# Once again, Jerry Falwell proves to be an embarrassing jerk... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 4, 2002, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316 "2002-06-04T05:01:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/1 "2002-06-04T05:01:13Z")
…who makes me ashamed to call myself a “Fundie”. A couple of [Internet Petitions](http://tool.donation-net.net/entrance/enter.cfm?dn=1025&source=2001&CFID=2576222&CFTOKEN=68547523) for G.W. and for the Mayor of Jerusalem. Dubya’s ain’t so bad, just a general call to arms, finishing up with: > [@](#): > > I will do my part by pledging to pray for an end to the senseless violence and bloodshed that claims the lives of innocent men, women and children everyday and I will do whatever I can, as a God-fearing America to KEEP JERUSALEM FREE. Can’t hardly argue with that, an end to senseless violence and bloodshed is always laudable, but then you wonder, “What does he mean by ‘keep Jerusalem free’?” Prepare to cringe. > [@](#): > > To: Mayor Ehud Olmert > Jerusalem > > As a concerned Christian in America I hereby issue this Petition of Support to let you, Mayor Ehud Olmert, know that I support your efforts to KEEP JERUSALEM FREE. I believe that the Palestinian terror MUST stop and that Arafat and his militant Palestinian groups must never be allowed to claim Jerusalem as their own. I recognize, as Jew and Gentile alike have done for 6,000 years that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain so for generations to come. > > I will do my part by pledging to pray for an end to the senseless violence and bloodshed that claims the lives of innocent men, women and children everyday and I will do whatever I can, as a God-fearing America to KEEP JERUSALEM FREE. Geez, Jerry, enter the real world, willya? :rolleyes: Here’s a quarter, go down to Wal-Mart and BUY YOURSELF A CLUE. Nobody else in the world has the capacity to make me go, “Hanh?” quite the way Falwell does, with quite the same feelings of rising hysteria. Does he even read his own stuff? Oh, yes, Jerry, that’s right–ever since 4000 B.C., “Jew and Gentile alike” have recognized that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. :rolleyes: Never mind that in 4000 B.C. the entire world was only 4 years old, according to Bishop Ussher. October 23, 4004 B.C., wasn’t it, Jerry? When God said, “Let there be light”? So how was there even an “Israel”, let alone a city named “Jerusalem” to be its capital? I don’t think “Archaeology” is on Jerry’s charts. Neither is “History”, for that matter. Not to mention “Common Sense”. Idiot. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/2 "2002-06-04T05:11:22Z")
I don’t think Falwell gives as much thought to what he says or writes as much you do. Or as much as most other people, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/3 "2002-06-04T16:11:15Z")
Besides the “capital of Israel” bit, I thought it was one of the more sane and lucid string of thoughts flowing out the man’s arse. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/4 "2002-06-04T16:41:33Z")
Not to mention the fact that 6000 years ago, Christianity was still about 2000 years in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/5 "2002-06-04T17:55:23Z")
Even when he gets a truly generous thought into his head, Jerry’s insistance on rhetoric manages to screw it up… :sigh: Jerry, just hush up and let us all forget about you for a while. Please…? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/6 "2002-06-04T18:16:25Z")
Even when he gets a truly generous thought into his head, Jerry’s insistance on rhetoric manages to screw it up… :sigh: Jerry, just hush up and let us all forget about you for a while. Please…? ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/7 "2002-06-04T18:16:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Abe Babe \* > \*\*Not to mention the fact that 6000 years ago, Christianity was still about 2000 years in the future. \*\* 😕 Is this supposed to be a joke? If it is, I don’t get it. If it isn’t… well, tack this onto the stupidest things you ever heard anyone say thread. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/8 "2002-06-04T18:25:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Abe Babe \* > \*\*Not to mention the fact that 6000 years ago, Christianity was still about 2000 years in the future. \*\* More like 4,000. heh. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/9 "2002-06-04T18:25:35Z")
Even when he gets a truly generous thought into his head, Jerry’s insistance on rhetoric manages to screw it up… :sigh: Jerry, just hush up and let us all forget about you for a while. Please…? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/10 "2002-06-04T18:27:50Z")
Holy feck! How the hell did _that_ happen.?! Mods! Help! ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/11 "2002-06-04T18:35:02Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by tourbot_ > **tack this onto the stupidest things you ever heard anyone say thread** I think **Abe** ’s math was just a little off (by about 2,000 years). Hardly worth that much bile. ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/12 "2002-06-04T18:55:53Z")
Not a joke so much as a typo. Dadgummit. ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/13 "2002-06-04T19:32:24Z")
Aww, it wasn’t meant as bile… heck, this is the pit. My reaction was fairly mild. And admit it, given the context of the post, it does sound kinda stupid. (Even though it was just an innocent mistake. Heck, we’re all prone to an occassional typo. I’m sure Abe is usually a real fart smella.) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/14 "2002-06-04T19:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I recognize, as Jew and Gentile alike have done for 6,000 years that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel Let’s do a little timeline: 1. 4000 BC - ~ 1500 BC: Israel doesn’t exist. Jerusalem either doesn’t exist or is insignificant. 2. ~ 1500 BC - ~ 1100 BC: Jerusalem exists, but isn’t the capital of much of anything. 3. ~ 1100 BC: David conquers Jerusalem, establishes his capital there. 4. ~ 1100 BC - 70 AD: Glossing over the distinction between Israel and Judah, and ignoring the relatively brief Babylonian exile, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. 5. 70 AD - 1948 AD: Israel exists only in the hearts and minds of the faithful. 6. 1948 - ? (what, about 10-15 years ago?) Israel’s capital was Tel Aviv. 7. ? - present: Israel’s capital is Jerusalem. So Falwell’s off by about 4800 years. Only 80% wrong - that’s pretty good for Jerry. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/15 "2002-06-04T19:39:36Z")
I suspect Jerry doesn’t really care what Bush or Olmert think of the petitions, but is more concerned with what his followers think of him writing them to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/16 "2002-06-04T20:20:45Z")
If Falwell cared about basic honesty, he would have taken a vow of silence many years ago. [Here’s another piece of recent Falwell stupidity:](http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27817) > [@](#): > > The Media Research Center, a conservative media-watchdog group, reported this week that ABC officials recently chose to bleep out the word “Jesus” on the West coast broadcast of its morning talk show, “The View.” > > [One of the hosts] commented on her successful weight-loss program. She exclaimed, “Yes, and thank you, thank you, Jesus, is all I have to say!” > > MRC reported that her words were aired unedited across most of the nation, but edited only in the West coast telecast. From this lone incident, with the usual generalities added, Falwell does the usual evangelical pity party: > [@](#): > > It is apparent that we are the pariahs of the secular society. > > This is, in my opinion, a national tragedy. And officials at ABC are falling right in line with this religious interdiction by determining that the name of Jesus must be banished. Yeah, one incident in which the ‘Jesus’ is bleeped out in one fraction of the country, equals ‘banishment’. Sure, Jer. Not to mention, that sort of “thank you thank you Jesus, I lost five pounds!” isn’t exactly what you’d call religious speech. Falwell should _thank_ ABC for pulling that trivializing bit of fluff from the show, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/17 "2002-06-04T20:23:07Z")
Nice job, **RT** , except that Jerusalem is nothing of any importance, provincial capital at best and often not even that, for 70 years of Exile (as you note) **plus** about 150 years of Persian rule and about 100 of Seleucid rule before the Maccabees revolt against the latter. However, it’s a minor nit as regards your general point: Falwell’s historical sense is fully as well developed as is his theological. BTW, **DDG** , do you feel up to a thread in GD defining and explaining fundamentalism as you understand it? Around here, it seems to be the convenient term to drag out and use as a slam against any conservative Christian with whose views you disagree (and I too am guilty of this). Having a vague awareness of the origins of the term and how it’s been perverted by the LaHaye/Falwell brigade of demongogues, I’d be interested in why you feel inclined to hold to it and what it means to you. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/18 "2002-06-04T20:39:02Z")
And in other news, scientists today revealed the results of a groundbreaking decade-long study: water is wet. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/19 "2002-06-04T21:35:36Z")
Interesting idea, **Poly**. I was considering starting a GD “Come witness to **Duck Duck Goose**!” thread. Fundie-ism certainly isn’t very becoming to such a pleasant, rational person, so I figure it’s time for her to explore some alternative theologies. Besides, I’ve even seen her use the f-word once or twice lately, so you know she’s got to be rethinking the whole fundamentalism thing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316/20 "2002-06-04T21:58:37Z")
and it’s sort of a hijack. But, DDG, I remember when Wildest Bill actually got us all to agree that we shouldn’t use the word “Fundie” because it’s usually meant as a slur, and not as a shortening of fundamentalist. Which, okay, I’m cool with that. I’m down with members of any group not being addressed by a name they find offensive. That’s good. The problem, for me, is the word “fundamentalist.” It’s long. And it’s easily misspelled. Which means that any post where I want to address the fundamentalist viewpoint has to be spell-checked, then re-spell-checked, until I finally…ooh, look at the shiny thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-again-jerry-falwell-proves-to-be-an-embarrassing-jerk/112316.md?page=2)