My actual thoughts on Falwell

It occured to me, as I replied to something in another forum, that I'd not actually posted my thoughts about Falwell, the man, here.

So, in response to someone saying those who weren't saddened by his death were "wishing he would go to Hell" here is my reply.

*******

Wish? No.

On the other hand, as ye sow, so shall ye reap, and he wished/promised hell to
a lot of people.

He wasn't content to wait for God to dispense it either, he wanted them killed
in this life, so they could be judged in the next.

He blamed Americans for the events of 9/11.

He came back from S. Africa in '85, and encouraged his flock to buy
Kruggerands, so to help the Apartheid gov't stay in power.

Some of his more choice moments:

"The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews."

"God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us
probably what we deserve"

"Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions"

"AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for
the society that tolerates homosexuals"

"[homosexuals are] brute beasts…part of a vile and satanic system [that] will
be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven."

"Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan in America"

"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to
keep Christians from running their own country"

"If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being"

"Textbooks are Soviet propaganda"

"We visit prisoners on death row, and some of them are saved, but we believe
their sentences should be carried out because they have a debt to society"

None of Jesus message of forgiveness to all there. No refusing to cast stones
because he's not pure. No comments there about helping the poor, about giving up what
one had to help them.

The God of the New Testament went among the poor, the sinners, those afflicted
with loathsome diseases, the oppressors (tax collectors were arms of the
occupying Romans), the unclean, and said they were Children of God.

Falwell looked at them and said, "They are evil, and you; the good and devout,
should send me money so we can see they are punished and driven out". He
wanted to the power of Caesar commingled with the authority of God.

Were I him, there are verses of the New Testament, the actual words of Jesus,
which would concern me, as I made my way to face my Judgement.

Matt 6:5-6

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love
to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut
thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in
secret shall reward thee openly.

Matt 25:31-46

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and
ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it
unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no
drink:

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick,
and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into
life eternal.


Me, I figure God is as described, all loving, and all forgiving, with a mercy
that passes all understanding. If the redemption of the cross is what it's
purported to be, it's enough for all mankind.

So everyone is admitted to the company of saints. Those who have hate and
anger in their souls, will have a hard time. They may so cut themselves off
from the community of heaven that they are isolated from God, and knowing this,
they will be (as was Mephistopheles) in Hell; no matter where they are.

Those who are possessed of some anger, and dislikes; who know what Heaven
should be and aren't happy that this isn't it; they suffer less, think of it as
purgatory.

Those who can, like Jesus, see the Light of God which is in everyone; they
shall find themselves in the close embrace of God, at one with creation. What
more could Heaven be.

All anyone needs to do to move from the outer reaches to the inner glory, is what the Falwells of the world preach, open the heart to the Glory of God's Love, and accept it. No one is
irredeemable.

Sadly, I think it will be some time before Falwell, and those like him are at
one with God.

But wish it on him, no; it's just that I think he will do it to himself.