COLUMN: 05-16-2007

With the passing of Reverend Jerry Falwell, this is a time to remember the good that he did without forgetting some of the harm that he also did. Throughout most of his career, Reverend Falwell emphasized the importance of religious people's participation in the political process. This has allowed a positive explosion of core religious morals and ethics to be held as the standard for public behavior by public officials. Although the current Republican Administration and members of Congress owe a lot to the support of religious conservatives, the two main factors that have led to their corruption are that they focus too heavily on the financial support of their campaign contributors and on winning political battles. Unfortunately, Rev. Falwell was guilty of this as well in his attacks against his political foes in recent years. We should carry on his legacy of bringing religious values into the public sphere while learning the lessons of failure and corruption that often results after gaining power.