Jerry Falwell, Rest In Peace
I have shed no tears for the death of Jerry Falwell, as I did for the recent death of Kurt Vonnegut. I am saddened that such an influential man spent his life in a darkness of homophobia, deception, and hate-filled rhetoric against those he saw as enemies: in his words, “the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU...” (in other words, about 95% of my close friends and associates).
But I am even more deeply saddened by the comments I’ve been seeing on email lists and “progressive” blogs rejoicing in the death of Jerry Falwell. Comments range from “ding dong the wicked witch is dead” to “thank God he’s gone” to “I hope he’s burning in hell.” Such bitter rhetoric only sinks down to the level of hatred and intolerance that Falwell himself displayed during his lifetime. It betrays a hypocrisy and a callous disregard for human life if we can rejoice in the death of any person, even one who caused such pain and division in his lifetime. We are all created in the image of God. All of us – all souls – are journeying Toward the One, and all of us are interrelated, interconnected with each other.
As the Anglican poet John Donne (1572-1631) wrote,
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...
...any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
But I am even more deeply saddened by the comments I’ve been seeing on email lists and “progressive” blogs rejoicing in the death of Jerry Falwell. Comments range from “ding dong the wicked witch is dead” to “thank God he’s gone” to “I hope he’s burning in hell.” Such bitter rhetoric only sinks down to the level of hatred and intolerance that Falwell himself displayed during his lifetime. It betrays a hypocrisy and a callous disregard for human life if we can rejoice in the death of any person, even one who caused such pain and division in his lifetime. We are all created in the image of God. All of us – all souls – are journeying Toward the One, and all of us are interrelated, interconnected with each other.
As the Anglican poet John Donne (1572-1631) wrote,
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...
...any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
posted by Darrell Grizzle | 5:09 PM
8 Comments:
Well said! Just simply,well said!
amen, and amen.. no matter how poorly a person may have thought of others during their live, we cannot know how that person treated family and friends.. each will find their reward in the next go around
Well said indeed! Falwell seemed to rise in hubris when the TV cameras were on, a sad testament to a supposed man of God. Yet God is the final judge of His creations, and so, May God forgive him and us for all out sins.
Peace and Blessings!
Darrell -- I'm sorry you've seen those negative types of comments about Falwell. On most of the GLBT sites and blogs I visit, the vast, vast majority of comments I've read have been extremely gracious and loving, despite the treatment the GLBT community received at Falwell's hands. I share sorrow for his family, and also grieve at a life which was apparently lived based on hatred and divisiveness. He had such power to do Good, it's a shame he did not take more advantage of that. I am sure, however, that he is in God's loving arms and has been enlightened as we all will be.
You are a more loving and forgiving person than I could ever hope to be. You're an inspiration.
I look at the damage that Falwell and his vilifying groups have done to American religion, politics and religion - and I'm afraid that I would rather stand for the ones who have been damaged by the war-mongers he helped put in office, and the poor he helped create, and the objects of the hatred that he fomented, and the victims of the legacy he left with his law school, the one that is churning out more and more haters to involve themselves with our governmental branches.
If there is a heaven, I suppose he'll learn how to share the space with all the people he said wouldn't be there. And if there is such a thing as a hell, he sure created a vivid one...
I suppose that's why I'll never be a good christian... I can't find it in myself to forgive everything. That's why I think the cosmos (God, love) is so amazing - it can.
Hi Hamza -- unrelated to your post, I just realized, I am always reading your blog, but I haven't blogrolled it on mine yet!
On the post itself, I share very much your sentiments of goodwill and your love is truly inspiring. Thank you for writing this.
Whoops, the previous comment got posted before I had completed it. I also share your distress on the reactionary attitude of some liberals to his death. There is an organic interdependency between us and our perceived "opponents". Let us learn to lose our self-righteousness and learn the humility to look at even hardened criminals through the eyes of love.
Darrell,
God/dess bless you for your loving and forgiving heart.
Bridgitt
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