By Peter LaBarbera

On hearing of the death of Jerry Falwell (read pro-family tributes to him HERE), I was reminded of an incident that revealed his heart, as a Christian and as a human being. Homosexual activists heaped instantaneous (and horrifyingly wicked) scorn upon this man of God — in a way that only seems to confirm what he said about their movement.

Their sickening behavior also confirms what the Bible says about God giving up unrepentant homosexuals to a “reprobate” (also translated depraved and debased) mind (Romans 1:28).

But before we get into the homosexuals’ vicious response to Falwell’s death, a history lesson: conservative icon Richard Viguerie states in his tribute to the Moral Majority founder:

“With the death of Dr. Jerry Falwell, the conservative movement has lost one its founders and key leaders. Dr. Falwell was one of the main architects of the conservative movement in the 1970s and 1980s. His work and leadership played an indispensable role in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

“For decades, the conservative movement stood on a two-legged stool and won few elections. But when Dr. Falwell became an integral part of the movement, he led tens of thousands of ministers, along with millions of their followers, into the voting booths to support vital conservative causes. This provided the third leg of the stool, which allowed conservatives to level the political playing field with the Left.

“Without Dr. Falwell, there would be no meaningful conservative movement. He was a true history-maker in our nation.”

And now, on to the “Immoral Minority’s” reaction:

John Aravosis, a homosexual blogger who certainly fits the bill, called Falwell a “hateful pig,” inspiring a slew of even nastier comments on his “Americablog” site. Said one: “Too bad [Falwell’s death] wasn’t more prolonged and painful.” Wrote another: “Now cross your fingers for Pat Robertson to join him in Heaven soon.” Many of the remarks are too vulgar to reprint here.

As is the trend on the Left these days, many of the anti-Falwell posters used religious condemnations to make their point: “The gates of hell swing open and Satan welcomes his beloved son,” wrote Amanda Marcotte, a “Pandagon” blogger who became a short news story herself after it was revealed that she had been hired by Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards — but who now, after being fired by Edwards, is once again free to spew her venom.

Homosexual activist Wayne Besen, the former spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the world’s largest “gay” lobby group, wrote on his site, next to an altered photo of Falwell (how mature, Wayne…): “Won’t the good preacher be shocked when he finds himself at the gates of Hell this morning! Man, I would love to post that video on YouTube. I must go now and mourn, as I can hardly contain my sorrow.”

Poor, pitiful Wayne. More proof that nobody hates like the Left in this country.

Some homosexual activists in San Francisco even held a public celebration of Falwell’s death — a spectacle that more savvy “gay” leaders warned would backfire.

The latter were right. As libertarian Bill Barnwell writes in a piece titled, “Celebrating the Death of Jerry Falwell”: “I cannot recall a time I read about Falwell making statements where he laughed off or celebrated the death of a gay person.”

Besen, Aravosis and their ilk hate in the name of their twisted version of “tolerance,” but Falwell was no hater — as most Christians who disagree with the homosexual cause are not haters but good people simply trying to follow God’s unchanging moral law.

The real Falwell: hugging homosexuals 

Back in 1999, under the threat of a large protest from from Mel White — founder of the “gay” group Soulforce and an evangelical writer who left his wife and family to pursue a sexual relationship with a man — Falwell agreed to host a joint media event with White at his famous Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. There was a contingent of mostly homosexual students and activists there to cheer on White, and a corresponding crowd of Liberty University students and pro-family advocates, including myself, backing Falwell’s position.

After the media event, the main participants and the “gay” Soulforce activists and kids went to unwind at a banquet room where pastries and drinks were served. And that is where the stereotype of Jerry Falwell as “homophobe” and “hatemonger” fizzled before everyone’s eyes, but especially those of the young “gay” activists.

In the corner of the room, Mel White conferred with his strategists — probably upset that the event did not turn out to be as useful a “gay” propaganda event as he had hoped. White nervously looked over at Falwell in the center of the room, but the contrast between the two men’s demeanors could not have been more pronounced. For there was the gregarious Falwell, wearing a huge smile and laughing, putting his big arms around the Soulforce kids as he posed for one souvenir “celebrity” photo after another.

This was not just a show for the crowd — the media weren’t even present — this was the real deal. Falwell was like a big teddy bear having a genuine good time playing host and showing Christian love to the confused Soulforce kids who, I’m sure, were experiencing a bit of cognitive dissonance.

I did not know Jerry Falwall personally, but from my experience that day at his church, I don’t think there was a hateful bone in his body. As Tony Perkins of Family Research Council said yesterday, Falwell was “a very, very loving, friendly, happy guy,” much loved by the students at the Liberty University, which he founded.

Falwell later claimed that some of the pro-Soulforce youth who attended the media event began attending his church and left the homosexual lifestyle — which White disputed. The determined White, who once edited Falwell’s autobiography as a ghostwriter before “coming out” as a homosexual, later moved Soulforce’s headquarters to Lynchburg to facilitate his religious brand of “gay” activism.

Haters of God’s truth

What explains the outpouring of homosexual hatred at Falwell’s death? Well, he was one of the first to speak out when he saw that people proudly practicing homosexuality were starting to organize, and he led American Christians in responding to the explosion of this new sin movement.  He knew that the “gay” political and cultural agenda would harm the nation — as does the proud defense of abortion, pornography or any sin — and he was right. (If you doubt that he was right, just read today’s headlines.) Through the Moral Majority, he helped elect one of America’s greatest presidents, Ronald Reagan, and gave voice to millions of Americans who simply view the practice of homosexual behavior and its advocacy as wrong.

Falwell was far from perfect — who isn’t? — but even if he had never uttered a single controversial public statement, such as that about 9-11 for which he was roundly criticized, he would be hated and vilified today by those who talk show host Michael Savage calls the “Immoral Minority.”

They despise Falwell not because of how he preached against their lifestyle, but because he dared to speak out at all. The Left has re-defined the ancient Christian belief that homosexuality is a sin as “hate” itself. Anyone who disagrees publicly with homosexuality, no matter how nice, is now a “hater” or a “homophobe.”

 

The proud homosexuals believe the Gospel does not apply to them because they have decided — all evidence in the Word of God and in Nature’s design to the contrary — that homosexual behavior is not sinful. Nope, because they “feel” that “being gay” is “who they are,” then that’s the way it is, and “we don’t need your Jesus, thank you!”

Or, worse, like Mel White and Soulforce, they set about redefining Christ and the Bible (or other religions such as Islam) to accommodate their particular “orientation,” which is actually a bent toward perversion that must not be indulged — just as “heterosexual” men must not indulge their seemingly inborn and natural “orientation” toward lust for women (pornography, etc.). 

The truth that many conservatives and Christians are still only beginning to understand is that there is no group of activists in America today that is as mean, petty, and vindictive — and, yes, as collectively evil — as the organized homosexual lobby. If you want to know why Jerry Falwell, way back in the ’70s, felt the need to warn the nation about the “gay” revolution, take a look at what his critics are saying about him now, celebrating his death in the most unseemly manner. Try these websites [WARNING: vulgar language]:

http://www.waynebesen.com/2007/05/farewell-to-falwell.html#comments (Wayne Besen’s site)

 

http://www.haloscan.com/comments.php?user=katsiva&comment=1042193778436255563 (John Aravosis)

 

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1681 (Pam Spaulding)

There is much confusion these days about the role of evangelicals in politics, with many pastors opting out of the “culture wars” in favor of spreading the Gospel (must the two be mutally exclusive?). For its part, the Left, both religious and secular, doesn’t talk about retreating. Now “gays” are on the offensive, flipping the Bible on its head by saying that WE, not them, should be ashamed for disagreeing with their lifestyle (“homophobia”).

Jerry Falwell ended up apologizing for some of his rhetoric, but he never strayed from the Biblical truth — despite the protests by Mel White and other pro-“gay” activists — that homosexuality is about sinful behavior that is changeable through a relationship with a loving, forgiving God. Conversely, to believe White’s false gospel, people are intrinsically “gay” — naturally created for nonprocreative and often destructive sexual behaviors like sodomy — and Jesus Christ is powerless to help them change and overcome this disordered yet powerful pull in their lives.

Tell that to all the men and women who have overcome homosexuality through Christ.

As “gay” activist power grows in our nation, all Christians will face a choice: will they, like Falwell, agree with God that this behavior is sinful — and speak out publicly against all attempts to codify it in the law, including laws making it illegal to oppose homosexual behavior? Will they confidently refute “proud” homosexuality and “queer” theology while reaching out in the love of Christ to homosexuals with the truth that they can become “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Jesus Christ if they repent and believe in Him? 

Or will they, like White and evangelical leader Tony Campolo — whose wife Peggy, incredibly, supports “same-sex marriage” — seek some non-Scriptural accommodation with a movement that now enjoys the support of so many liberals and opinion-leaders? 

Will they bow to the world in strategic silence on this issue, perhaps rationalizing their cowardice with creative theology, or will they trust God by standing with Him for Truth no matter what the media and pop culture say?

There is no doubt that this “gay” movement whose loud voice and overpowering self-righteousness — wielded by a single homosexual or collectively as a counterfeit, “queer” minority — can be intimidating to those who disagree with homosexuality. But the Bible is clear: Jerry Falwell is in heaven today. And the proud homosexuals who speak of hell to mock him will be headed there one day unless they repent and turn away from this lifestyle, as many men and women already have:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)