By now you probably have heard the news about Rev. Jerry Falwell's death while working at Liberty University. Whether you agreed with him or not on the issues, his theology, or his methods, the fact remains he left his stamp of evangelicalism, culture and politics and he is in the arms of his precious Savior.
What is incredibly sad has been the ungracious and hate-filled responses concerning his death. Read the comments after Al Mohler's article at the Washington Post, and read this excerpt from the World Magazine blog.
These kind of reactions are NO better than what those hate-filled fools, such as the Westboro Baptist group, do at funerals of people, like Matthew Shepard, in the name of Christianity. No one should revel or celebrate in someone's death. Shame!
Technorati Tags: Falwell, Matthew_Shepard, Westboro_Baptist
What is incredibly sad has been the ungracious and hate-filled responses concerning his death. Read the comments after Al Mohler's article at the Washington Post, and read this excerpt from the World Magazine blog.
These kind of reactions are NO better than what those hate-filled fools, such as the Westboro Baptist group, do at funerals of people, like Matthew Shepard, in the name of Christianity. No one should revel or celebrate in someone's death. Shame!
Technorati Tags: Falwell, Matthew_Shepard, Westboro_Baptist
2 comments:
I tend to agree with you that reveling in suffering is not healthy for anyone. I do think there is a bit of difference between this and Westboro (and I grew up in that hate-group's hometown, so I know a bit about that). Matthew Shepard did not go around spewing hate and condemning others to hell. I wish those like me who hold Falwell's message in contempt would approach his death differently, but I must say that his message was designed to illicit exactly those kind of attacks.
And that is just sad. I would like to believe that I have more common ground with most Christians than I have disagreements. But people like Falwell make it hard for me to believe that.
Thanks for your moderate tone and thoughtfulness, by the way. I read too many Christian bloggers who seem to be followers of the Falwell rhetoric.
I know that Matthew Shepard and Falwell aren't a completely equal comparison in every area. I think why I felt that the comparison was warranted was the lack of appropriateness in both instances. It is inappropriate, no matter how you feel, to carry around placards, saying hurtful things at a person's funeral, like in the case of Matthew Shepard. And equally, the blog posts out there saying hateful things and they act like "virtual" placards and signs. And I just think people need more class than to be putting out that level of rancor and venom on the day that someone has died. Thanks for your comments, I appreciate it.
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