Falwell's biggest contribution, for good or bad, was his helping bring about machine politics to the so-called "evangelicals," thus creating what is now known as the "religious right," the "Christian right," or "Christofascism." His best years, before he decided to scale back his political activities, were in the 1980s, when he helped start the Moral Majority. By the end of the decade, he disbanded the group, but the movement lived on and thrived without him.
Falwell's ego got so big he couldn't take vulgar ribbing from publisher Larry Flynt, and he pursued his "slander" or "libel" suit all the way to the USSC. The USSC, then more sane than now, sided with Flynt and the First Amendment.
Falwell was also involved in the so-called "hostile takeover" of the PTL Network when the Bakkers (Jim and Tammy Faye) went down in scandal. The Bakkers didn't think much of him, charging that he wanted to get his mitts on the satellite network to use for his own purposes. In the end, Tammy Faye at least finally forgave him, but much of the rest of the United States has not forgiven him for helping to bring Elmer Gantryism to a point of respectability.
NYT
WP
The Lynchburg News & Advance has a slew of articles about the late evangelist.
Snips:
On Monday afternoon, Falwell had traveled to the top of Candlers Mountain with his son, Jerry Jr., to look a new gazebo that had been put in place near a huge "LU" monogram on the side of the mountain.
"He said he was feeling good," Falwell Jr. said. "He said he was feeling better than he'd felt in a while."
For the past couple of weeks, Falwell Sr. had complained about feeling tired.
On Tuesday morning, Falwell met Godwin for breakfast at the Bob Evans restaurant on Wards Road in Lynchburg.
"The breakfast lasted until about 10 a.m.," Godwin said. "Then he went to his office and I went to mine."
About 11:10 a.m., an LU employee called Godwin because Falwell was late for an appointment at the church.
"The secretary started looking for him because it was not like him to be late," Falwell Jr. said. "I told campus security to start looking for him. They went to his office and tried to resuscitate him, but it was too late. He died between 10 and 11:20 this morning."
He had been scheduled to preside in four days over the commencement of the first graduates of the Liberty University School of Law.
It's time to take a look at the life and times of Falwell.
I suppose I should mention Falwell's ties to Rev. Sun Myung Moon, but that's all I will do. I'll leave it to Robert Parry to write about Falwell's relationship to the corrupt cult leader when he does his obituary.
Oh, hell, here is a Parry article.
Better yet, here is a search page from the website.
In the 1960's, Falwell was a major supporter of civil rights:
Although most churches were segregated in Lynchburg then, Falwell was labeled a racist as he broadcast his views on the airways. In 1964 the church was the target of a civil rights demonstration.
The 1964 demonstration occurred when three teen-age members of the Congress on Racial Equality attempted to accompany a black teenager to Thomas Road Baptist Church.
In the late 1960s, Falwell changed his position, one he had been taught in college, and baptized his first black family. "I think I was wrong, I interpreted (the Bible) wrong and said so," he said.
He later turned his attention towards bashing gays, feminists, liberals, Teletubbies, and anybody else not politically fascistic.
If you are in a somber mood you can sign his guestbook.
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