Wunderlich

Well I guess Hillary Clinton can rest a little easier now that the Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the so-called Moral Majority is dead. He said the election of Ms. Clinton to the presidency would represent a grave threat to the country. The controversial minister vowed to campaign against her, but God apparently had other plans for him. Falwell, a fundamentalist preacher who supported segregation at home and apartheid in South Africa and was anti-gay rights, died in Lynchburg, Va. Dare we guess how his home town got its name? He was 73. The cause of Mr. Falwells death remains a mystery, so lets just call it providence.

We usually elevate the dead to a stature they didnt deserve in life, this neednt be done with Falwell. The truth of the matter is he was a greedy hateful man. He raked in millions for his own coffers and hated anyone who didnt believe as he believed. This applied to religion and politics. In 1999 Falwell identified the anti-Christ as a male Jew, who was probably already alive. He once called the Prophet Muhammad a terrorist, which he was forced to recant. He blamed Nine-Eleven on Americas moral decline, and even attacked Tinky Winky, the purple teletubby as a tool of the gay lobby. Mr. Falwell said he chose God on Jan. 20, 1952. It might have been better had God chosen him. Falwell was a staunch critic of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Preachers are not called to be politicians, but soul winners, he said in a sermon titled Ministers and Marchers. He felt the energy being used for civil rights would have been better spent winning people to Jesus. The pro-life minister was a vocal critic of Rowe v Wade, which legalized abortion, took it from the back alley. Mr. Falwell talked the Christian talk, but failed to walk the Christian walk. He further enriched himself by taking over the cash cow. PLT ministry when Jim Bakker got caught in a sex and money scandal.

To Mr. Falwells credit or blame he inspired the religious right. He deserves a good deal of the credit for Republican Party icon Ronald Reagans election. Falwell once called former President Bill Clinton, an ungodly liar. He forced perennial Presidential candidate John McCain to genuflect and kiss his ring, after having been dissed by McCain, whom he had previously branded with evangelist Pat Robertson as forces of evil. Politicians had to be careful with Falwell who exerted his political influence where he chose. It could probably be argued that he affected electoral politics more than mainstream culture. His effort to clean up television went up like a lead balloon. He preached at the Thomas Road Baptist Church that he founded. Under his leadership Thomas Road Baptist became a mega church that boasts of a membership of 22,000. He also leaves behind Liberty University and a faith-based conservative political movement. Republicans aspiring to higher office still found it necessary to kiss the ring in an effort to seek his endorsement.

051607cm--Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

Cedric McClester is an award winning journalist who has written for local, national and international publications. He has a Masters of Science Degree in Education from New York's Fordham University. The Boston born journalist is married and resides in New York. Mr. McClester is the author of the leading selling book on the topic of Kwanzaa, the African-American cultural holiday. His latest effort is a childrens book entitled: The Legend of Nia Umoja, on the Gumbs and Thomas imprint.