Falwell redux

[julesjones]

Thanks to yourbob for the following link:
http://www.tmz.com/2007/05/15/jerry-falwell-1933-2007/

Religion outbreak warning

Part of the reason I so loathed Falwell is that he used the Two Great Commandments for toilet paper. I'm an Anglican, if no longer a terribly regular church goer, and back when I was a regular church goer it was in a diocese that was very big on the Two Great Commandments as a central part of the rite of communion. Recite "and a second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. Upon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" on as many Sundays as I have, and it sticks. It's important to me at a very deep level, even if I'm less than perfect in following it.

And so, though I would dearly like to say "Burn in hell for evermore" for the many, many acts of evil he committed, I shouldn't. Not just because it would be committing the same horror of a sin he revelled in. I don't believe in literal hellfire, but in the more subtle concept that hell is the absence of God. If Falwell ever understands, even an aeon from now, what it is he has done and why it is wrong, and truly repents of his evil deeds, there is still redemption.

But this is one of the reasons I so liked tharain's suggestion of St Peter in drag as Tinky Winky. Not just for the amusement, and the honest malicious pleasure it gave me, but for the symbolic value. Because if Falwell finds a giant Tinky Winky waiting to read him his sins, and will not listen to that recital simply because of who is reading, he has not truly repented of his greatest sin -- hate. And he's not going to get through those gates until he does.

Comments

[hafren.livejournal.com]

As both an atheist and a keen gardener, my own worst fear is (a) finding God exists at all and (b) finding that he takes the form of a giant slug...

[julesjones]

And then you'll be *really* sorry...

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Someone on the Guardian CiF board:

'He donated his organs, the only gesture of kindness recorded in his adult life, but they were all rejected, except for the spleen, reportedly large enough to serve three.'

[sarahf.livejournal.com]

Help an atheist out: two great commandments? Love your neighbor as you would yourself, obviously. And love God?

[julesjones]

Yes. The full text is

Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

The parable of the Good Samaritan is meant to make it clear that "neighbour" is defined rather more broadly than some people would like. I went on a full-on rant about this last year -- Falwell was one of the people I was talking about:
http://julesjones.livejournal.com/85365.html

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Heartfelt agreement on both your concept of hell, and of the hope that Tinky Winky is doing the sin reading....