Farewell, Falwell

Whatever one may say about Reverend Jerry Falwell, he certainly had the conviction of his beliefs. Wending his way between the superficiality of modern America and the core beliefs of a moral code based on a God centered religion, Jerry Falwell was able to grab public attention and to focus it on moral issues that trouble many people of faith. While Reverend Falwell did not speak for DocBrain, I do appreciate the contributions he made.

Liberal fear and loathing of the Christian right is based on the belief that the Right has the power in the material-secular-political sphere to take away hard-earned rights. This fear is, of course, based on the liberal concept that rights are at the discretion of the government and do not need a self-evidency that would prevent them from being abrogated. Self-evident rights can clearly be seen in the outcome of evidence...observations of the goodness of these rights. Unfortunately, many "rights" have only negative evidence, or evidence that additional freedom produces negative results. Easy divorce = children out of wedlock = children growing up without a father in the home = increased suicide rate. Right to welfare without responsibility = children raised without proper parenting = poor education = increased criminality. Right to unlimited abortion = weakening of the family structure = increased casual sex = increased STDs = reduced population growth = increased need for external sources of labor = immigration problems. I could go on, but you get the idea. This is not to say that Reverend Falwell was correct in all that he said. But to oppose him, some rational evidence of his fallacy would have been helpful rather than the rhetoric of hate.

Rest in peace, Reverend Falwell.