Falwell: a trailblazer for evangelical Christianity
The Virginia preacher's legacy is conservative Christian activism – and a reshaped US political landscape.
from the May 17, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
For many, though, his role in the transformation of evangelical Christianity stands as his most remarkable accomplishment.
After fundamentalists lost the battle over evolution in the 1920s, they withdrew from society, seeing the culture as a "sinking ship" that only Jesus' return could save. But the Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion galvanized Falwell to create the Moral Majority, with an agenda that was anti-abortion, pro-family, pro-Israel, and pro-strong national defense.
"He led the Evangelical movement out of a passive, in-the-wilderness mentality ... giving them a motivation and a voice in issues of public policy," says Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.
That required two radical steps: getting involved in hot-button issues such as abortion and gay rights, and cooperating with people from different theological backgrounds with the same concerns, such as conservative Catholics and Jews. While almost heretical to some, "those two ideas were very powerful," says Dr. Green. But some felt that the way Falwell addressed them was often inappropriate.
"His was an immature political voice. He said intemperate things and articulated a theological perspective that was not sensitive to the realities of a pluralistic democracy," says Dr. Mouw.
Falwell once said God did not hear the prayers of Jews; he called Islam's prophet, Muhammad, a terrorist. He saw a hidden homosexual agenda in the "Teletubbies" children's program. Most infamous is his post-9/11 statement blaming the attack on gays, abortion-rights activists, feminists, the ACLU, and others he opposed. A genial man personally, his political pronouncements nonetheless left little room for give and take.
"He mixed religion and politics in a particularly toxic way. If you disagreed with his political positions, you were standing against God and couldn't be a good Christian or American," says Peter Montgomery, spokesman for People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy group.
RSS feed
