Falwell Says Kerry Did Not Meet Criteria For Christian Voters - Sharpton Rebukes Falwell
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- Those who voted for John Kerry did not "take the bible seriously."
- REV. WALLIS: And Jerry, there are 3,000 verses in the Bible about the poor--about the poor.
- DR. FALWELL: And I'm for all of those, too. But George Bush has taken the initiative because of the Democrats
- REV. WALLIS: The Republican agenda--the Republican agenda was not satisfactory to many who support him.
- REV. SHARPTON: Well, 1.8 million people added to the poverty lines in the last four years under George Bush. But, Reverend, I think you have the right to vote for George Bush. I defend your right to do that even though I disagree with you. We're talking about you not having the right to therefore bar others from exercising their personal decisions.
- DR. FALWELL: Well, I'm not barring anybody.
- REV. SHARPTON: It's strange to me, Reverend, how the right wing wants to privatize public policy and make public private lives. I mean, people have the right to their private decisions.
- DR. FALWELL: No, I'm just trying--I'm trying to do what Martin Luther King did. I'm trying to...
- REV. SHARPTON: Jesus--Jesus met the woman at the well. She was guilty of adultery. The state said she could be stoned. He stopped the stoning. You would condemn her for that.
- DR. FALWELL: We have a home for unwed mothers.
- REV. SHARPTON: He wasn't condoning adultery. He was not condoning adultery. He was saying that the state does not have that right to not say...
- DR. FALWELL: You guys talk about that. We have a home for unwed mothers. We have a national adoption agency.
- REV. SHARPTON: That was not just a mark. That was law on that day. That was law.
- DR. FALWELL: You guys are great at spending somebody else's money.
- Entire Transcript is [here]
KENNEDY WARNS BUSH: Another conservative religious leader, Dr. James Kennedy, whose sermons are broadcast in 3 million homes, has warned that God will "be angry" if President Bush does not act soon on abortion and gay marriage. "He said he knows of no timetable for God's wrath, but wants results fast." Asked about the millions of Americans who are not Christian, or have a different interpretation of Christianity, Kennedy recommended they "repent" and said he "couldn't care less" about their views. [more]
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- The creator of Desperate Housewives is a "conservative, gay republican" [more]
Black Evangelicals oppose GOP
Like other evangelical Christians, leaders of the Church of God in Christ want to limit abortion and bar same-sex marriage. But that doesn't mean the predominantly black Pentecostal denomination considers itself part of the "religious right" or supporters of the Republican Party. "I've seen the tone of the religious right," said G.E. Patterson, the church's presiding bishop. "It seemingly was born out of the fact that African Americans were making too many gains." Patterson's church, often referred to simply as COGIC, reports having more than 6 million members across the United States and in 57 countries. [more]
- Jerry Falwell's priorities fly in the face of the "moral values" most
often cited (though not most often reported) on Nov. 2, where polls
showed voters were more concerned with "greed and materialism" (33
percent) and "poverty and economic justice" (31 percent) than they were
with issues like gay marriage (12 percent). [more]
