<p>Barrons: I agree with you, people can say what they like. Go at it. But it’s also OK for people to refuse to worship these false gods who want to take over our government.</p>
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<p>The eloquence.</p>
<p>Laugh? Cry?</p>
<p>CGM, I once asked the same question as you. I put it to an elder felllow who mentored myself and other recent college alumni. I asked him how he could accept an apology from a virulent segregationist like Governor George Wallace, whose words surely encourged some to commit violent racist acts. This man told me that he and his fellow African-Americans had to figuratively live with Wallace and folks who believed as Wallace once did, and that a change in a figure like Wallace was a tremendous example for the ‘unreconstructed.’ That’s why I think that Falwell’s apology for Jim Crow is notable. And during my days in Virginia I took note that Falwell’s church was relatively integrated by the prevailing 1980s standard in Dixie. I don’t believe John Stennis, Orval Fabus or Ross Barnett ever apologized. And those men instigatged riots! Again, I didn’t condone Falwell’s additional political objectives.</p>
<p>DPX, have a chat with the Iranian morality police and then we can talk.</p>
<p>I am against theocratic impulses in all forms, be it Christian, Islamic, whatever. Probably the most difficult knot to unravel is Israel. Whoever observed that Israel can not in the long term reconcile being a Jewish state with being a democratic state nailed it, imo. And that’s one question I have no answer for.</p>
<p>It is not a question of respecting faith. It is a question of privileging a particular faith in government. There’s not much difference between Falwell and Khameni when push comes to shove.</p>
<p>And I agree with Weenie.</p>
<p>Interesting that some (not a lot, but some) on the left wing web sites (Democrat Underground for one) are starting to appeal for a little more civility as it relates to the death of Mr. Falwell. </p>
<p>Concern is being expressed that dancing on Mr. Falwell’s grave may look rather unseemly to those who consider themselves moderates and don’t get all the foaming at the mouth hatred of the man. Others argue that it will embolden his supporters even more as they witness the delight that those who hate him are displaying. </p>
<p>Time will tell, but if anything, it certainly does show how “tolerant” and “compassionate” our left wing friends are.</p>
<p>Fred Phelps is planning to hoist Falwell on his own petard by picketing the funeral, BTW.</p>
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<p>Jerry Falwell was an enemy of one of the principles most dear to our country: that all deserve equal protection under the law. And he sought to wrap himself in the American flag as he fought against that value.</p>
<p>Such a person does not merit post-humous exculpation via the dishonesty of pretending he was anything other than what he was.</p>
<p>There are three people in America who know who Fred Phelps is: you are one of them and I am not.</p>
<p>Did a little digging today and found that the WaPo, Newsweek, CNN, NYT, Time and Michael Musto of the Village Voice all “outed” Tinky Winky before Falwell did. As soon as Falwell referenced Tinky Winky as gay, the liberal media turned on a dime from outing Tinky to demonizing Jerry.</p>
<p>Tells you something.</p>
<p>There’s a reason people <em>used</em> to not speak ill of the dead: the sum of a person’s life tends to be a bit more complicated than some PCCC’ers would have us believe.</p>
<p>Thank goodness.</p>
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<p>If you didn’t know who he was, you would hardly know whether he was well-known or not. But I’m not surprised you would try to minimize the distress he’s inflicted on the families of our soldiers killed in actions.</p>
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<p>How complicated does it need to be? The man said that “God doesn’t hear the prayers of Jews.” He called the members of a Christian congregation that accepted gay people “brute beasts” and part of a “vile and satanic system.” He broke the law and used his Gospel Hour to funnel money to PACs, getting fined by the IRS at least once for this.</p>
<p>That’s only “complicated” to those who would bend over backwards trying to make up a way that he shouldn’t be accountable.</p>
<p>Speaking ill of the dead is not a bad thing, would you have us speak well of the founder of the KKK, or Hitler?</p>
<p>Death does not mean you are forgiven by people for your life, nor should it</p>
<p>To think we should just white wash a person life because they died is foolish</p>
<p>HH, is there anyone that has died that you would not speak ill of, or do you forgive and ignore all the harm they did during their lives?</p>
<p>God doesn’t, according to some, forgive the dead</p>
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<p>Now there’s some logic for ya.</p>
<p>Lucky for me you guys aren’t God.</p>
<p>HH, is there anyone who is did you don’t speek ill of?</p>
<p>“Lucky for me you guys aren’t God.”</p>
<p>Indeed. Who wants the headach of judging the likes of Falwell?</p>
<p>(actually in his case it would be easy. But then again Falwell may accuse God of being Satan’s lackey. It could become ugly)</p>
<p>Probably the worst thing Jerry Falwell did was to turn the religious right away from the principle of accountability. It’s interesting because religion and ethics used to go hand in hand; you could have ethics without religion, but you never saw religion without ethics.</p>
<p>Falwell, Robertson, etal, and their supporters, have divorced the two. </p>
<p>Their position is that anything they take it in their heads to do (break tax law, make racist remarks, lie under oath, abuse the power of their positions), is acceptable if it gains the religious right some tactical advantage, because God wants them to prevail over all others. If anyone objects, it’s the messenger to blame. The consequences of this in our society have been obvious and tragic.</p>
<p>Falwell always reminded me of that minister in the movie Oh God.</p>
<p>So are the Democrat Undergrounders right who think that dancing on his grave are wrong?</p>
<p>I’m sure that some of you here post there, so what do you think?</p>
<p>I see nothing wrong. It’s not going to bother him if you dance, sing or yell - he is dead.</p>
<p>“Keep on Dancing”. The Gentrys. 1965.</p>
<p>“I keep on dancin’, keep on doin’ the jerk right now, shake it shake it, baby, come on and show me how you work”.</p>
<p>They don’t write lyrics like that anymore.</p>
<p>They sure don’t.</p>