Right-wing Crank Falwell: US Got What It Deserved

Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit

Rightwing cranks get all excited by photogenic tragedies. Falwell
says the alleged God did it! And it's all the fault of the gays,
pagans, lesbians and abortionists. Robertson agrees, then they both
say "Well, we didn't mean to imply that...."


God Gave U.S. 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says

By John F. Harris

Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 14, 2001; Page C03

Television evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the
most prominent voices of the religious right, said liberal civil
liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights
supporters bear partial responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist
attacks because their actions have turned God's anger against
America.

"God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America
to give us probably what we deserve," said Falwell, appearing
yesterday on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club," hosted
by Robertson.

"Jerry, that's my feeling," Robertson responded. "I think we've just
seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what
they can do to the major population."

Falwell said the American Civil Liberties Union has "got to take a
lot of blame for this," again winning Robertson's agreement: "Well,
yes."

Then Falwell broadened his blast to include the federal courts and
others who he said were "throwing God out of the public square." He
added: "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this
because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little
innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans,
and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the
lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative
lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who
have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face
and say, 'You helped this happen.' "

People for the American Way transcribed the broadcast and denounced
the comments as running directly counter to President Bush's call for
national unity. Ralph G. Neas, the liberal group's president, called
the remarks "absolutely inappropriate and irresponsible."

Robertson and others on the religious right gave critical backing to
Bush last year when he was battling for the GOP presidential
nomination. A White House official called the remarks "inappropriate"
and added, "The president does not share those views."

Falwell was unrepentant, saying in an interview that he was "making a
theological statement, not a legal statement."

"I put all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the
terrorist," he said. But he said America's "secular and
anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord's [decision] not
to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture
... the result is not good."

Robertson was not available for comment, a spokeswoman said. But she
released a statement echoing the remarks he made on his show. An ACLU
spokeswoman said the group "will not dignify the Falwell-Robertson
remarks with a comment."

                          * * *


Robertson Defends Falwell

Updated: Fri, Sep 14 8:19 PM EDT

By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on Friday defended comments the Rev. 
Jerry Falwell made in an interview with Robertson that groups which "tried 
to secularize America" were partly to blame for the terrorist attacks.

"In no way has any guest on my program suggested that anyone other than the 
Middle East terrorists were responsible for the tragic events that took 
place on Tuesday," Robertson said in a written statement.

Falwell, a Baptist minister and chancellor of Liberty University in 
Lynchburg, Va., said Thursday on Robertson's religious TV program "The 700 
Club" that he blames the attacks on pagans, abortionists, feminists, 
homosexuals, the American Civil Liberties Union and the People for the 
American Way.

"All of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in 
their face and say, 'You helped this happen,"' Falwell said.

He added later, "God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of 
America to give us probably what we deserve."

"Jerry, that's my feeling," Robertson responded. "I think we've just seen 
the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to 
the major population."

Falwell said Friday that he didn't mean to blame any one group for the 
destruction.

"But I'd say this is a wake up call from God," he told The Associated 
Press. "I feel our spiritual defenses are down. If we don't repent, then 
more events might happen in the future."

On Thursday, Robertson issued a statement on the attack that said America 
had insulted God and lost divine protection.

"We have insulted God at the highest level of our government. Then, we say, 
'Why does this happen?"' he wrote in a statement released through his 
Christian Broadcasting Network. "It is happening because God Almighty is 
lifting his protection from us."

Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay 
rights organization, said the comments of Falwell and Robertson "were 
stunning. They were beyond contempt. They were irresponsible at best, and a 
deliberate attempt to manipulate the nation's anger at worst."

Robertson, who founded the Christian Coalition and unsuccessfully ran for 
the 1988 Republican presidential nomination, said in his statement Thursday 
that Americans have insulted God by allowing abortion and "rampant Internet 
pornography." He also chided the U.S. Supreme Court for, among other 
things, limiting prayer in public schools.

Robertson was among conservative religious figures who backed President 
Bush in last year's election. A White House official called the remarks 
"inappropriate" and added, "the president does not share those views."

                           * * *

CNN - September 14, 2001

Falwell apologizes to gays, feminists, lesbians

LYNCHBURG, Virginia (CNN) -- The Rev. Jerry Falwell said late Thursday he 
did not mean to blame feminists, gays or lesbians for bringing on the 
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington this week, in remarks on a 
television program earlier in the day.

On the broadcast of the Christian television program "The 700 Club," 
Falwell made the following statement:

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, 
and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an 
alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them 
who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and 
say 'you helped this happen.'"

Falwell, pastor of the 22,000-member Thomas Road Baptist Church, viewed the 
attacks as God's judgment on America for "throwing God out of the public 
square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden 
for this because God will not be mocked."

But in a phone call to CNN, Falwell said that only the hijackers and 
terrorists were responsible for the deadly attacks.

"I do believe, as a theologian, based upon many Scriptures and particularly 
Proverbs 14:23, which says 'living by God's principles promotes a nation to 
greatness, violating those principles brings a nation to shame,'" he said.

Falwell said he believes the ACLU and other organizations "which have 
attempted to secularize America, have removed our nation from its 
relationship with Christ on which it was founded."

"I therefore believe that that created an environment which possibly has 
caused God to lift the veil of protection which has allowed no one to 
attack America on our soil since 1812," he said.

Pat Robertson, host of the 700 Club program, seemed to agree with Falwell's 
earlier statements in a prayer during the program.

"We have sinned against Almighty God, at the highest level of our 
government, we've stuck our finger in your eye," said Robertson. "The 
Supreme Court has insulted you over and over again, Lord. They've taken 
your Bible away from the schools. They've forbidden little children to 
pray. They've taken the knowledge of God as best they can, and 
organizations have come into court to take the knowledge of God out of the 
public square of America."

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Lorri L. Jean 
bristled at the idea that gays and lesbians had anything to do with the 
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that may have left 
thousands dead, and demanded an apology from Falwell.

"The terrible tragedy that has befallen our nation, and indeed the entire 
global community, is the sad byproduct of fanaticism. It has its roots in 
the same fanaticism that enables people like Jerry Falwell to preach hate 
against those who do not think, live, or love in the exact same way he 
does," she said.

"The tragedies that have occurred this week did not occur because someone 
made God mad, as Mr. Falwell asserts. They occurred because of hate, pure 
and simple. It is time to move beyond a place of hate and to a place of 
healing. We hope that Mr. Falwell will apologize to the U.S. and world 
communities."

Falwell told CNN: "I would never blame any human being except the 
terrorists, and if I left that impression with gays or lesbians or anyone 
else, I apologize."

 
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