Editorial: Religious zealotry, U.S. style

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001 | 8:27 a.m.

It started innocently enough last week as an interview on Pat Robertson's televised show, "The 700 Club," with the Rev. Jerry Falwell as guest and the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., as the topic. Falwell, the founder of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., took Islamic fundamentalists to task for terrorism, calling them monsters who were committed to "destroying the Jewish nation."

Had Falwell stopped there, his comments likely would have resonated with a great many Americans. But then he went on to say that the American Civil Liberties Union has got to "take a lot of blame for this." Falwell was on a roll. Before he was done, he had also blamed the terrorist attacks on gays and lesbians, abortion rights activists, feminists and the federal court system. "I point the finger in their face and say, 'you helped this happen,' " Falwell said on the program. Robertson said he agreed.

We have heard this diatribe from both men before. Falwell, a Baptist minister, and evangelist Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America, have spent years trying to persuade Americans to accept their religious views. They paint as outcasts anyone who does not agree with them. If they had their way, America would become a country in which all citizens would be forced to conform to their rigid set of religious beliefs. They have attempted to accomplish their goals by financing politicians who share their philosophies.

The United States was founded by religious dissenters who fought against the very message Falwell and Robertson preach. Over time, this country has turned into a melting pot of races, religions and political beliefs. People in this country are free to follow the religion of their choice. The terrorists who attacked this nation are theocrats who also have no tolerance for religious freedoms.

Against this background, the hatred Falwell and Robertson have expressed toward groups with which they disagree has a familiar ring. They have revealed themselves once again to be far outside the mainstream of thought in this nation. Falwell deservedly will have a difficult time maintaining credibility following his remarks. And the same is true of Robertson for agreeing with his guest.

Blame for the terrorism rests squarely on the shoulders of those who committed, planned and financed the attacks. Falwell and Robertson have chosen the path of division rather than unity. The terrorists would like nothing more than to divide America. We do not need Falwell and Robertson to give the enemy a helping hand.

After the initial fallout in the media from his remarks, Falwell issued a statement of regret, adding that his comments were made during a theological discussion and were taken out of context. A full transcript of his conversation with Robertson shows otherwise. His complete remarks were filled with hate and divisive language. Regrettably, both he and Robertson have made similar divisive remarks in the past.

Falwell and Robertson should have known better. Instead, they revealed themselves for who they really are. Both men would have an America in which all individuals adhered to the same beliefs. But this is not what our country is all about. We are a richly diverse nation whose various religions, races and creeds make us the envy of the world and the greatest country in the history of mankind.