Wednesday, May 16, 2007

The Rev Goes Home


Rev. Jerry Falwell has died. Prayers and sympathy for his family and friends. He leaves behind an evangelical community that had already left him behind and a bevy of disappointed columnists who will never again get to use his bombast to cry 'Theocracy!' Our public life is better for his going.

This isn't to pass judgment on Rev. Falwell as a man. God has already done that, and I'd imagine Jerry's earning his wings as we speak (on a purple triangular cloud if God has any sense of humor). From any number of tributes by friends and colleagues, it is clear that Rev. Falwell brought real love and generosity to those around him and many unfortunate folks over the years.

It is to pass judgment on his poisonous impact on our public discourse. He may not have much liked Catholics, but he had his own high rituals that developed over the years. Make an outrageous comment. Preferably attack both a Democrat and a vulnerable minority in the process. Receive criticism for said comment. Get yet more airtime by issuing a clarification that really doesn't change anything you've said. Repeat.

Slate has a listing of some of Falwell's all time greats. Ironically enough, my last post before the hiatus was on one of his more harmless comments.

This pattern damaged all involved. It convinced non-evangelicals that our evangelical countrymen are a bunch of ignorant blowhards who want theocracy. It did damage to any number of groups, particularly the homosexual community. It stunted the theological growth of the evangelical community.

Luckily on this last point even Falwell's huge personality could not prevail. The evangelical community was never what Falwell was allowed to present it as. Thanks to the work of folks like Rich Cizik, Joel Hunter, and Dave Gushee, evangelicals are now leading voices for human rights, creation care, and combating genocide. These courageous folks took on Falwell and his hard right associates, and have been winning for more years than most folks realize.

Rest in peace, Rev. Jerry, and enjoy your new perch. Our politics won't be the same without you.

Dusting off the Grill

There's no doubt that the necessary personal dedication is the most difficult aspect of blogging. That's been a bit, em, lacking in recent months, for which I apologize. The grill has gone untended through the cold winter, but with warmer days upon us (and suitable prompting from a loyal reader), the Grillmaster is back at the helm.

A substantive post will follow momentarily. For now, to break this back in gently, check out this piece from yesterday's Washington Post. A very exciting first trip into legitimate media outlet publishing. Ok, so it was only on the website, but it WAS actually on the front page of the website until Jerry decided to up and die. More on that later. Thoughts on the piece more than welcome.

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