Fundamentalist Christian Leader James Kennedy Dies
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Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 07:16:21 PM EST
from Schmitz Blitz: schmitzblitz.wordpress.com James Kennedy of the Coral Ridge megachurch died today at the age of 76. He was an influential figure of the religious right (a founding board member of the Moral Majority and founder of Reclaiming America for Christ)  who preached simple minded Christianity and hatred.
Right Wing Watch and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State have compiled some notable quotations made by Kennedy:
"There are some who would accuse us of trying to Christianize America. Am I trying to Christianize America? You bet your boots I am!" (Broadcast, 7/2/1985)

"As the vice-regents of God, we are to bring His truth and His will to bear on every sphere of our world and our society. We are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government... our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors - in short, over every aspect and institution of human society." (Christian Science Monitor,  3/16/2005)

"With other dangerous and contagious diseases, all sorts of efforts are made to identify those carrying the disease, and to minimize their contact with the public. And yet, here we have homosexual rights groups working day and night to make sure AIDS victims ARE NOT IDENTIFIED! ... Until action is taken, AIDS victims are free to infect anyone ..." (Newsletter, 1989)

"Adult sex with children has been a crucial component of the homosexual  movement all along." (from a newsletter titled "SEX WITH CHILDREN? HOMOSEXUALS SAY YES!")

"If homosexuals win the  right to 'marry,' expect further similarly argued claims challenging legal  barriers to polygamy, bestiality, and child marriage." (Center  for Reclaiming America  for Christ, 10/2003)


"Christians did not start the culture war but...we are going to end it. That is a fact, and the Bible assures us of victory." (Kennedy, Character & Destiny: A Nation In Search of Its Soul, p. 76 )

"How much more forcefully can I say it? The time has come, and it is long overdue, when Christians and conservatives and all men and women who believe in the birthright of freedom must rise up and reclaim America for Jesus Christ." (Ibid, p. 80)


Kennedy marks the second death of a major figure in the religious right this year (after the May death of Jerry Falwell)--I wonder if this is making his followers and other fundamentalist Christians take a long hard look at the state of their faith,  seeing as they generally consider earthly tragedies and misfortunes to be punishments from God (recall Robertson's remarks on Ariel Sharon's stroke, and the countless comments made by others with regard to Katrina).



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It's interesting to note that there has been barely a peep out of the traditional press about Kennedy's passing, as compared with the wall-to-wall coverage Falwell's demise received.

Probably not surprising though, since Kennedy didn't garner (and probably didn't seek) much screen time, certainly when compared with Falwell.  And even when he courted controversy, such as the "documentary" linking evolution with the Nazis. the debate was conducted mostly within the blogosphere.

I wonder how long his ministry will keep funding his daily broadcasts and weekly sermons.  They must have hundreds of the things in the archives, and as we have seen with other ministries, the can continue replaying broadcasts for decades beyond the death of the preacher.

But, unlike Dobson and Robertson, who have obviously made plans for the continuation of their high profile ministries after they have gone, it doesn't seem to be that way for Kennedy.   Perhaps I'm wrong, but I suspect much of what Kennedy built up outside of his home church will be gone in two or three years.

But I doubt much will change in the fundamentalist community.  There are plenty of others just waiting in the wings, and some with even weirder and more dangerous ideas than Kennedy--John Hagee and Rod Parsley for starters.

There will be little change from within.  Long term surveys have shown that once people have make up their minds over what they believe, they tend to stick with it as they grow older.  Hope for change is in the next generation and the failure of fundamentalists to capture the hearts and minds of the young.  That seems to be happening, but it will be a slow process which could take many years (unless all those self-righteous conservative bigots continue to implode).

by tacitus on Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 09:21:40 PM EST



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