The Rev. Jerry Falwell collapsed at his campus office and died Tuesday after a career in which the evangelist used the power of television to transform the religious right into a mighty force in American politics. He was 73.
As a young woman I saw him speak once when he was in Ft. Myers. I was underwhelmed. I grew up seeing the visages of radical priests splashed across the news and to me this was the Janus face of the same phenomenon: ministers doing something a little more exciting than what their calling was intended for, which is tending to the spiritual needs of their Christian flock and spreading the Gospel of Christ. In one of my mother's fever dreams she wanted me to attend Falwell's college. My main objection was the mandatory attendance at televised Sunday services, which seemed to me forced students to serve as props for the camera. Perhaps a bit prickly, I didn't think it was his business whether I attended his church or another Baptist church in town. In a more conciliatory mood, the conclusion I came to is that while mandatory attendance of chapel at a religious school is understandable, having television cameras there that pan out to the crowd isn't.
Posted by floridacracker at May 16, 2007 01:01 AMI thought politics cost him a lot personaly, but America certainly benefited from his influence.
He bought America a little more time from totally turning secular and autonomous.
I appreciate Rev. Falwell and other Southern Baptist expositive preachers.
He wasn't the best I've known either.
We have some local pastors here who are the creme according to intellect, style, and gift.
But Jerry was the man for the time.
The guy once said that he hoped that all public education would be replaced by church schools.
He wasn't a man for my time.....
Osama's time maybe........but not mine.
Posted by: mike the bike at May 17, 2007 05:24 PMIt wasn't his job to be a prophet, Nancy. He was called to the ministry -- that's a whole different deal. I thought we were supposed to be "in the world, not of it"? I think he crossed the line into stuff that was none of his beeswax. To me he was just as bad as the Berrigan brothers, et al.
Posted by: Donnah at May 17, 2007 05:34 PMMaybe he did...maybe he didn't.
You know better than to say that for certain.
He wasn't my hero.
But I say he had backbone, and we're not like Europe yet.
Have to say i agree with you Donnah. Growing up in the 80's, the heyday of televangalism, it's hard not to be cynical about people like Rev. Falwell. On a lighter note, i'm probably the only one who remembers a short lived t.v. series called Carter Country (late 70's i think) and for years i thought Falwell played the sheriff on that show because they look so much alike. It wasn't until i saw a re-run when i was older that i realized it wasn't him.
Posted by: Scot at May 20, 2007 03:28 AMWell, i looked up Carter Country and it was the mayor, not the sheriff that i was thinking of. The actors name was Richard Paul and this was the only photo i found of him. He's the guy at the top of the photo.
http://timstvshowcase.com/carter_c.html
Posted by: Scot at May 20, 2007 03:38 AM