Falwell Apology Rings Hollow

After reading “Falwell Apologizes for Divisive Remarks” (Sept. 18), about how Jerry Falwell offered an apology to those he offended, I was overcome with a feeling of disgust for the man. I see him for the putrid individual he is, spewing hatred and disharmony in our time of grief. Claiming that God somehow has it in for America and that God made it possible for over 6,000 innocent lives to perish is incomprehensible to me. Perhaps Falwell and his followers should go back and read the Bible and learn what it means to be Christians, not hatemongers and traitors to America. The pick-and-choose method of religion, using segments of biblical scripture to fit one’s political beliefs, closely resembles that of the Muslims who have twisted the words of the Koran into a means to justify terrorist acts.

Rex Howen

Valley Village

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For those of you who were fortunate to have missed the religious right’s spin of the Sept. 11 disasters, I can summarize: divine retribution. Yes, those who support abortion, gay rights, U.S. materialism and Hollywood immorality have finally received punishment for their sins. Watching these zealots spit their vitriolic words, smilingly, revealed only their true colors: hatred and self-loathing. Jerry Falwell, et al., please meet and greet your dark half: Osama bin Laden.

Janice Pellico

Agoura Hills

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Falwell’s statement of regret for linking feminists, pro-choice people and gays and lesbians with the terrorist attack was duplicitous. The cat has long since been out of the bag about his fanatical views against many Americans who disagree with him. I think he should at least have had enough backbone to defend his original statements. It seems, instead, that Falwell chose to spin-doctor his comments in order to avoid the bad press of keeping company with the intolerance that characterizes fanatical terrorists. How pathetic.

Marc Colburn

Los Angeles

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John Balzar got it right, but for the wrong reason, in arguing that Falwell and Pat Robertson, on the one hand, and Bin Laden and the ayatollahs, on the other hand, are spiritual brothers (Commentary, Sept. 17). America’s religious right and the Mideast’s Islamic radicals are offspring of the same animal--not because they are both fundamentalists but rather because they both take religion seriously.

Wanting to base your life on fundamental principles is not misguided or even evil. In fact, it is only by using rational, reality-based principles that any man or woman can pursue a life of happiness here on Earth.

Falwell and his ilk are the siblings of Islamic terrorists (with the same ultimate goal) because they reject this world in favor of an imaginary afterlife. They reject their minds in favor of faith. Because there is no God, the priests are left with only their feelings to guide them; because emotions are not arguments, they are left with only force in dealing with other men.

The overriding emotion that consumes them is hate. Hate for freedom, reason, material wealth. Hate for this world. Fundamentally, hate for life itself.

Ray Shelton

Glendale

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As a serious Christian, I have to say I am repulsed by the callous, insensitive, self-serving remarks of Falwell and Robertson in regard to the horrible attack on the World Trade Center. What decent American, or anyone else in his or her right mind, would even entertain the notion that these victims and their families got what they deserved?

Jesus warned us of false prophets, and I can think of no better examples. To the vast majority of Christians, these men do not represent their faith but rather are seen as arrogant, rich, self-righteous impostors. If they had an ounce of decency they would get on their knees and seek forgiveness from each and every relative of the 5,000 dead and countless thousands injured.

Gary Lasley

Pomona

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I would like Falwell and Robertson to know that their God is not my God. My God is loving and caring. We were given free will, which allows acts like those that took place on Sept. 11, and also allows the terrorist acts perpetrated in this country over the last few years by extreme American fundamentalists.

When Falwell and Robertson meet their maker, they will be asked why they have been blaming all this carnage on God, and they will come up lacking.

Julian Keithahn

San Juan Capistrano

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Falwell and Robertson have passed on the hate in their hearts and they have done so in the context of recent hateful, horrific events. We do not need more terrorism, verbal or physical.

Ann Appley

Pasadena

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If there is some small good that can come out of the tragedies of Sept. 11, it will be to make Falwell and his ilk irrelevant.

Virginia Uribe

Pasadena