Jerry Falwell blames ACLU for Terrorist Attacks

Sep. 13, 2001: Professional false prophet Jerry Falwell teamed up with Pat Robertson on the the latter's 700 Club to blame civil libertarians, supporters of abortion rights, feminists and homosexuals for the terrorist attacks.

Pat Robertson began with a litany of moral faults which could be endorsed by Osama Bin Laden, "... we have been so concerned about money. We have been so concerned about material things. The interests of people are on their health and their finances, and on their pleasures and on their sexuality, and while this is going on while we're self-absorbed and the churches as well as in the population, we have allowed rampant pornography on the internet. We have allowed rampant secularism and occult, etc. to be broadcast on television. We have permitted somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 to 40 million unborn babies to be slaughtered in our society. We have a court that has essentially stuck its finger in God's eye and said we're going to legislate you out of the schools. We're going to take your commandments from off the courthouse steps in various states. We're not going to let little children read the commandments of God. We're not going to let the Bible be read, no prayer in our schools. We have insulted God at the highest levels of our government. And, then we say, 'why does this happen?'

"Well, why it's happening is that God Almighty is lifting his protection from us. And once that protection is gone, we all are vulnerable because we're a free society, and we're vulnerable."

In his response, Falwell said, "... with biological warfare available to these monsters; the Husseins, the Bin Ladens, the Arafats, what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact, if in fact God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

After Robertson concurred, Falwell continued, "The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this. ... 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'."

To this Robertson replied, "Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people, of course, is the court system."

Jesus said it best: "Before you can take the mote out of your brother's eye, you must get help in removing the log in your own." In fact, Falwell's own relentless pursuit of an uncritical and unconditional American support for Israel is one of the proximate causes for the terror attacks.

Fallwell now repents of speaking his true feelings.

Robertson and Falwell claimed these venomous remarks were misunderstood, but you may read the full text at People for the American Way.

Here is a letter offering an Afghan-American's insight into the present day lives of Afghanis, how Bin Laden has affected them, and what a US attack would mean to the country and Bin Laden.

All contents © Copyright 2001, 2003 John Stewart, except as noted
Last modified: Fri 12 Sep 2003