Maher said it best for Falwell

[kimmerspixelated]

I was one of those critics of the scary, bizarre snoopy dance everyone seemed to be enjoying for Falwell's death. I realize we can't all be as funny as Maher, but everything he said against Falwell worked and worked well! At least he wasn't foaming at the mouth over a carcass. The New Rules were the best yet!

[eleny]

1. Christopjer Hitchens may have topped Maher

Albeit crudely, when he told Hannity that if they gave Falwell an enema, he could be buried in a matchbox.

Hands down, my favorite.

[Vexatious Ape]

2. I agree, Hitchens is a scream.

[jgraz]

7. "If you gave Falwell an enema, you could bury him in matchbox"

Hitchens' parting shot on HANNITY and colmes. :spray:

[and-justice-for-all]

32. Hitchens fucking ROCKED!!! nt

[Cha]

15. I've read that a couple

of times and just now got it! Good one, snitchens!

[hlthe2b]

3. Maher refused to play the hypocrit...

as similarly did most of our liberal/progressive radio hosts (on AAR and elsewhere) and our liberal/progressive commentators and pundits--both on tv and in the press. They dispassionately spoke the truth of this man in death, without apology for that truth.

Funny, I haven't heard the "tsk tsk brigade" go nuts over them as they did those who refused to express grief and mourning over Falwell's death on DU. In fact, it seems the "tsk tsk brigade" has been extremely quiet since their 24 hour frenzy over "DU's (NOT) Finest Hour"....I guess they've earned some just reward for their sanctimony and moral relativism and have taken the weekend off? :sarcasm:

[BoneDaddy]

33. It has nothing to do with the truth

I guess I was one of the "tsk tsk brigade" because the blood orgy celebration of his death showed me that the ugly side of humanity exists as much in the left as it does in the right. It wasn't that all the critism about Falwall was not true. The truth and rational criticism is never a problem for me. It was the infantile, classless, orgasms of hate that bothered me as I watched DU become the "other".

[BlooInBloo]

4. The Rude Pundit has my fav so far...

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2007/05/dead-falwell-jerry-falwell-was-poison.html

[eleny]

5. I've avoided reading his thoughts on this one

He's just so vivid.

[Swamp Rat]

6. speaking of 'vivid'

:D

[BlooInBloo]

8. lol!

[hamerfan]

9. Your best one yet, Swamp Rat

Thanks for the "vivid" picture! I've been a fan of yours for a long time time now, but this one is hands-down the best, my friend.
dumpbush

[Swamp Rat]

31. Thanks!!!

:hi:

[eleny]

10. Those ears a re a nice touch

B-)

[SalmonChantedEvening]

16. Way'at Your Swampness!!

:hi: :hug:

Great graphic my friend!! :rofl:

:yourock: :pals:

[sandnsea]

13. Thesaurusitis

He was a lot better a long time ago, before he started thinking so well of himself.

[sandnsea]

11. He did it with class

He attacked what the man stood for instead of the man himself. It was most excellent and I don't like the grave dancing myself.

If you've offended 85% of the population with the first word out of your mouth, I don't know why you're surprised that your message isn't resonating.

[TankLV]

17. WE DON'T FUCKING CARE IF WE OFFEND THOSE ASSWIPES!

They don't DESERVE our THOUGHTS, let alone our "care".

You just don't fucking get it!

Those fucking less than human cretins WHO WOULD WANT ME DEAD would not like what we say no matter if we were on our knees sucking their tiny dicks!

[Canuckistanian]

18. Why don't you just say what you mean?

Don't hold back.

:rofl:

[Zenlitened]

19. In all seriousness, what is the difference between...

... "what the man stood for" and "the man himself"?

I'm not sure I understand the distinction.

[sandnsea]

20. Well then that's just sad

It's the first rule of parenting. Discipline the bad behavior, not the bad child.

[Zenlitened]

21. I don't think the parent/child analogy holds up, honestly. Falwell was an adult.

Was he not responsible for his actions?

Or, to approach it from another angle... were his actions not indicative of the content of his character?

Again in all seriousness, I don't see how a lifetime of words and deeds adds up to anything other than who we are, who a person is. For good or ill.

:shrug:

[mondo joe]

22. Indeed. It's a bullshit analogy, and far too much like the "hate the sin love the sinner" BS

that Falwell mouthed.

There is no difference between what Falwell stood for and who he was -- he was his revolting position.

He wasn't a child.

[sandnsea]

24. Attacking his person

Fat, bloviated, Christian, stupidity, that sort of thing - rather than sticking to his ignorant beliefs. I really didn't think it needed to be explained in such detail. :eyes:

[Zenlitened]

25. How about chiding him for gluttony, arrogance, authoritarianism and...

... well, what's a synonym for stupidity... ignorance?

If his beliefs are ignorant, then isn't he himself ignorant? And wasn't he a bloviator in the most pompous meaning of the word? Surely that could be considered an important -- and undesirable -- character trait.

I'll freely grant that not every post over the last few days is a candidate for Great Moments in Oratory. Rather than calling him "fat," for example, it might be more insightful to dwell on the contradiction between his fierce moralizing about "sin" and his inability to conquer one of the so-called "Seven Deadly Sins." An interesting discussion of scripture versus pop-scripture might have ensued! :D

And, although I personally didn't happen to spot any posts saying, essentially, "Falwell = all Christians," I suppose it's possible a few folks neglected to spell out "christofascist" for clarity's sake. In any event, I expect that the moderators would have been alerted to broadbrush posts genuinely violating DU rules.

But overall, my impression has been that most of the posts were directed squarely at Falwell as a person, and rightly so: a person who devoted his life to demagoguery, intolerance and oppression. That's who and what he was -- IMO, there's no need to create an artificial distinction between "the man" and "his beliefs."

[sandnsea]

26. If you want people to listen

There is. If you just want to participate in a great left wing mauling, then by all means say whatever the hell you want. Snort and cackle and guffaw for weeks. I don't give a shit and nobody else will either. Except to comment about the lack of decency in a group of people complaining about the lack of decency in everybody else.

If, on the other hand, you want to differentiate between ignorant and stupid, and there is a difference, then you stick to the reasons his beliefs were ignorant, which might win you some converts. And if not, it will at least gain you some respect in avoiding the character assassination route that Falwell took himself.

[Zenlitened]

29. Wow. I guess we disagree.

But thanks for answering my questions so graciously. :wow:

[BoneDaddy]

34. Well said Sandnsea

I have never uttered a single criticism about legitimate critiques of Falwell and I personally despise his belief system, but the blood lust and lack of personal class on this boards astounded.

[EFerrari]

27. The difference would be the length of his hypocrisy. n/t

[Ex Lion Tamer]

12. Here's my favorite: Forgiving Jerry Falwell

"I saw Jerry Falwell as an enemy. I believe he was America's enemy and for good measure Christianity's. (As his ilk still are). . . . And while Falwell's lies and distortions should have been combated by every non-violent means necessary, and the evil and hurt he caused, documented and remembered, that doesn't mean that the retribution Falwell sought to exact on others or threatened to, must be taken on him now, in any form.

<snip>

No, this is the moment for forgiveness. I hope that Jerry has met again and been reconciled with, the force of love and forgiveness that at some point in his life, he must have encountered. And while I never imagined I would ever write these words: may his turbulent and misguided soul -- however far it may have gone astray -- now find its way home and rest in peace."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-hendra/forgiving-jerry-falwell_b_48844.html


An incredibly challenging thing to do, yes. But, ultimately, I think that's what separates us from them.

[RevCheesehead]

14. That sums it up for me as well.

Thanks for posting this.

[hlthe2b]

23. "the evil & hurt he caused, documented and remembered"

that's the point. I can forgive Falwell. He's dead, after all. But, some are skipping the documentation and memory of the evil & hurt, to go straight to "white wash" and "reverence"-all in the guise of somehow being "better than them."

To those who would do so, I simply point to the poignant words of the philosopher, Santayana, in my sigline below.

[EFerrari]

28. Nah. Fuck Jerry Falwall and his murderous fans.

[scarletwoman]

30. Fuck Falwell, fuck the Huffington Post, and fuck "forgiveness".

True forgiveness has solely to do with the spiritual health of the forgiver, and has nothing to do with the forgivee.

Falwell is rightfully despised. It is a matter of the health of the body politic for toxic elements to be attacked and destroyed, just as white blood cells attack infections in our own bodies.

sw