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The Lesson Behind Falwell's Fall
Townhall.com ^ | September 3, 2020 | Cal Thomas

Posted on 09/03/2020 8:26:38 AM PDT by Kaslin

The ouster of Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. over allegations of sexual misconduct and other behavior that falls short of the university's code of conduct -- not to mention Scripture -- is another in a long list of lessons each generation of Christians seems to have to learn anew.

In our 1999 book, "Blinded by Might: Why the Religious Right Can't Save America," the late Dr. Edward Dobson and I -- he a former dean of students at Liberty and me for a brief time vice president of Moral Majority -- warned about the dangers we had observed when Christian leaders get too close to politicians who often use people of faith to hide or excuse an earthly agenda and cloak their own moral shortcomings.

This is not unique to the current president or to contemporary evangelical Christians. Yes, many conservative Christians are good-hearted people who fear the cultural decline is harming the nation they love and is a threat to how they practice their faith. The problem is too many go about seeking change through the very political and government structures they have previously criticized as unable to achieve noble ends.

Political power is a seduction more subtle than sex, though the two often seem to be linked. It was King David of Israel who wrote nearly three millennia ago a profound warning against putting too much faith in political leaders: "Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God." (Psalm 146: 3-7)

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: calthomas; edwarddobson; jerryfalwelljr; libertyuniversity; moralmajority
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1 posted on 09/03/2020 8:26:38 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

He makes good points, but it was reported that Falwell Jr. and his wife started these indiscretions back in 2011, years before Trump came on the political scene.


2 posted on 09/03/2020 8:35:32 AM PDT by Joann37
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
...the dangers we had observed when Christian leaders get too close to politicians who often use people of faith to hide or excuse an earthly agenda and cloak their own moral shortcomings.
Wrong. The danger is expecting people who don't actually work for a living to have no moral shortcomings.

3 posted on 09/03/2020 8:39:44 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Kaslin

Too much politics in religion bothers me, it shows too much of an earthly connection, rather than reliance on God.

We can, and should, be political activists, but there is a point where it goes to far, and loses it’s Kingdom orientation.


4 posted on 09/03/2020 8:40:23 AM PDT by Fido969 (In!)
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To: Kaslin

Why bring Trump into it at all? Trump never pretended to be running a Christian organization with its moral imperatives. He needs no “exception”. Especially since all the RATs running are far worse morally than Trump is.

Be that as it may, one of the reasons that the religious right is basically ineffective politically is that they can’t put aside differences and fight a common enemy. Divide and Conquer is an age old political tool. Christian sects self-divide politically as well as doctrinally.


5 posted on 09/03/2020 8:41:22 AM PDT by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: Kaslin

The lesson from Falwell’s fall is do not live a double life, repent of your sins and be true to God!


6 posted on 09/03/2020 8:41:54 AM PDT by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: DarthVader
"Repent" is the keyword.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

7 posted on 09/03/2020 8:47:00 AM PDT by Dubh_Ghlase (Oh boy!)
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To: DarthVader

Yes, Falwell junior seems to have too much arrogance and sense of entitlement from having the position given to him because of nepotism. He started to think that the regular rules of life didn’t apply to himself, since he was “higher” than “regular” people. In other words, he started thinking like pompous prideful Dems.


8 posted on 09/03/2020 8:48:25 AM PDT by DeweyCA
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To: Kaslin
warned about the dangers we had observed when Christian leaders get too close to politicians who often use people of faith to hide or excuse an earthly agenda and cloak their own moral shortcomings.

My church can point to a couple of millenia worth of Popes to absolutely prove this to be the case.


9 posted on 09/03/2020 8:56:14 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
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To: Fido969
Too much politics in religion bothers me, it shows too much of an earthly connection, rather than reliance on God.

That's what my mom thought. She was a regular donor to CBN until Pat Robertson decided to run for President.


10 posted on 09/03/2020 8:57:39 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
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To: Fido969

I don’t know if this is the lesson of Falwell’s fall, but regardless it’s a valuable lesson. I know that for myself, I spend more time worrying about the state of our country than the state of my own soul.


11 posted on 09/03/2020 9:01:15 AM PDT by edwinland
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To: Fido969

And to add to that point: the left treats politics like it’s matter of life and death because it’s all they have.

In their imagination, if they don’t “redeem” this Earthly world then no one else is going to do it.

Without reducing our efforts to help our country, we need to be sure that we are not implicitly adopting the same myopic lack of perspective.


12 posted on 09/03/2020 9:04:22 AM PDT by edwinland
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To: DeweyCA

Pride comes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.


13 posted on 09/03/2020 9:17:48 AM PDT by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: Joann37
...Falwell Jr. and his wife started these indiscretions back in 2011, years before Trump came on the political scene.

It's important to examine people 'born on third who think they hit a triple' with extra care... same with 'wives of powerful men' or 'those who inherited their position in life'...

A regression to the mean is normal... everyone needs to take a deep breath and stop being gullible.

14 posted on 09/03/2020 9:27:34 AM PDT by GOPJ (Democrats and their butt boys in the press are snakes in the grass - mob rule, violence, destruction)
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To: Kaslin

Don’t be a cuck - be a man!


15 posted on 09/03/2020 10:02:17 AM PDT by Truthoverpower (The guv-mint you get is the Trump winning express ! Yea haw ! Trump pence II! Furthermore if they)
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To: Kaslin

“Of course he didn’t. He wanted and needed the cloak of Graham’s integrity.”

Most of us guard our tongues around a minister out of respect for him and his calling. I assume Nixon was brought up with the same sentiment, and one should assign the same motives to Nixon before accusing him of something sinister.


16 posted on 09/03/2020 10:42:03 AM PDT by odawg
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To: GOPJ

Trump can’t be held personally responsible for any of the moral failings of any of his millions of supporters. That’s just nuts.


17 posted on 09/03/2020 10:42:43 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
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To: Kaslin

I do not see any political corruption on this case. Falwell is lawyer, not pastor and his problems seems to be mostly caused by his wife! Mostly worldly problems, the same as ever! The sins of the fallen world. Unfortunately the neo-marxists like to use it for their own propaganda purposes.


18 posted on 09/03/2020 10:45:31 AM PDT by AZJeep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0AHQkryIIs)
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To: Fido969; Buckeye McFrog; edwinland; fieldmarshaldj; campaignPete R-CT

It has to be all hands on deck against the Marxists. A Christian not giving full throated support to Trump and opposing the democrats is like a Jew twiddling his thumbs while Hitler comes to power. Where will “Kingdom orientation” be when clergy are jailed for refusing to marry fags? Democrats aren’t even letting people go to church in Cali.

The damn black churchs aren’t gonna stop pimping dems.


19 posted on 09/03/2020 11:04:35 AM PDT by Impy (Thug Lives Splatter - China delenda est)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; BillyBoy; NFHale; GOPsterinMA

The lesson is if you’re a pervert do a better job keeping it a secret? Also don’t marry a whore who is eager to indulge your cuckold fantasies? Maybe pray about it or seek psychiatric help?


20 posted on 09/03/2020 11:07:53 AM PDT by Impy (Thug Lives Splatter - China delenda est)
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