JERRY FALWELL: THE POLITICAL PREACHER

Occasionally we receive a letter encouraging us at TBC to be careful about being involved in secular politics. We appreciate these five or six letters through the years and could not agree more. It is never proper for a Baptist institution, church or publication to be involved in partisan politics. At TBC, we will address religious liberty, as it is one of our historic Baptist distinctives, and we will encourage Texas Baptists to practice good citizenship. We sincerely hope that we have supporters who voted for Bob Dole, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot this year.

Somehow we got on the mailing list of Jerry Falwell’s National Liberty Journal: The Conservative Christian Newspaper. It seems to us we should be buying it as we leave the supermarket. Talk about writing about partisan politics. Look at these HEADLINE titles for articles in Falwell’s December, 1996, journal issue:

• Whitewater Update: Starr Probe Could Last Another Year

• Gephardt and Gore: A Tale of Two Presidential Rivals

• Gingrich Survives Year of Attacks and Media Bashing

• Will Hillary Be Indicted?

• Democrats Cash in on Trial Lawyers

• Why Was A Cocaine Dealer in the White House?

• Foster Was Involved In NSA Espionage Issues

• Is the Paula Jones Case Dead?

• John Huang and the Clintons

We know Jesus criticized the Pharisee for his prayer about being thankful he was not like other men so we need to watch our attitude. When it comes to Falwell, it is a hard temptation.

As a footnote, the same issue of the journal carried an ad for Rick Scarborough’s book, Enough is Enough, published by Liberty Press.

February 1997