LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.
Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell was found unresponsive late Tuesday morning and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
"I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."
Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said the evangelist had a heart rhythm abnormality. He said Falwell was found without a pulse and never regained consciousness.
Falwell had made careful preparations for a transition of his leadership to his two sons, Jerry Falwell, Jr., now vice-chancellor of Liberty University, and Jonathan Falwell, executive the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.
One daughter, Jeannie Falwell Savas, Surgeon, Richmond, Va. Godwin said. "He has left instructions for those of us who had to carry on, and we will be faithful to that charge," Godwin said.
There will be time enough at a later date to discuss Falwell's legacy and actions during his life. Hopefully we, as a blogging community, left or right, can give the family some time to mourn.
I see by looking at some of the reactions that some have posted with maturity, wisdom and grace while others could not resist dancing on his deathbed.
Respect where it is due, one of the links above are to a political left blog, Crooks and Liars, and they have shown the respect due to a grieving family. (kudo's)
Some people just have no sense of humanity and cannot wait a day or two before speaking ill of the dead.
Shame on you.
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