Lynchburg, VA (EAP)

In his final message to the world, the "Reverend" Jerry
Falwell wrote in his revised will and last statements:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to formally renouce and
apologize for all of the hatred and venom I have spewn over the last
four decades. I made those statements while under the influence of the
most destructive mental virus ever created: religious faith. I have
now seen the error of my ways.

I understand that I was not living up to the message of love
and acceptance that I thought was what I was supposed to teach.
Instead, the mental virus of faith twisted what I wanted, and I ended
up making some very outrageous statements that were nothing but
vitriol. Looking at the dichotomy between what I thought my religious
beliefs were founded on and the reality of what happens when faith
takes over, I realize how shameful my actions were.

Further, once I rid myself of the terrible faith-virus, I was
able to see that there is no god. Faith had deluded me into believing
there was one. But now that I am no longer blind, I can truly see.
Yes, I still see the majesty and grandeur of the universe, but I see
it now the way it was meant to be seen; without a set of filters
shielding me from the truth. I saw how humans invented gods in order
to make themselves feel better about a world they didn't understand at
that time. I feel a bit silly that I was duped for such a long time by
the faith-virus--but it is a very powerful bug.

With that, I want the world to know that I am an now an
atheist. And if I may borrow a phrase from a former fellow colleague
of mine, I am "free at last, free at last--thank my reason, I'm free
at last."


Don

Lynchburg, VA (EAP)

In his final message to the world, the "Reverend" Jerry
Falwell wrote in his revised will and last statements:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to formally renouce and
apologize for all of the hatred and venom I have spewn over the last
four decades. I made those statements while under the influence of the
most destructive mental virus ever created: religious faith. I have
now seen the error of my ways.

I understand that I was not living up to the message of love
and acceptance that I thought was what I was supposed to teach.
Instead, the mental virus of faith twisted what I wanted, and I ended
up making some very outrageous statements that were nothing but
vitriol. Looking at the dichotomy between what I thought my religious
beliefs were founded on and the reality of what happens when faith
takes over, I realize how shameful my actions were.

Further, once I rid myself of the terrible faith-virus, I was
able to see that there is no god. Faith had deluded me into believing
there was one. But now that I am no longer blind, I can truly see.
Yes, I still see the majesty and grandeur of the universe, but I see
it now the way it was meant to be seen; without a set of filters
shielding me from the truth. I saw how humans invented gods in order
to make themselves feel better about a world they didn't understand at
that time. I feel a bit silly that I was duped for such a long time by
the faith-virus--but it is a very powerful bug.

With that, I want the world to know that I am an now an
atheist. And if I may borrow a phrase from a former fellow colleague
of mine, I am "free at last, free at last--thank my reason, I'm free
at last."