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

Sex Advice

Three guesses where I found this quote:

"Human beings differ in practically every characteristic. Our feet come in different sizes, our teeth are shaped differently, some people eat more than others, and some are taller than their peers. We are unique individuals. Accordingly, we differ in sexual appetites. Our intellectual "computers" are clearly programmed differently through the process of genetic inheritance. Some of us "hunger and thirst" after [...] Given this variability, we should learn to accept ourselves sexually, as well as physically and emotionally. "

Come on, guess!

Give up?

That'd be Focus on the Family.

It's from an article on their website (don't ask me why I was there) that was a sort of question and answer about why some people desire more 'married sex' and some less. The omitted portion said, "... our sexuality, while others take it much more casually."

They got so close to getting it, but it just went right past them.

The 'self help' portion of their website is sort of like a freak show. It's actually incredibly alarming. Downright horrifying at times, but also fascinating. You just can't turn away...

Focus on the Family James Dobson Christianists

Heavenly Selling Points

Think Progress' article about 'Faith Day' at the Atlanta Braves game last Thursday. They site an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that claims that 'Faith Day' was a 'big tent' event then note that the event "was cosponsored by right-wing group Focus on the Family, which, according to their press release, used the event to distribute promotional materials about a website they run called TroubledWith.com, which features virulently anti-gay content:"

Male homosexuality is a developmental problem that is almost always the result of problems in family relations, particularly between father and son. [Link]

The following factors can also contribute to the homosexual orientation: pornography; spousal abuse in the home; molestation and pedophiliaÂ… [Link]

"Mom... I'm Gay": The story of one woman who heard these devastating words. [Link]

The naked bigotry is, of course, something I completely oppose, but what really struck me was the fourth paragraph in the AJC article:

"We're in the business of selling tickets, and religious groups, particularly church groups, happen to be an existing part of our business and this is a way of expanding our appeal," said Derek Schiller, the Braves' vice president for sales and marketing.

When did Christianity become a sales gimmick? If I promised to put a Jesus Fish on the bumper of used cars, could I run adds exhorting car buyers to buy 'Christian' cars from me rather than those heathen used car lots down the street? It doesn't take a particularly devout person to see that using Baby Jesus to sell something really corrupts a religion where Luke 14:33 is considered the unerring word of God.

Faith Day Christians Capitalism Focus on the Family

No, Dogs Aren't, Mr. Dobson, But...

James Dobson's Focus on the Family has started a counter-campaign to Born Different's campaign to end homobigotry. Dr. Dobson's great scientific observation?

"Dogs aren't born mooing, and people aren't born gay."

Thanks for missing the point. And, incidentally, just because you choose to ignore it doesn't mean that homosexuality doesn't show up in the animal kingdom. Take Silo and Roy for example. But then again, Focus on the Family has never bothered to let facts (or gay penguins) stand in the way of hate.

James Dobson BornDifferent No Moo Lies Focus on the Family