Farewell, Falwell. Don't let the door hit your a** on the way out.

Jerry Falwell, dead at 73. This guy practically started the concept of turing anti-gay speech into a profitable business. Who will ever forget the vileness of his words after 9/11? For me, Jerry Falwell will always be a perfect illustration of the horror that can happen in the merging of politics and religion. And the prime example of why Christians are seen as bigoted, intollerant hypocrites. But isn't there some rule about speaking ill of the dead? Well....

And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, "You helped this happen."
— Rev Jerry Falwell, blaming civil libertarians, feminists, homosexuals, and abortion rights supporters for the terrorist attacks of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, quoted from John F Harris, "God Gave US 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says," The Washington Post (September 14, 2001)

For a reasonalbe take from a person of faith that I admire, click here.