Well, what more do we expect from Jerry?
What can we expect from Falwell? After all, a man who drinks Campari while having sex with his mother in an outhouse?
Okay, seriously, though: Americans don't seem to make a connection between the amount of idiotic evangelism in this country and "why they hate us". When Bush said that God is on our side, I had this terrible vision of televangelists and spent a moment considering violent atheism as a last-ditch effort to save humanity. Then I realized I was being melodramatic.
But what I wonder about most is what Mr. Falwell thinks about our war. After all, there is a clear dichotomy 'twixt Christianity and Islam that begs exploitation.
• "When men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (Exodus 21.22-25, RSV)
• When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured. He who kills a beast shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24.19-21, RSV)
•_If a malicious witness rises against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days; the judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother; so you shall purge the evil from the midst of you. And the rest shall hear, and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity; it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (Deuteronomy 19.16-21, RSV)
You will note that each of the passages (A) comes from the Old Testament, and (B) invokes revenge: an eye for an eye.
But here's the money question:
What would Jesus do?
"You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (Matthew 5.38-47)
So Mr. Falwell has inspired me to ask the very basic question:
Why do Christians support military action against Iraq, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, or any other of our chosen enemies?
Especially in light of Mr. Falwell's indictment of Mohammed. Consider:
•
Fight then in Allah's way; this is not imposed on you except In relation to yourself, and rouse the believers to ardor maybe Allah will restrain the fighting of those who disbelieve and Allah is strongest in prowess and strongest to give an exemplary punishment.
Whoever joins himself (to another) in a good cause shall have a share of it, and whoever joins himself (to another) in an evil cause shall have the responsibility of it, and Allah controls all things.
And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with a better (greeting) than it or return it; surely Allah takes account of all things.
Allah, there is no god but He-- He will most certainly gather you together on the resurrection day, there is no doubt in it; and who is more true in word than Allah?
What is the matter with you, then, that you have become two parties about the hypocrites, while Allah has made them return (to unbelief) for what they have earned? Do you wish to guide him whom Allah has caused to err? And whomsoever Allah causes to err, you shall by no means find a way for him.
They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.
Except those who reach a people between whom and you there is an alliance, or who come to you, their hearts shrinking from fighting you or fighting their own people; and if Allah had pleased, He would have given them power over you, so that they should have certainly fought you; therefore if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you a way against them. (Koran, "The Women", 4.84-90)
Lastly, a note from
Karen Armstrong:
Because the Koran was revealed in the context of an all-out war, several passages deal with the conduct of armed struggle. Warfare was a desperate business on the Arabian Peninsula. A chieftain was not expected to spare survivors after a battle, and some of the Koranic injunctions seem to share this spirit. Muslims are ordered by God to "slay [enemies] wherever you find them!" (4:89). Extremists such as Osama bin Laden like to quote such verses but do so selectively. They do not include the exhortations to peace, which in almost every case follow these more ferocious passages: "Thus, if they let you be, and do not make war on you, and offer you peace, God does not allow you to harm them" (4:90).
All in all, it looks to me as if a Christian supporting a war against our declared Islamic enemies are, in fact, choosing the way of the Koran over that of the Bible, which strikes me as the biggest irony of all.
Falwell, as an evangelical Christian, ought to be leading the movement toward peace and reconciliation, not using his pulpit to spread divisive vitriol. Personally, I think Christians should work alongside Muslims to bring peace. After all, many Christians, it seems, would prefer to be Muslims.
I mean think about that: In supporting a conflict 'twixt Islamic fundamentalists and the United States, a Christian is
rejecting the New Covenant of Jesus Christ in order to let the Old Covenant be the guide to actions that, when you get right down to it, aspire at best to be Muslim in the logical relationship with theology.
Of course, Falwell isn't perfect. He's forgiven.
I would just hope that he and others like him would put some effort into it. Otherwise, the irony serves as a practical demonstration for the implausibility of the Christian evangelical vision.
thanx,
Tiassa
