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Falwell - and Phelps
May. 16th, 2007 07:20 amJerry Falwell is not much mourned in my circles. It's hard to feel anything but relief when he has shoved his expediently changing and twisted version of religion in your face most of your life; when he was quick to say (while the fires were still burning!) that the worst terror attack on our soil was the fault of all the Americans who didn't agree with him and that we deserved it. (I know, he apologized. I also know he restated it often among his circles, out of range of the reporters. That he thought and voiced it, that he was the first to both climb the pyre for his political ends AND was the literal "blame America first" guy are neither forgotten nor forgiven.)
So there's not a huge surprise that there have been a lot of jokes about his death. I heard the first one in the same *breath* as the announcement. I passed on my particular favorite yesterday in several LJs. ("Doctors say his condition is satisfactory.")
I don't mourn him in the least. I do hope that if the Bible he believed in is true, he's getting a pop quiz on several verses of Matthew right now. The ones about judging not, and separation of church and state (render Caesar), and "Many will cry Lord, Lord" and "I tell you, they have their reward here on Earth."
But the people shouting from the rooftops that Jerry is in Hell are not my circles. The ones who are openly dancing on the grave? Westboro Baptist, who announced in a front page of godhatesamerica (type it into your own browser, I won't encourage linking) that they will be picketing his funeral.
And all I can do is nod. My head knows perfectly well that Falwell had a family, that they are mourning, that they are not him and should not be punished for his actions. But my head also knows that Falwell spewed just as much bile in his life. He just cloaked it with a paternal smile, a flag, a Bible. Scratch the surface - and it didn't take much scratching if he thought he could get a donation or a soundbite out of it - and he was just as vile and hateful as Fred Phelps, and for exactly the same reasons.
Fred and Jerry fought in life. But they were arguing about specific actions, not methods, because in the end, they both used the same methods. Blame all who disagree for anything that happens. Call religion patriotism and use it for politics, demonizing all who do not drink the exact same flavor of kool-aid. Demonize and bully, and whine to the heavens when called out for it.
So I can't help but think that a Phelps picket is pretty appropriate, for once. When I was pagan, we said "all you do comes back to you." The Bible that both Phelps and Falwell wave says "reap what you sow."
So there's not a huge surprise that there have been a lot of jokes about his death. I heard the first one in the same *breath* as the announcement. I passed on my particular favorite yesterday in several LJs. ("Doctors say his condition is satisfactory.")
I don't mourn him in the least. I do hope that if the Bible he believed in is true, he's getting a pop quiz on several verses of Matthew right now. The ones about judging not, and separation of church and state (render Caesar), and "Many will cry Lord, Lord" and "I tell you, they have their reward here on Earth."
But the people shouting from the rooftops that Jerry is in Hell are not my circles. The ones who are openly dancing on the grave? Westboro Baptist, who announced in a front page of godhatesamerica (type it into your own browser, I won't encourage linking) that they will be picketing his funeral.
And all I can do is nod. My head knows perfectly well that Falwell had a family, that they are mourning, that they are not him and should not be punished for his actions. But my head also knows that Falwell spewed just as much bile in his life. He just cloaked it with a paternal smile, a flag, a Bible. Scratch the surface - and it didn't take much scratching if he thought he could get a donation or a soundbite out of it - and he was just as vile and hateful as Fred Phelps, and for exactly the same reasons.
Fred and Jerry fought in life. But they were arguing about specific actions, not methods, because in the end, they both used the same methods. Blame all who disagree for anything that happens. Call religion patriotism and use it for politics, demonizing all who do not drink the exact same flavor of kool-aid. Demonize and bully, and whine to the heavens when called out for it.
So I can't help but think that a Phelps picket is pretty appropriate, for once. When I was pagan, we said "all you do comes back to you." The Bible that both Phelps and Falwell wave says "reap what you sow."
