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Fundamentalist Christian Leader James Kennedy Dies
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.
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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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