Jerry Falwell Exits, Stage Right Of Course

Televagelist Jerry Falwell was found dead in his office this morning. He was the leader of what I find to be the greatest poison in our political system, using politics and the law to encode religious doctrine. I won't miss the man.

He founded Liberty University that teaches his interpretation of Christian values. It teaches the Young Earth falacy.They have a dinosaur fossil on campus that they disgracefully claim is only 3,000 years old. Several of its graduates are at the heart of the fired U.S. attorney scandal. Yet somehow this farcical "school" has been acreditted.

In the 1960's Falwell gave speeches in support of segregation. He later was supposed to have changed his opinion but as late as 1980 still supported South African Apartheid.

And last but not least, lets not forget his statements after the September 11 terrorist attacks: "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, 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 helped this happen.'"

Jerry Falwell was a fountain of hate and discrimination. Many will miss him and I feel sorry for his family. Dealing with a death is never, ever easy. But good fucking riddance to bad trash.

See here and here for quick references.