Flashback: Jerry Falwell Remembered…and a Picketing That Helped Immeasurably.

[Fifty years in politics remembered for my kids and grandchildren].

The death of Jerry Falwell at 73 stirs some memories…not the least because of an immature cheap shot cheering his death by a so-called “Religion columnist” of the Chicago-Sun-Times. To Cathleen Falsani, hired at the wish of Michael Cooke, the editor who has all the taste of one who wipes his nose on the drapes, the newspaper’s religion writing has sunk to a sophomoric new low. The Tribune was better than the vulgarian Falsani, of course, but still didn’t provide perspective or balance.

It so happens I had a lot to do with him on several occasions; I knew him and visited with him on occasion when we were both visiting Washington…me as a Quaker lobbyist from Chicago, a Catholic, and he as the Baptist chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church. Falwell started the church in an abandoned Donald Duck Bottling company plant in 1956 when it had 35 members. It now has 22,000 in a building that seems to go on and on forever. He was the first of the modern television pastors, launching “The Old Time Gospel Hour” carried by stations across the U. S. One of the first things he did was launch treatment centers for alcoholics and those afflicted with addictions of all kinds and a refuge home for unwed mothers. He worked out of the old Carter Glass mansion, the former home of a distinguished Virginia congressman, senator and treasury secretary to Woodrow Wilson.

Jerry Falwell was many things—a good man, a kind man, but one thing he wasn’t was a diplomatic one. He was the son of a bootlegger who fermented and sold illegal whiskey during Prohibition and who was an atheist, who ran illegal cockfights and dogfights in his barn. Jerry had a tough boyhood, was nearly what a later generation would call a juvenile delinquent. He was a star athlete as a kid who was scheduled to give his high school valedictory speech when he was discovered counterfeiting lunch tickets. He explained how that came to be, convulsing us both, but I cannot now for the life of me remember what the point was or why the luncheon that he counterfeited tickets for, was important.

At the age of 19, he became a born-again Christian. We Catholics aren’t acquainted with being born-again…but Jerry and I agreed on one thing: it was very important to be sure that a conceived human being gets the opportunity to be born once. That probably was one of the things that causes Ms. Falsani the religion columnist to hate his guts. Jerry confessed in his autobiography that as a young Virginian he had been a racist. Many others had been but didn’t choose to acknowledge it. Some think he was a homophobe. I can tell you he was not…although some people think it homophobic to criticize homosexuality and try to cherish the sinners.

If either of the two main newspapers here were accurate…not to stress fair…they would have catalogued Jerry’s faults…as he himself did…but also point up a signal fact that changed American history. Traditionally, Baptists and other evangelicals were aloof from participation in political life. Falwell changed all that and they have been changed in the past thirty years. He persuaded millions to participate in politics—and in doing so, created a great avalanche of support for conservative and traditional moral principles which directly resulted in the election and reelection of Ronald Reagan…and which continued to provide conservatism with millions of dedicated volunteers.

That is the most important material thing he did. The most immaterial thing…which will gain him lasting blessing in eternity, of course… was to change people’s hearts and lead them to spiritual peace. His impact could be noticed positively throughout the country at the time of his death, beginning as a fundamentalist and continuing as an evangelical with the Southern Baptist convention. In addition to Ms. Falsani recording her initial exhilaration at hearing of his death and singing inwardly: “Ding, dong the witch is dead,” in San Francisco on the day of his death demonstrators carried a 3-foot high Tinky Winky to Castro and 18th streets, called “the crossroads of Gay America” and cheered “this Bible-beating bigot’s horrible legacy.” In that group, Ms. Falsani will be glad to note, an activist lay down a portion of AstroTurf to represent Falwell’s grave and invited people to dance on it—and many did.

My first contact with Jerry Falwell came when I became president of the City Club of Chicago in 1977. Larry Horist recruited former Governor Richard Ogilvie to ask me to undertake it. I was not overwhelmed by the honor. The venerable Club which had played a great part in Chicago history…in its more progressive history, as a matter of fact…had fallen on evil days and had only sixty members to its name when at one time it had a thousand. But I took it on anyhow. The first thing to do was to reinvigorate the City Club forums which were an integral part of the city’s civic life. To do so I got a number of people to come in to speak—and debate…including former U. S. Senator Eugene McCarthy and a host of political types. I also decided, against the wishes of everyone on the board, to invite Falwell to speak to us when he next passed through town. He agreed to and we rented the old Bismarck theatre as the site.

I was talking with both Falwell and his staff as the day approached and I was dismayed to learn with only a week to go that we had only about seven people who signed up. Seven for the Bismarck theatre. So I called him and asked what to do. He said, “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.” The next thing I knew his news-information network passed the word…in the newspapers and evangelical radio stations…that sounded like this: “Jerry Falwell announced today that he will speak in Chicago at the Bismarck despite the threat of picketing and demonstrations that are devised to mar his speech. He will indeed be there…” and the publicity gave the date and address. Immediately we were drowned with requests from the news media to cover the picketing and “lynching” that they wished to see. The advance promos sent the evangelicals storming into the City Club. And when we announced the evangelicals were coming we were greeted by angry announcements that opponents of Jerry Falwell would be there as well.

I met him at the plane and we drove in from O’Hare together. I told him there was one thing that bothered me, however. He said: what? I said there is a great expectation that there will be picketing and I haven’t heard that there would be any. Not that I want it to occur understand, but…

He said in his southern drawl with a smile, “never you mind!” When we got to the Bismarck the cops were out there directing traffic and sure enough there were a few picketers with placards. Inside the auditorium was jolting with pro-Falwell and anti-Falwell types. We made a good deal of money on that day and the City Club went on from there to new heights—particularly now under my successor as president, Jay Doherty.

Now gay rights activists echo Ms. Falsani in their hoots and jeers. But the most significant thing said about Jerry…better than the kind words of the president of the United States…was this statement: “Reverend Falwell will be remembered for his consistent emphasis on the truth that Jesus Christ loves and offers salvation to every individual regardless of their past.” It was said by Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, one of the largest groups of people who have overcome homosexuality. RIP Reverend Falwell. You fought the good fight, you have finished the race and kept the faith.