist wingnuts on the right, the christianist wingnuts on the right will become "unwelcome" in their own country.
It's okay, it seems, if people who disagree with them and their conservative values are made "unwelcome."
God works in mysterious ways.
You can read Falwell, Jr.'s entire article here. And more here from RightWingWatch.
7 comments:
Actually, I think something is not connecting in YOUR brain. Namely, when conservatives (be they Christians or not) have an opinion on how the nation should be run, they are trying to "legislate morality," but when you do THE EXACT SAME THING with your beliefs, you are suddenly the voice of reason and democracy.
Give me a break. Do you understand the meaning of the word "democracy"? Because last I checked, our government is supposed to represent the people -- ALL of the people, which happens to include Christians, non-Christian conservatives, and even liberal-secularist-humanistic bloggers like yourself.
So you can dismount your high horse anytime and accept the fact that conservatives have just as much right to see this nation adhere to their principles as you do to see a nation with no principles at all.
Let's see, now: You think I'm referring to christianist "opinions?" Sorry, but did you read the post? I don't give a rat's ass what christianists believe about anything!
It's not their "opinions" that bother me at all. It's their constant attempts to turn their RELIGIOUS beliefs into the law of the land!
Why is that so hard to understand?
Neither I, nor any other non-christianist are trying to legislate our morality. We are, however, fighting to defend our United States Consitution which, the last I heard, is the document upon which our laws are based - not the Bible, the Koran or any other ancient book of unrelated nonsense.
But, and please try to understand: this is a secular country that nods to no god!
Yes, this country includes ALL of us, including ultra-conservative, extremist christianists. But we are all under the authority of the Constitution! So no group should ever be able to enact their particular morality into law.
You think that adhering to the Constitution means I have no principles at all. That's so sad, and is a good commentary on why we must continue to fight christianist attempts to make this country into a theocracy. You have no right to "see this nation adhere" to your principles if those principles are religious in nature and violate the Constitution.
Have a nice day. And you might want to check your own "high horse" 'cause I think you just got bucked off.
Jacob
On the contrary, I am waiting and praying for the day that this country returns to the Constitution, which, whether you like it or not, was written by "religious" men.
In the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the men were getting nowhere with their political mumbo-jumbo until Benjamin Franklin issued this call to prayer, which they heeded, and which resulted in the document you proclaim so dear:
The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own wont of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it...
In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?
I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it."
...I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.
You can read the whole thing here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/benfranklin.htm
Long live the Constitution!
The government should not legislate morality. Morality is up to the individual’s morality. For most that might come from their religious beliefs, but different religions have differing views on many items. Not all Christians think contraception is wrong; abortion is wrong under any circumstances; which day of the week should be set aside for church, which foods are to be avoided; the name of God; the language used to address God and where it is proper to worship or when,etc. All those things and many more, are left to us, with no restrictions from the government. You can allow your morality to guide you, but you have no right to impose your morality on others. The Taliban imposes their views of Islam to allow them to kill women for going to school or teaching girls. At one time, Spain used the Inquisition to determine morality for Spaniards. People have justified killing others due to their concept of religion. We see it with Al Qaeda, not just against Jews and Christians, but against other Muslims! Our system has worked. I hope it never changes!!
"Religious men"? Well, only in the broadest sense you can think of...most people of that time held to some sort of "greater power," but I can assure you their beliefs, such as they were, were formal and perfunctory and have no similarity to christianist beliefs of 2009!
And you're not really holding up Franklin as an arbiter of spirituality? Franklin, like Washington and most of the others were deists and would not abide the likes of you and other christianists who think they can change the constitution to suit their particular fundamentalist christianist viewpoints.
These men made a lot of "godly" comments which was par for the times, but they wouldn't recognize the religion your promote. They weren't "Christians" by any stretch of the imagination! And one thing they were adamant about is that all "religion" be excised from our new government. That doesn't mean they didn't say a prayer here and there -- that was expected, but if you read ALL of their writings, you'll learn rather quickly they held no beliefs similar to your own!
Read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights again and tell me where you find any reference whatsoever to the kind of God or Christ that you promote.
There are none!
Perhaps if you read real history instead of the warped stuff of the theocrats, you'd learn something!
And yeah, prayer really helps doesn't it? Give me one example! Just one!
Jacob
When do we go back to the dictates of Leviticus? They were good enough for Jesus and His disciples for many years, before small groups of men decided which rules of God they would declare to be correct and ignored the rest of God’s words. There has been a lot of blood spilled every since each group demanded that others accept their decisions. That is why there are so many denominations and religions in the world. Apparently, those with the most money or the most soldiers decide what God wants, until the next superior group comes along. Which group will be next in the USA? Which denomination will be its favorite and the law of the land? What will happen to those that disagree? We saw what Hitler’s people did; we see what the Taliban do; we see what radical Islam does; we see what the skinheads and the KKK does, who will be next and what will the Falwells’ of the world do if it is not their view?
I am constantly appalled by the lack of knowledge re many topics I read and hear. Many would require some real hard work doing the research; others would require reading reports daily and trying to remember what went before. I read misquotes, wrong facts, ignoring historical, contemporary facts, etc. Opinions are declared as facts, regardless of evidence that they are not facts. Ignorance is common and disappointing. It threatens our democracy regardless of party loyalty. We have a system that has survived some terrible lawmaker’s efforts over several hundred years. We have amended the Constitution and overturned previous Supreme Court decisions without destroying our nation. Today’s instant news and opinions has changed how we debate. It is easier for demagogues to reach wider audiences and requires more effort for most of us, regardless of party loyalty. Both Obama and McCain had their supporters and a choice was made. Hopefully the choice will work out to make changes that will make us stronger. Changing the Constitution will not make us stronger. Solving our economic problems will make us stronger but it will take more than bluster and divisive arguments. Our future and that of our children and grandchildren is at stake. Let’s keep religion in our homes, churches, temples and mosques where it belongs. Let us concentrate on the problems that affect all of us, not the few.
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