Jerry Falwell Livid Over Omission Of "Faith" From Lynchburg's Vision Statement
Robert Paul Reyes
September 18, 2006
When a city council issues a "vision statement" I expect the report to emphasize words such as "diversity, bipartisanship and excellence."
City councilpersons should strive to be uniters and not dividers, using words that bring the community together and omitting words that cause divisions.
Lynchburg VA, councilman Mike Gillette, successfully argued against using the word "faith" in a council vision statement for the city.
Lynchburg is known around the world for one thing, and one thing only, as the home of televangelist Jerry Falwell. The Lynchburg News and Advance quotes Gillette: "“faith” shouldn’t be included in the statement because it would be interpreted as “code” for Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church.
I couldn't agree more with Councilman Gillette, including the word "faith" in a Lynchburg city vision statement would be interpreted as code for "Falwell's myopic vision of Christianity."
But even if the word "faith" wasn't code for "evangelical Christianity" it has no place in an official city document. I don't want the city of Lynchburg's future plans predicated on "faith". The city council should be governed by science and reason and not by faith and mumbo jumbo.
Let the Southern Baptist Conference include the word "faith" in their vision statement, but that word should be anathema in the official publications of a city government.
Jerry Falwell went of on a tirade against Councilman Gillette during his Sunday morning sermon. Jerry take it easy, Lynchburg, VA is a diverse community and we don't want the city council endorsing your Neanderthal concept of faith.
City councilpersons should strive to be uniters and not dividers, using words that bring the community together and omitting words that cause divisions.
Lynchburg VA, councilman Mike Gillette, successfully argued against using the word "faith" in a council vision statement for the city.
Lynchburg is known around the world for one thing, and one thing only, as the home of televangelist Jerry Falwell. The Lynchburg News and Advance quotes Gillette: "“faith” shouldn’t be included in the statement because it would be interpreted as “code” for Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church.
I couldn't agree more with Councilman Gillette, including the word "faith" in a Lynchburg city vision statement would be interpreted as code for "Falwell's myopic vision of Christianity."
But even if the word "faith" wasn't code for "evangelical Christianity" it has no place in an official city document. I don't want the city of Lynchburg's future plans predicated on "faith". The city council should be governed by science and reason and not by faith and mumbo jumbo.
Let the Southern Baptist Conference include the word "faith" in their vision statement, but that word should be anathema in the official publications of a city government.
Jerry Falwell went of on a tirade against Councilman Gillette during his Sunday morning sermon. Jerry take it easy, Lynchburg, VA is a diverse community and we don't want the city council endorsing your Neanderthal concept of faith.
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