Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

A different format for today's quote-of-the-day entry, pasting together what ought to be a regular entry out of recent quotes Tomorrow's QotD will be in the usual format.

Reading my friendslist yesterday, I ran across several topical posts that either made me think, or said something related to what I'd already been thinking (not usually precisely the same spin on the memes presented, but close enough to want to pass along the phrasing).

Until firinel got me thinking about our reactions I was mostly just surprised at how little I cared, thus leiacat's words here (osewalrus shares a similar assessment of the relative importance of this event).

griffen wrote:

I promise I will not crow, strut, or rejoice.

However, I reserve the right to express both relief and sorrow that Jerry Falwell died today.

Relief, because he will no longer be able to persecute me and mine for his own misguided beliefs.

Sorrow, because he was never able to reach a point where he realized those beliefs were misguided, and do something to correct their effects.

firinel wrote:

May God bestow Zir infinate, and far more reaching than my own, mercy and forgivness on him.

May I have the time to right all the wrongs that I have wrought before I die, and find that same mercy and forgiveness awaiting me, when I do.

scooterbird wrote:

We are to love our enemies and wish for peace and reconciliation, even when our common, worldly sense tells us that such a thing is either impossible, or futile, or injurious to ourselves or the world. So it is here, and it's compounded by the fact that this man specifically damaged Christianity itself in far-reaching ways. [...] But the Bible teaches love for enemies, even such as he, and it is profound in so prescribing. If I was to repudiate this part of the teachings of Jesus - perhaps because it was not "convenient" for me - I would be as guilty of hate and anti-Christian behavior as Falwell himself was.

squire_liz wrote:

I don't buy into the whole "don't speak ill of the dead" Dying doesn't magically make you a good person. It doesn't right the wrongs you were responsible. I have never understood why we feel we have to say something good about someone just because they stopped breathing.

Yet I can't find it in me to snark and say good riddance. [...] I don't want to waste the negative energy on someone who is no longer alive to be affected one way or the other.

Rest in peace, may you find more enlightenment in the next go round and may your followers eyes and hearts be opened to the truth, the real truth, not the truth as they wish to see it.

leiacat wrote:

I find myself caring far more about the continuation of Heroes on TV than about the death of Jerry Falwell.

I see on my flist a string of posts [...] Me, I just can't bring myself to care. Words don't die, they've been spoken, and they, even the hateful ones, will yet be spoken by others. Death of the speaker rarely stops them. [...]

I must say, I care far more about the (inevitable from the point of view of storytelling) fictional demises in a well-written imaginary world than about this one hateful real man.

I am much less interested in debating/discussing Falwell's death, life, works, words, and sins, than in talking about these five quotes in particular. But, having expressed that preference, I'll not try to impose restrictions on those who would comment here. If you want to talk to each other about Falwell himself in "my" comment-space, go to it. Just try not to start any flamewars. I can skim over the bits I'm less interested in.

[One request/suggestion: if you take any of these quotes from here and re-use them elsewhere, and there's a '[...]' in there, first click through to read the entire original and decide for yourself whether you want to include any of the text I snipped. Depending on what aspect of the quote appeals to you, you may really want some bits I cut.]