God Gave U.S. 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says
By John F. Harris
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 14, 2001; Page C03
Television evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the most
prominent
voices of the religious right, said liberal civil liberties groups,
feminists,
homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility
for
Tuesday's terrorist attacks because their actions have turned God's
anger against
America.
"God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to
give us
probably what we deserve," said Falwell, appearing yesterday on the
Christian
Broadcasting Network's "700 Club," hosted by Robertson.
"Jerry, that's my feeling," Robertson responded. "I think we've just
seen the
antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to
the major
population."
Falwell said the American Civil Liberties Union has "got to take a lot
of blame for
this," again winning Robertson's agreement: "Well, yes."
Then Falwell broadened his blast to include the federal courts and
others who he
said were "throwing God out of the public square." He added: "The
abortionists have
got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And
when we
destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really
believe that
the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and
the lesbians
who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU,
People for
the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America --
I point the
finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.' "
People for the American Way transcribed the broadcast and denounced the
comments as
running directly counter to President Bush's call for national unity.
Ralph G.
Neas, the liberal group's president, called the remarks "absolutely
inappropriate
and irresponsible."
Robertson and others on the religious right gave critical backing to
Bush last year
when he was battling for the GOP presidential nomination. A White House
official
called the remarks "inappropriate" and added, "The president does not
share those
views."
Falwell was unrepentant, saying in an interview that he was "making a
theological
statement, not a legal statement."
"I put all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the
terrorist," he said.
But he said America's "secular and anti-Christian environment left us
open to our
Lord's [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels
God from the
culture . . . the result is not good."
Robertson was not available for comment, a spokeswoman said. But she
released a
statement echoing the remarks he made on his show. An ACLU spokeswoman
said the
group "will not dignify the Falwell-Robertson remarks with a comment."