Jerry Falwell Jr. Will Now Seek Redemption

The word redemption is not one I use much but I've noticed it is a word used often by religious people. I read once the President George W. Bush said he was enthusiastic about invading Iraq because his family needed "redemption." The redemption was that his father had called off military attracts without invading Iraq after the Gulf War.

Growing up in an evangelical church and hearing testimony from traveling evangelists it occurred to me all of them claimed to have once lived lives of drinking and partying. I wondered why they were all so similar. Later I learned this was part of the schtick. That preachers who performed at rallies and such needed to say that had been rescued by religion from a life of decadence. It was as if one could not be a real Christian without first living a sinful life.

Given the "system", we may well expect Jerry Jr. to announce he has seen the light and will retake the Presidency of Liberty University where he was recently fired (is on "leave") for posting to picture of himself with a young woman exposing his underwear. He had also called a radio station sounds drunk.

I don't myself understand why the claim of being sinful before being not sinful is so necessary. Why is it less interesting to this genre of Christianity to have always followed the boring life of good citizenship? The only good thing about the sin narrative is it offers an opportunity for the likes of Jerry Jr. to get back to making money off believers, the family business.

I read on a celebrity net worth site that Jerry Jr.'s estimated net worth is $100 million. Some of this was made in real estate. He really does not need his old job back as President of Liberty University. What happens in his future is what I'm looking forward to.


Comments

  1. Ardy BAugust 13, 2020 at 3:49 AM

    Jon, “What happens in [Falwell’s] future is what I'm looking forward to.”

    My guess is multi-millionaire Jerry Falwell Jr. will get back on his high horse with a leg-up from his redeemer-in-chief, Trump. Falwell apparently ran Liberty University like a dictator, compared Trump to Winston Churchill, and declared Trump a champion of Evangelical Christianity. Jerry Jr. has the authoritarian demeanor, aggressive business instincts, demonstrated loyalty, and gushing praise for Trump that could win him a spot somewhere in a second term administration should it occur. With his qualifications maybe a newly created position as Secretary of Wealth and Human Servitude.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenAugust 13, 2020 at 9:56 AM

      Ardy B "With his qualifications maybe a newly created position as...."

      We know that with (fill in with the god of your choice) all things are possible.

      Delete
    2. Ardy BAugust 13, 2020 at 11:04 AM

      Jon - Jerry Sr. exercised good judgment turning his ministry at Thomas Road Baptist over to son Jonathan whom he considered, so it is said, of “a more morally upstanding character”. Jerry Jr. seems the type of fellow who perpetually self-redeems. He never fell in the first place. He was set up. No need to ask.

      Delete
  2. Ardy BAugust 13, 2020 at 4:54 PM

    Jon,

    Liberty University has an interim president, Jerry Prevo.

    “Prevo, who spent 47 years as the pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple before stepping down last year, is  known for his opposition to LGBT rights and his influence in Alaska politics. He has also partnered with Samaritan’s Purse, run by infamous gay-hater and Trump-lover Franklin Graham.”(1). The plot sickens.

    (1) https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thefreethinker/2020/08/old-school-homophobe-replaces-falwell-at-liberty-university/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenAugust 13, 2020 at 5:19 PM

      Ardy B -- A few years ago I met two fellows who attended Liberty, dated and married. They wrote a book about their experiences of being gay at a gay-hating Bible university. While they had ordinary day jobs, their passion was to travel around to fundamentalist colleges and meet with gay students there. They try to get them to come out and organize. I would guess Jerry Jr was more interested in profits than demonizing gay students. This guy has not been a college President and may walk into something he has not experienced. Should be entertaining.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maybe the "Original Sin" Should be Reassigned

Image
We can all agree most Catholic priests are fine people and not guilty of sexual abuse. What Catholics must face, however, it that their church harbors executives who are dishonest . There is an incredible story about the Argentine Bishop Zanchetta. The Pope worked with him in Argentina and they are considered friends. Around 2015 Zanchetta sent nude pictures of himself and they began circulating world wide. He also was too friendly with young seminarians and some left because of him.  Three different officials say they made formal complaints to the Vatican about Zanchetta between 2015 and 2017. Yet, in 2018, the Vatican claimed it was unaware of any complaints about Zanchetta. This might be a good time to repeat the Catholic hierarchy claims to have the sole authority handed down from Jesus to what the faith stands for. It condemns as sinners those who practice birth control, have abortions and gay sexual relationships. Handing the hierarchy this responsibility would make som
Read more

The Religious Capitol Invaders May Yet Win

Image
So much about U.S. society and religion can be learned from the Civil War and what happened afterwards. After its defeat, the South started a myth about the unethical soldiers from the North. The South fought for principles of God and states rights. The North did not. It was the South, this propaganda told the country, that had the high moral ground.  The Capitol invaders, encouraged by Trump, swallowed the myth that Biden's election was stolen. Thus, they think they held and still hold the high moral ground. This was reinforced by the cross and prayers during the invasion. Even with Trump is gone, we will see political opportunists like Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley stroking crowds and feeding the same lies as Trump. Like "the South will rise again" these gullible followers will talk of victory over the unclean. After the Civil War the South rallied around the phrase, Lost Cause. For decades, and maybe to this day, there are ceremonies remembering fallen martyrs, Re
Read more

Father Frank Pavone, the Ultimate Crook

Image
Recently, the Vatican defrocked Frank Pavone. His diehard fans are outraged. This is because he cleverly manipulated his fans and the press all the while living well from donations and, apparently, abusing some women. By making abortion the "sin" of the century, and himself the main opposition to this one sin, he himself could get away with any sin he pleased.  As the link points out, Pavone was the perfect priest for the Trump era. Trump is so self-important laws have no role in his life. He felt accountable to no one. Women were there to be had. Pavone and Trump are interchangeable.  Pavone was very successful raising money. In his mind, abortion was so important in Catholic beliefs and he was so important in anti-abortion the money he raised opposing it was his to do with what he liked. The Catholic Church, the brand name he used to raise this money, thought the money belonged to it. When he gave the Vatican the bird, it gave him walking papers. With polls showing the majo
Read more