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Falwell's
Fall from Grace
September 19, 2001
by
Mel Dugosh
In a desperate act to save dwindling contributions and to
bolster ever waning support, right wing spokesperson the Rev.
Jerry Falwell has issued the third in a series of apologies
for horrendous comments he made last Thursday on Pat Robertson's
700 Club.
During a televised broadcast Falwell said "What we saw on
Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be minuscule if, in fact
God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of
America to give us probably what we deserve." he continued
that "abortionist 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 abortionist, 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 have helped this happen."
Early last Friday morning, after the beginnings of a public
outcry, Falwell issued his first version of what he claimed
was an apology, but was in fact, a restatement defending his
original comments claiming that merely they "were taken out
of context." Later the same day Falwell and his family attended
the memorial service at the National Cathedral for the Day
of Prayer and Remembrance, as a special guest of President
Bush, where Falwell claims to have asked God for His comfort,
protection and wisdom.
This past Monday as the public support for Falwell continued
to diminish, Falwell issued a second statement claiming that
his divisive comments were merely "ill timed." and continued,
"My mistake on the 700 Club was doing this at the time I did
it, on television, where a secular media and audience were
also listening." Falwell stubbornly and adamantly continued
defending his statements claiming, " I do believe God's protection
of us as individuals and as a nation is dependent upon our
obedience to His laws."
Was Falwell trying to avoid the secular media and public
audience when in 1994, during Old Time Gospel Hour telecasts,
he showed excerpts from a video called The Clinton Chronicles
and Circle of Power, accusing former President Clinton of
misdeeds ranging from adultery to homicide cover-ups, and
encouraged viewers to purchase the video to raise money to
support his extreme right-wing conservative political agenda?
Was Falwell also trying to avoid the secular media when he
published and distributed slanderous and unsubstantiated literature
for the Coalition of Politically Active Christians, produced
and marketed a newer revised video edition called The Clinton
Chronicles (claiming to have proof that "drug running, bribery,
extortion, murder, cocaine abuse, obstruction of justice,
and using taxpayer funds" were the means that were used "to
support Clinton's voracious sexual appetite!") and eventually
influenced a Republican controlled House and Senate witch
hunt led by Kenneth Starr that wasted more than fifty million
taxpayer dollars that should have, perhaps, gone to national
defense?
On Tuesday Falwell issued this statement on his website which
now in part states "I do not know if the horrific events of
September 11 are the judgment of God, but if they are, that
judgment is on all of America - including me and all fellow
sinners - and not on any particular group."
Meanwhile Jerry Falwell continues to serve as chancellor
of Liberty University, in Lynchburg VA, and as senior pastor
of the Thomas Road Baptist Church and remains dedicated to
his zealous commitment of recruiting pastors and educators
that are required to attend university classes with titles
such as, "How to double your church's tithes and offerings."
After three attempts at apology, Falwell is currently taking
on the appearence of humility and contrition for the benefit
of the secular media and to regain the support of his financial
backers. Sources close to him however, say Falwell is most
bitter that Pat Robertson has escaped the deluge.
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