Tsk, tsk, tsk: did 2001 mark a sea change in the right wing's willingness to demonize gay people? Maybe so, if conservative pundits' and politicians' responses to Jerry Falwell's finger-pointing are any indication. (Far Right)."God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.... 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 ACLU: see American Civil Liberties Union. , People for the American Way--all of them who have tried to secularize sec·u·lar·ize tr.v. sec·u·lar·ized, sec·u·lar·iz·ing, sec·u·lar·iz·es 1. To transfer from ecclesiastical or religious to civil or lay use or ownership. 2. America--I point the finder in their face and say, `You helped this happen.'" --The Rev. Jerry Falwell, speaking to Pat Robertson on The 700 Club, September 13. Robertson immediately responded, "Well, I totally concur." "The president believes that terrorists are responsible for these acts. He does not share those views, and believes that those remarks are inappropriate." --White House spokesman Ken Lisaius, as quoted by The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, September 15 "All I can say is, I was profoundly embarrassed and disappointed by [Falwell's and Robertson's] comments. They can try to take them back all they want, but the bottom line is that their words are indefensible." --Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, on his Web site, September 17 "I think what Jerry Falwell said was really an abomination.... He's doing as much harm to Christianity as the Islamic fundamentalists, the terrorism, are doing to the fundamental religion of Islam." --Commentator Arianna Huffington, on ABC's Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher, September 17 "There are folks that believe that there is sin in the land. But I don't believe God struck those people dead because of that." --Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition The Traditional Values Coalition is a Christian Right organization that claims to represent over 43,000 conservative Christian churches throughout the United States of America. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. , responding to Falwell's remarks on Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, September 18 "Certainly [Falwell and Robertson] have reminded the community ... that even ordained or·dain tr.v. or·dained, or·dain·ing, or·dains 1. a. To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on. b. To authorize as a rabbi. 2. ministers of the faith are able terribly to misteach Mis`teach´ v. t. 1. To teach wrongly; to instruct erroneously. [ imp. & p. p. os> r>; p. pr. & vb. n. os> "I thought [what Falwell said] was stupid. [He] should have thought a little bit more about it before he said it." --Archconservative U.S. representative Bob Barr of Georgia, as quoted by The Hill, September 26 |
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