Larry Flint on Jerry Falwell Jr.

[marble falls]

The Hustler publisher, who won a landmark First Amendment legal battle against Jerry Falwell Sr., writes about Jerry Falwell Jr.’s fall from grace—and the Trump of it all.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/larry-flynt-on-his-final-farewell-to-the-falwells

Published Sep. 01, 2020 4:32AM ET

<snip>

The legal battle lasted five years, from 1983 to 1988, including three decisions against me in federal courts. There was an important principle at stake: the right of artists, writers, and publishers to satirize public figures. Finally, I was vindicated by the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision written by conservative Chief Justice William Rehnquist. This case is often cited as a landmark ruling for the preservation of our First Amendment rights to free speech.

Ironically, Falwell Sr. and I actually became friends later. We enjoyed many cordial visits, participated in debates across the country, and even exchanged Christmas cards. I have to concede that his friendship with me proves that, for the most part, he was practicing an essential tenet of his faith, forgiveness, and was a sincere Christian.

<snip>

Which is more than can be said for many of his fellow televangelists—the sorry parade of charlatans like Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Paula White, and all the other prime-time Elmer Gantrys—including the son, Jerry Falwell Jr. They’re obsessed above all with sexual behavior, ignoring and subverting the core message of Christianity—humility and compassion for the downtrodden—while embracing “prosperity gospel,” which is to say the gospel of greed above all other values.

They support Republican politicians eager to gut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare and other programs designed to do what Jesus Christ strived for: the reduction of human suffering in this vale of tears. They live in multimillion-dollar mansions and fly around in private jets, while fleecing their flock for “prayer donations” guaranteed to cure incurable diseases and afflictions. They forget that Jesus Christ only lost his temper and acted violently once: when driving the money-lenders from the temple. But they are not troubled in the least by the banksters on Wall Street, who hoovered up millions from middle-class Americans, granting the 1 percent a get-out-of-jail-free card to do it all over again. Instead, these evangelists reserve the whip for gays, women who want to control their own bodies, pot smokers, and other “heretics” who are only trying to lead fulfilling lives. They actually work to increase the sum of human suffering. They are peddlers of religious snake oil.

<snip>

More. LOTS more at link.

[Sherman A1]

1. K&R

[CaptYossarian]

2. That was nice to read about their friendship.

I'll never forgive "Senior" for calling South African Bishop Desmond Tutu a hypocrite. Apartheid divided people into three groups: the white people of European heritage, who had all rights in South Africa (to vote and own property); the "coloured" (of Asian ancestry), who could own property, but could not vote; and the blacks who originated on the African continent, who had absolutely no rights.

And South African whites were only 20% of the entire population.

Since Jesus Christ was born in the Middle East--part of Asia--He was considered Coloured, and didn't have full rights as a white person did.

Jerry Falwell Sr. was the true hypocrite.

[marble falls]

4. I'm with you regarding Falwell, but Larry Flint did get closer.

[vlyons]

3. Yes there are sincere Christians, who follow the teachings of Jesus

I left Christianity long ago. There is a big difference between Jesus' teachings about compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, patience and peace, and the ideology of the established Christian church, which is basically rehashed over Roman pagan beliefs. The explanation of the Trinity was invented in 325AD at the 1st Council of Nicea. There is no such thing as a human virgin birth. Jesus did not "ascend" into heaven, wherever that is, without a rocket and an oxygen supply. He did not reanimate from a 3 day corpse.

I could say a lot more, but why bother. If Christianity helps someone to be a better and kinder person, then great. Otherwise I run, not walk, from the phoney fake Christians.

[Marcuse]

13. .

[flibbitygiblets]

18. I'm with Gandhi 👆

[keithbvadu2]

21. Political Christians rather than Christians of faith.

CBR- Cash Based Religion

[TexasBushwhacker]

25. CHRINOS

Christians in name only

[Blue_true]

26. I was born into Christianity. I have Christian ministers in my family (not the money grubbing

types). I rejected Christianity in my early teens, mostly due to the behavior or ministers and other so-called devout people. I eventually became a firm Warm Deist, because I clearly see things in nature and my own life that causes me to believe that we are not here as an accident of nature (while there is intelligent design, the hoke about the trinity, a wrathful god and other biblical nonsense, just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny). I believe that we make our heaven and hell from the lives we live and the choices that we make during our lives. I believe that special people are born among us over the ages, but none were “saviors” and all had the freedom to choose what they became. I believe that we are given the ability to reason and question and that it is ok when we use that, because using those qualities is what was intended of our very existence.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. I don't think a lot of Liberal/mainstream Christians understand Prosperity Gospel that well

It's the primary thing driving many of the mega churches. Catholics, and many other mainstream Christians just don't understand how evangelicals could support a monster like Trump. Well Trump is actually what they strive for and what they preach that Jesus wants for them. Greed is good to them, and never underestimate their appreciation for sexism and violence towards women.

You cannot hold this group up to biblical teachings, that's not what they're being taught, they're being taught something completely different than what outsiders would think was Christ like.

And it's more than just big loudmouthed mega churches. Here in West Michigan I am deeply immersed in a society dominated by the Christian Reformed Church which is based on Calvinism which is warped interpretation of the teachings of John Calvin. Their entire church strives to be Trump like because their primary teaching can be distilled into 1 sentence, "Rich people are rich because they are virtuous and god favors them, poor people are poor because they are sinners." This is the Devos family's motto here. Get rich by whatever means necessary because the richer you are, the closer to god you are. So there's a huge culture built around greed and built around being dishonest as business people. It's no wonder that Trump's business record of robbing and stealing from anyone whose path he ever crossed is looked on fondly among evangelicals and Calvinists alike.

And Prosperity Gospel has even infected some of the local all black churches where pastors drive $100,000 cars to dilapidated churches to collect money from the poor to maintain their lifestyle.

This is simply what Christianity is to evangelicals in this country, make more money to be closer to god.

[PatrickforO]

8. The prosperity gospel has been a cancer on Christianity.

There is a book called 'The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power' by Jeff Sharlet that shows the apotheosis of what this movement has become. It is truly scary - a sociopathic sort of Calvinism.

[SharonAnn]

11. And don't forget the Catholic Opus Dei movement. Barr, Kavanaugh, etc.

Conservative, extreme rightist Wing, misogynist, fascists%

[Evolve Dammit]

15. thanks for Opus Dei reminder

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Here in Grand Rapids, nothing embodies it more than Amway and their founders

The Devos and VanAndel families have their names on everything in town, you'd think they were just amazing philanthropists, why their name is on so many museums, hospital wings, and public places. You'd be wrong.

Their giving is part of their revenue generation. They have never given a penny without a guarantee of a profit in return. They make money on the children's hospital they donated money to for the naming rights. Everything comes with strings.

Best example is the arena downtown in Grand Rapids, VanAndel Arena. It cost $80 million to build in the early 1990s, the taxpayers raised $70 million, the VanAndels "donated" $10 Million for the naming rights. Well that donation came with the contract to manage VanAndel Arena for 25 years. So every event ever held at the arena generated revenue for the VanAndel family (Amway co-founding family with the Devos family). When the 25 years was up, they renewed their contract to manage the arena. They've probably made that $10 Million back 25 times over.

That's what charity means to Prosperity Gospel worshipers, it's great PR and a chance to make a lot of money while looking like you care, no more, no less. And the PR is loud, the louder the better. You'd think that that the arena wouldn't exist without the VanAndels when the public raised most of the money and could have easily raised that last $10 Million. Their children's hospital and medical research centers also were funded largely without the family. They often just donate for the naming rights, or they promise more money than they deliver so the public ends up making up the difference. That's who we're dealing with, people so cruel and soulless that helping children is just a PR opportunity.

[Buckeyeblue]

29. The DeVos's are a piece of work...

I still remember the debate when Jennifer Granholm handed Dick Devos his on ass on a plate. He looked like a deer in the headlights. No one had dared ever speak to him the way she did. She beat him handily that election.

[cayugafalls]

16. The Family is a must read.

It explains a lot about what is going on right now.

I am glad I read it years ago and still pick it up to go over certain chapters.

[vlyons]

17. Prosperity Christianity has been around forever

Who was it that got to be bishops and cardinals and heads of orders in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches? It was the sons of nobels, who accumulated vast wealth for themselves and their families. For hundreds of years they sold forgiveness of sins. Have you ever seen the interior of the Vatican? How much gold leaf covers its walls? How much gold plate and gold candle holders adorn it? Have you ever seen the interior of some of the villas of Renaissance cardinals?

Here's one. Villa Lante - Not too shabby eh?

[Marcuse]

24. The Borgias were infamous in their own time.

The founder of the family’s fortunes, Alfons de Borja (1378-1458) – who reigned as Pope Callixtus III – was decried even by his closest allies as the “scandal of [his] age” for his monstrously corrupt ways. His nephew, Rodrigo (1431-1503) – who he himself elevated to the cardinalate, and who would be elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492 – was reputed to be even worse. Accused of buying the papacy, he would later be besmirched by rumours so severe that the Venetian diplomat Girolamo Priuli felt able to claim he had “given his soul and body to the great demon in Hell”. Indeed, as the papal master of ceremonies, Johann Burchard, was to contend in the middle of Alexander’s reign:

“There is no longer any crime or shameful act that does not take place in public in Rome and in the home of the Pontiff. Who could fail to be horrified by the…terrible, monstrous acts of lechery that are committed openly in his home, with no respect for God or man? Rapes and acts of incest are countless…[and] great throngs of courtesans frequent St. Peter’s Palace, pimps, brothels, and whorehouses are to be found everywhere!“

But worse still was the reputation of Alexander’s children, and Burchard’s blithe comment that they were “utterly depraved” barely begins to cover the crimes with which they were associated in the contemporary imagination. Lucrezia (1480-1519) – with whom the pope was reputed to have slept – was cast not only as a whore, but also as a poisoner, a murderer, and a witch. And Cesare (1475/6-1507) – the most handsome, dashing, and despicable Borgia of all – was widely believed to have killed his elder brother Juan in a fit of jealousy, bedded his sister, and embarked on a campaign of slaughter and conquest aimed at carving a kingdom out of the scattered states of Northern Italy.[link:http://www.historytoday.com/history-matters/were-borgias-really-so-bad|

[keithbvadu2]

22. The "prosperity gospel" pastors/collectors seem to do much better in the prosperity than the investo

The "prosperity gospel" pastors/collectors seem to do much better in the prosperity than the investors/donors.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. He writes very well. He is a true rags to riches story.

In another milieu he would have become rich in another industry.

[dalton99a]

7. +1. Larry Flint is a good American.

[Dave Starsky]

10. Larry Flint is a piece of shit, too. Make no mistake about it.

The only reason he went after Falwell Senior is that the Moral Majority was threatening his bottom line. It doesn't surprise me in the least that the two became buds later on. They are cut from the same sleazy cloth.

[LittleGirl]

14. That was exactly my thought! eom

[keithbvadu2]

23. Confusing. Can't tell which one is being insulted by being compared with the other.

Confusing. Can't tell which one is being insulted by being compared with the other.

[Greybnk48]

9. I've always loved this guy. I was never a fan of Hustler, of course,

but Larry Flint has for years been on the smartest side of every messy issue, IMO.

[calimary]

19. I totally get this. Certainly one for the "strange bedfellows" file.

Larry Flynt is no ideal spokesman, considering his background - which always made me cringe. But he's been a fighter on our side at times when it really counted. And he's still there now.

Maybe the-rest-of-his-life-in-a-wheelchair reality broadened his thinking?

[Skittles]

28. I've always had a kind of grudging respect for him

while he is disgusting in one sense, he's righteously correct in another

[bobbieinok]

20. Thanks for posting. Well worth reading full article at link!!

[GulfCoast66]

27. Larry Flint and Jerry Falwell. Two horrible people driven by the same impulse.

Greed. And lust for power. No wonder they became friends.

I’m a freethinker, so like to believe my mind is not bothered by superstition, although I realize my upbringing still has a hold.

But in my mind they both gained wealth and power the same way. Exploiting others.

[marble falls]

31. Probably truer than some would like to admit, though it could be argued Larry Flint did ...

benificial things than Jerry Falwell did, especially if we overlook the sexual exploitation of women thing. I admire the first amendment arguments he made, I deplore it was made over expression built on exploiting women.