And, lo, Mr. Hitchens has put his words to paper (internet paper!). You can read his column here. Some choice excerpts follow:
The discovery of the carcass of Jerry Falwell on the floor of an obscure office in Virginia has almost zero significance, except perhaps for two categories of the species labeled "credulous idiot."
Like many fanatical preachers, Falwell was especially disgusting in exuding an almost sexless personality while railing from dawn to dusk about the sex lives of others. His obsession with homosexuality was on a par with his lip-smacking evocations of hellfire.
It's a shame that there is no hell for Falwell to go to, and it's extraordinary that not even such a scandalous career is enough to shake our dumb addiction to the "faith-based."
Reader Comments ( Page 5 of 12)
61. Wow, Mr. Hitchens and all of you who agree with him emit alot of hate and anger towards someone who gave his life away in service to others including drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless moms, etc. Even though Falwell said some stupid things in his life, he probably did more for others than any of you or Hitchens has done collectively. Think long and hard about what you say because you will be judged by your words.
kmd at 7:17PM on May 16th 2007
62. Dear Mr. Hutchins:
I don't know much about you or your writings. Just by reading your coments on Rev. Falwell leads me to believe that you are a man with a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. People who have these problems always lash out at the truth. That is why people hate God.However God is a God of love and able to forgive even you. Remember they hated Jesus
for the truth but before he died He asked his Father to forgive them who crucifed him. Guess what he died for you.
Joe at 7:25PM on May 16th 2007
63. i too live in virginia, and was embarassed many time by the things Falwell said. no--he didn't deserve to die, nobody deserves that. i thought he was a bit off his rocker when he criticized a cartoon charactoer, and blamed 911 on gay people. he just should have continued building his little empire to honor himself. he has so many little puppet followers who gave so much to him and never saw that he was a pompous egotist and self-worshipper. i have no regrets that he is gone.
salem
SALEM at 7:26PM on May 16th 2007
64. I wonder how many people gave this guy the bank when they thought he was doing so much in the name of God. He was so full of himself. He picked and chose what he wanted from the bible just to enrage his goofy following. He forgot the line Christ used when the mob was about to stone a woman. He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone”
Joe McGovern at 7:43PM on May 16th 2007
65. Not all "faith based" people are congenital idiots like Falwell, nor do we all foam at the moutn about homosexuality or sexual things. Orthodox Christians believe that sins of the spirit, such as self-righteousness, pride, hatred, bigotry etc. are far more serious than sins of the body. THIS is the true Christian teaching as found in the Gospels of Jesus Christ, NOT this Evangelical and Roman Catholic bull where peeking in bedrooms and trying to control people is the norm.
Jesus is far more concerned with feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting prisoners, healing the sick and waging peace than what we do with our genitalia. The Western Church has really GOT to get over its obsession with people's genitals and start living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And to the atheist Mr. Hitchens --- you're very ignorant of much of the Christian tradition. So was Falwell. Perhaps the two of you will be given a room together at the Hades Hilton, should both of you get sent there. Unfortunately, piety and intelligence do not necessarily go together. Unfortunately, neither do intelligence and atheism.
Father John Heckers
Ukrainian Orthodox Priest
Father John at 7:53PM on May 16th 2007
66. Falwell appeared to leave a lot to be desired but his judgment is rightly now in the hands of his Maker. The unseemly rush to dance on his grave by Hitchens (and the endorsement of this behavior by many of the commenters on this blog) is eloquent testimony to an enormous poverty of character.
It is ironic that these people never seem able to look in the mirror and recognize that what they say of Falwell's opportunism, partiality and use of religion for socio-political causes applies equally to themselves and many of their heroes.
Cincinnati Rick at 8:36PM on May 16th 2007
67. Your remarks are a perfect example of hate speech. Surely Rev. Falwell deserves better than that, if for no other reason than he was a human being. He had a family. Why would you want to subject them to your vicious words, especially now when their grief is so fresh?
C.A. at 8:41PM on May 16th 2007
68. Wow! Hitchens and Falwell must have been seperated at birth; smug, egocentric, holier-than-thou, bigoted, offensively judgmental,transparently cruel to the very people they are trying to reach. They're peas in a pod! My sincere condolences to the families of both men. I can only hope their veiws could cancel each other out. It's a shame when Christians are hated for the wrong reasons.
BrFideis at 8:45PM on May 16th 2007
69. Falwell or Fare Well Falwell and good riddance to a person who was supposed to preach the Word of God yet he hated so many things. He hated Jews,liberal, Catholics,Gays, Lesbians, Democrats, Abortion, Porn,and he blamed the 911 tragedy on all of the above. Maybe we hate these too but isn't a man of God suppose to" Love one another as I have loved You.?"
rose at 8:54PM on May 16th 2007
70. Mr. Hitchens is my hero. What a way with words!
Kendall Scott at 9:18PM on May 16th 2007
71. God bless you all !!!! You will need it. AOL has some of the most mean sprited people on the net. He was a good man. Why would anyone listen to someone that dont believe in GOD ??? Thats what is wrong with America. People took GOD out of everything. The people will answer for what they have done. And for people to be glad that he has died is just ugly. Watch what you say it will come back and haunt you. What comes around goes around.
Michelle at 9:21PM on May 16th 2007
72. Thank you Mr. Hitchens. You are 100% correct. That lyning bastard was an idiot and con-man. If there is a HELL i hope this idiot is burning. I wish Swwagart, Haggard, Graham, and these other religious idiots would join falwell. Today, on the michael medve show he whined and whined about the hatred directed at falwell and lashing out at Mr. Hitchens. But, then medve continues to lick the rearend of bush daily. Yesterday was a good day!
Russell J. Givens, Jr. at 9:37PM on May 16th 2007
73. GREAT video! Its about time someone who has the ear of the media speaks the truth about these faith-based hypocrites. Its a sad commentary on our moronic president and his appointees and tells of how dangerous myth-believers like this ilk really is.
John Palazzini at 9:49PM on May 16th 2007
74. Religion is a cancer on society and threatens humanity. Its nothing more than myth, sophistry, deception and Hebrew fairy-tales designed to dupe the scientifically ignorant and easily frightened.
John Palazzini at 9:51PM on May 16th 2007
75. Your a disgusting pig christopher! God bless Reverand Falwell
tracey bonneau at 9:59PM on May 16th 2007