Jerry Falwell: 1933-2007

The AP:

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) -- The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell was found unresponsive late Tuesday morning and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."

Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said the evangelist had a heart rhythm abnormality. He said Falwell was found without a pulse and never regained consciousness.

This blog has a long history of opposing Rev. Falwell, his organizations, his goals, and his causes. That said, the man had a wife, children, and other loved ones that will miss him. For them, I express my sympathy. For the Reverend, I hope that his God shows more compassion than he showed others.

Steve Benen at The Carpetbagger Report has a great retrospective of his career.

More thoughts on Rev. Falwell's passing tomorrow.

Jerry Falwell