Falwell and Savage Christians: A Legacy of Hate and Violence (Black Agenda Report, via AlterNet)

[marmar]

Falwell and Savage Christians: A Legacy of Hate and Violence

By Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report. Posted May 31, 2007.



Evangelist hit-man Jerry Falwell's career as a racist propagandist was excised from the record, following his death last week, and the media has ignored threats from his followers -- Christians who are willing to commit terrorist acts and die for their faith.

"The true Negro does not want integration. ... He realizes his potential is far better among his own race." -- Rev. Jerry Falwell

The late Rev. Jerry Falwell was one of the most powerful men in American religious and political life. He was also an avowed segregationist, contending that Africans were the cursed descendants of Ham, and worthy only of subservience to white people. He was an adamant opponent of civil rights legislation, calling the Civil Rights Act a "civil wrong."

His segregationist ardor became inconvenient when he sought a national audience. He removed many of his sermons from the 1950s and 1960s from his Liberty University archive. His lies paid off as the media made Falwell the Christian spokesman for all issues related to religion and politics. They soft-pedaled or even ignored his attacks on the civil rights movement. Yet Falwell's followers were under no misapprehension. They knew what their man wanted and followed in his foot steps.

Mark Uhl, a student at Liberty University, was in possession of homemade bombs when he was arrested at Falwell's funeral. He reportedly planned to use them against any protesters who might disrupt the festivities. Uhl had this to say on the social networking website My Space. "Christians, fear of death, fear of death. The fear of death shows you don't believe." He added this eye opening statement as well. "God needs soldiers to fight so his children may live free. Are you afraid??? I'm not. SEND ME!!!" Uhl sounds an awful lot like Osama bin Laden, who exhorts Muslims not to fear death when fighting in the name of their religion.

While Americans have been told to fear Islam and all things Muslim, Christians are riding around with home made bombs. The Uhl story was mentioned by the media for only a day or two. The threat from Christians who publicly express a willingness to die for their faith goes unreported.

...(snip)...

Perhaps the argument used against Muslims should be applied to Christians instead. Their religion has been hijacked by fundamentalist fanatics while the non-fanatics remain silent. The term clash of civilizations is definitely a misnomer. There can be no clash unless both sides are in fact civilized. Any assertion of American civilization is clearly open to question. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/rights/52666/

[fasttense]

1. People like Falwel are why I'm ashamed to call myself a Christian. n/t

[Christa]

2. Christians are their own enemies.

[DeSwiss]

3. As Moms Mably used to quip in her standup act way back when:

"My momma taught me that you should never say any bad about the dead."

"He's dead."

"Good."

[xchrom]

4. lol -- indeed.

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. "The true Negro does not want integration."

I'd say it's likely that just about any African-American male is a far better lover than Falwell, and that it is possibly one of the deep fears that drove him, as well as the majority of pasty, white republican males.