Televangelist D. James Kennedy dies at age 76

September 5, 2007

Though never quite as well known as his brethren in Virginia (Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson), televangelist D. James Kennedy led a religious right powerhouse for a generation, creating a megachurch in South Florida, a $37 million evangelical multimedia empire, the Center for Reclaiming America, the Center for Christian Statesmanship, and a major annual religio-political conference called Reclaiming America for Christ. He also helped establish the Moral Majority more than 30 years ago.

Kennedy died this morning at age 76.

The Rev. D. James Kennedy, the controversial televangelist who built Fort Lauderdale’s Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church into a politically powerful house of prayer on a foundation of Biblical fundamentalism, died Wednesday morning.

He suffered a heart attack on Dec. 28, 2006, and never returned to the pulpit. He gave his last sermon four days earlier on Christmas Eve. Last week, at 76, he retired as the church’s senior pastor.

Like with the passing of Falwell in May, I feel a little conflicted writing about Kennedy’s death. When I worked at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, I became very familiar with Kennedy’s radical beliefs and agenda. He was easily one of the most offensive TV preachers in the country.

On the other hand, it seems tasteless to bash a man within hours of his death.

So, I’ll do what I did when Falwell died — I’ll document Kennedy’s professional life and let his record speak for itself.

My friends at Right Wing Watch produced this quote collection this morning, including some all-time classics:

* “As the vice-regents of God, we are to bring His truth and His will to bear on every sphere of our world and our society. We are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government… our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors – in short, over every aspect and institution of human society.” (Christian Science Monitor, 3/16/2005)

* “I trust that the day is soon coming when there will be someone who’ll be willing to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court and to this godless, atheistic, evolutionary, amoral, collectivist, socialistic, communistic religion right out of the public system of our nation.” (10/14/84)

* “With other dangerous and contagious diseases, all sorts of efforts are made to identify those carrying the disease, and to minimize their contact with the public. And yet, here we have homosexual rights groups working day and night to make sure AIDS victims ARE NOT IDENTIFIED! … Until action is taken, AIDS victims are free to infect anyone …” (Newsletter, 1989)

* “To put it simply, no Darwin, no Hitler. … We have had 150 years of the theory of Darwinian evolution, and what has it brought us? Whether Darwin intended it or not, millions of deaths, the destruction of those deemed inferior, the devaluing of human life, increasing hopelessness; Darwin’s theory has been deadly, indeed. … The time has come to recognize that evolution is a bad idea and should be, frankly, discarded into the dustbin of history.” (2006)

What’s more, my friend Rob Boston had some additional gems in a Kennedy profile a few years ago, from Kennedy’s 1994 book, “Character & Destiny: A Nation In Search of Its Soul”:

* “Christians did not start the culture war but…we are going to end it. That is a fact, and the Bible assures us of victory.” (p. 76)

* “Not all the educators in our public schools and universities are deliberately deceitful, not all of them want to destroy this nation, but many do. The major teachers’ unions certainly do.” (p. 75)

* “Just a few years ago, there were as many as ten thousand Communist professors in American universities. The average person never saw any of them, and many would doubt the truth of that statistic. But I can assure you it is true.” (p. 63)

* “If we are committed and involved in taking back the nation for Christian moral values, and if we are willing to risk the scorn of the secular media and the bureaucracy that stand against us, there is no doubt we can witness the dismantling of not just the Berlin Wall but the even more diabolical ‘wall of separation’ that has led to increasing secularization, godlessness, immorality, and corruption in our country.” (p. 126-127)

* “This is our land. This is our world. This is our heritage, and with God’s help, we shall reclaim this nation for Jesus Christ. And no power on earth can stop us.” (p. 85)

* “How much more forcefully can I say it? The time has come, and it is long overdue, when Christians and conservatives and all men and women who believe in the birthright of freedom must rise up and reclaim America for Jesus Christ.” (p. 80)

Of the four biggest religious right leaders of the past quarter century — Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, and Kennedy — two have died in just the past few months. Watch for a new generation of televangelists to step up to fill the void.

Good riddance to bad rubbish!

  • The whole lot of these rightwing religious crazies wants to take over the US and destroy the Constitution.

    And they’re in grave error about one thing: they never “had” America to “take back”. They’ve had the right to assemble under the Bill of Rights, and they’ve had the right to be and say anything they want under that same guarantor of American freedoms. Yet, they’re in the position of intending to destroy the very Constitutional principles that have safeguarded to them the freedoms they have. Ungrateful wretches…

    If I recall correctly, Jesus advised his followers that his way was never easy. In fact, he said it was extremely difficult, the eye of the camel, etc. What the rightwingers want to do is change society to make it easy for them to follow the dictates of their fundamentalist religion. Too bad. They’re stuck with the world as it is, and they should count their blessings. In America, they have it VERY easy in comparison to the way things have been for Christians elsewhere.

    I, for one, don’t mourn Kennedy’s passing at all, heartless as that sounds. He’s wished harm on too many people.

  • Actually, it will be interesting to see the “second generation” step in – since we can expect infighting, bickering, power brokering, and the like as people try to grab a piece of that big profitable gullable pie.

  • While the radical right generally pooh-poohs the raving lunacy of this type of person, it would be interesting to see how they would take to a Taliban-type takeover of the US. Something tells me that denominational friction would make it a short lived enterprise.

    Emo Phillips said it best:

    “I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. so I ran over and said “stop! don’t do it!” “Why shouldn’t I?” he said. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” He said, “Like what?” I said, “Well…are you religious or atheist?” He said, “Religious.” I said, “Me too! Are you christian or buddhist?” He said, “Christian.” I said, “Me too! Are you catholic or protestant?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me too! Are you episcopalian or baptist?” He said, “Baptist!” I said, “Wow! Me too! Are you baptist church of god or baptist church of the lord?” He said, “Baptist church of god!” I said, “Me too! Are you original baptist church of god, or are you reformed baptist church of god?” He said, “Reformed baptist church of god!” I said, “Me too! Are you reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1879, or reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915?” He said, “Reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915!” I said, “Die, heretic scum”, and pushed him off.”

  • My first memory of Kennedy was his guest appearance on a talk show. He was telling a story about an impasse at the Constitutional Convention when Benjamin Franklin stood up and suggested that the convention unite in prayer, which blocked the impasse.

    More details here, but this is a summary of what actually happened:

    “The documentation of the Convention states only that Dr. Franklin proposed daily prayer led by a clergyman and that the Convention adjourned without passing the motion. Records of the remainder of the convention indicate that acrimonious debate continued right through to the end.”

    I had never heard of Kennedy before, but that was enough to show me something about his character – a lying snake.

  • Darwin’s theory has been deadly, indeed. … The time has come to recognize that evolution is a bad idea and should be, frankly, discarded into the dustbin of history.”

    Hmm. If evolution was just an idea, I suppose you could discard it. Since it’s just the way things are, that makes it a little more problematic. It’s like discarding gravity into the dustbin of history (though I dare say it would likely stay put if you could). The idea that Darwin’s theory is responsible for mass murder and all the other horrors that nimrods like this ascribe to it reveals only their ignorance and the ignorance of their followers.

    What an ass. Good riddance.

  • You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Whether you agreed with him or not he was still a human being. It is pitiful that anyone would rejoice with another human beings death. I guess that is what is wrong with the world now a day. It has nothing to do with religion or politics. It has to do with compassion and having a heart. This man was someone’s father, brother, son, husband. I wonder what you all would feel if someone would express the same feeling about you or a close family member.

  • Another closed minded fanatical bigot dies and I should feel anything but relief? The nature of God is love not righteousness. Here’s hoping the next generation that replaces him leads with their hearts and not their dogma. Multi-million dollar ministries can change morality to power mongering. America is based on the principle of tolerance…but fanatics make that principle difficult to hold to.

  • He’s dead but his legacy lives on. There’s no way in hell he didn’t train at least one successor. The same nonsense will continue.

  • Pingback: One Less Bastard, part 2 « Semidi

  • Nora asks: I wonder what you all would feel if someone would express the same feeling about you or a close family member.

    The man desperately wanted to overthrow our constitutional system and replace it with a Taliban style theocracy where he could “exercise godly dominion … over every aspect and institution of human society.” That’s called Fascism where I come from. I can’t feel real sorry that Kennedy is no longer able to push for a system where his Dominionist friends could murder people for being gay.

    Besides, he wanted us to celebrate his death…

    Wednesday morning, the church’s website posted a final statement from Kennedy:

    “Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry.

    “But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying…”

    http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/226256.html

    Despite his claims to the contrary, a radical fascist theocrat is dead.

    Play the Hallelujah chorus.

  • Boy you guys sure are the sensitive caring “live and let live” tolerant bunch aren’t you? A man dies and this is how you respond.

    It used to be that people could disagree without being disagreeable. But I guess tolerance isn’t as tolerant as it used to be.

    Hypocrites

  • Boy you guys sure are the sensitive caring “live and let live” tolerant bunch aren’t you? A man dies and this is how you respond.

    It used to be that people could disagree without being disagreeable. But I guess tolerance isn’t as tolerant as it used to be.

    Hypocrites

    Live and let live… yes

    But he didn’t want me to live my life the way I like, in fact he spent his entire life in trying to force me to change.

    I don’t have to stand for that. Nothing hypocritical about taking a stand for ones freedom. He could say he doesn’t like my freedom, but the moment he decided he wanted to get rid of it. No, I’m not hypocrite. Anyone who defends his “love” is much closer.

    We can celebrate that one more evil, evil person will no longer be actively trying to bring Taliban “love” to America.

  • I agree with “Me”.

    If you only show compassion to those who agree with you, what good are you?

    Can you not be open minded and tolerant to Dr. Kennedy and his family?

    To equate Conservative Christianity with the Taliban is Drama Queen 101. Grow up.

    Jesus said,”Love your enemies.”

    I love you all.

    Salt

  • Hallelujah chorus my backside. The ‘Vangee extinction event has officially begun—pipe up “Stars and Stripes Forever,” Racerx. The die-off is underway, and the Republic still stands. a bit scraped up; a dent here and there; a few spots of rust.

    But the Republic? SHE STILL STANDS….

  • Racerx, Evinfulit, Steve,

    You poor bastards, your darkened hearts filled with such hate, I’m sure you’re fun to be around. Lighten up!!

    Love to all,

    Salt

  • Oh, yeah, Racerx,

    You’re quoting Emo Phillips to make your points?

    What does Carrot Top say?

    Love to all,

    Salt

  • With so many of the old bulls of the tele-taliban brigade leaving this mortal coil, it remains to be seen how many of their organizations will survive their exit. Their influence was based on the personal allure of a single powerful individual, and while their organizations may be self-perpetuating as money-making operations I doubt they will ever be as influential nationally as they were when their founders were alive.

    Will the 700 Club be able to continue after Pat Robertson leaves the scene? No way to tell yet, but without old Pat to stir things up, who else have they got that anyone would want to watch?

    Jerry Falwell hasn’t been in the ground long enough for definitive conclusions, but his Liberty University had a massive debt that they would still have if not for Jerry’s equally massive bequest of his personal funds to it when he passed away. So that’s something to consider, at least.

    I’m just sort of daydreaming here, but it sure would be nice if we could start draining the toxic holier-than-thou poison out of our national conversations at long last. Let’s hope it works out that way.

  • Taliban?

    You guys put the “puh” in “puh-leeze”.

    LMAO, ROTFL,

    Something’s happening (democracy) and you don’t know what it is, do you Mr. Jones?

    (That’s Dylan…)

    Love to all,

    Salt

  • I’ll have to contribute something to the dearth of sympathy for this human being and his family. We are all united in death and I wish them all well despite our political and philosophical differences.

    Besides, every Christian that reads this thread will add one more arrow to his quiver of “proof” that all liberals are in cahoots with Satan. :o/

    Grave dancing is unproductive and most unbecoming.

  • TAIO

    I saw that about Gilmore, too. He was discovered this morning. Reports say that no foul play is suspected. He must have died from a heart attack or from falling down those steps. I wonder where his family was — his wife and daughters were mentioned.

  • Jim Kennedy was a gold-digging tramp who kept a phalanx of lawyers busy trolling the nation’s probate courts for whatever he could get to prop up his ever-expanding payroll. I know whereof I speak: His legal hit men sued my mother’s lineal descendants (children and grandchildren) just days after her death from cancer. Once the litigation started we realized that Kennedy’s lawyer-thugs had been working on my mom for years. It turned out they even got her to sign bogus documents as she lay dying in a hospital, under heavy morphine sedation. Looking back on it all, I would say that Kennedy’s antinomian personal ethics — which stood in bizarre contrast to his theonomic politics — became a major reason I abandoned evangelical Christianity. I hope his wife and daughter don’t have to experience what our family experienced when they inherit his millions.

  • “He could say he doesn’t like my freedom, but the moment he decided he wanted to get rid of it.”

    Exactly which “freedom” did he try to get rid of?

  • from Schmitz Blitz: schmitzblitz.wordpress.com

    Kennedy marks the second death of a major figure in the religious right this year (after the May death of Jerry Falwell)–I wonder if this is making his followers and other fundamentalist Christians take a long hard look at the state of their faith, seeing as they generally consider earthly tragedies and misfortunes to be punishments from God (recall Robertson’s remarks on Ariel Sharon’s stroke, and the countless comments made by others with regard to Katrina).

  • ***Besides, every Christian that reads this thread will add one more arrow to his quiver of “proof” that all liberals are in cahoots with Satan.***

    JTK,

    Regardless of what these verminous legions of me/salt types try to peddle, I have never been in cahoots with the likes of Kennedy, Falwell, Dobson, and Robertson. The passing of these theo-devils will eventually lead to a softening of the hateful rhetoric so common when one wields religion as a weapon. They have judged with hate; they are now judged with that very same hate by those they held in false judgement. Their “precious word of god” warned them throughout their lives that such a thing would happen—and a bushel-basket full of me/salt lemmings, with their piteous little sniping commentaries, will not stem the tide of the full measure now due to these so-called “pillars of xianity.”

    If it lives like a Pharisee…and it walks and talks like a Pharisee…then when it dies, it is still nothing but a Pharisee. Some carpenter-type guy from the area around Nazareth once called guys like Kennedy “a pit of vipers.” Maybe “salt” or “me” would like to take a few jabs at that carpenter fellow—especially since they seem so wrapped up in a religion named after the carpenter.

    But wait—wrapped up in the religion named after the carpenter, obviously pretending to be little carbon-copies of the carpenter, and espousing full support for things so completely in opposition to what the carpenter would have them do—sorta makes you want to call all these fundies by another name, now doesn’t it?

    Methinks the term “mini-antichrists” applies nicely….

  • I think Larry the Cable Guy said it best, referring to the epistemological argument for the existence for God, ” That’s funny, I don’t care who you are.”

    Lighten up, storm troopers!

    Love to all,

    Salt

  • ***Lighten up, storm troopers!***

    Did Falwell ever “lighten up?” Did Kennedy? How about the tens of thousands of other hated-addled Fundies and ‘Vangees out there in the world?

    No?

    Rule Number One for this battle—and yes, it is, indeed, a battle; a battle to determine whether I get to use MY gift of free will—given to ME as an individual—or to surrender that gift to some cruel, twisted little pip of a man who hides behind a flag, a bible, and a befouled cross so ripe with the stench of elitist, xenophobic hate that it makes a skunk smell like a rose:

    “When in a Mexican stand-off, never be the first guy to blink.”

    I’ll blink—and then “lighten up”—when the last of these neo-Pharisees have been shipped off to the infernal regions, via a nice hole in the ground.

  • Watch for a new generation of televangelists to step up to fill the void.

    But first, watch for a big ugly power struggle. Popcorn?

    I wonder if this is making his followers and other fundamentalist Christians take a long hard look at the state of their faith, seeing as they generally consider earthly tragedies and misfortunes to be punishments from God

    -Elizabeth Schmitz

    Sane people might but from my experience with the Talevan and the quote provided by RacerX at 13, the fundamentalist have a double-sided approach to death:

    When large numbers of people die, it is God’s punishment (Katrina, Sept 11th). When individual fundamentalists die, God has taken them to their reward.

    Makes me wonder what they’d say if large numbers of evans died in some disaster.

  • Whatever James Kennedy was much of what he supported was evil. His record speaks for how he mistreated others. Nothing to morn. Continue organized action against the authoritarians of all types.

  • We shall miss Pastor Kennedy. He was a great man that stood without flinching against the onslaught of the liberal bashers and non-believers. While he has left us, tonight he is home with our Father and reunited with those that he loved and who passed before him. Thank you Pastor for all you have done.

  • Please ignore the comments from “Nora”, “Me”, and “Salt” — Living in LALA land is bliss. Enough said.

  • And that is the difference between liberals and conservatives.

    Liberal trash someone the moment they die. Totally classless.

    Very nice, it’s to be expected.

  • Wait, the guy spent his life spitting vitriol on the masses, and so when the masses give a sigh when he passes… They’re trashing him?

    To be trash, doesn’t it have to be untrue? Or at least not the guy’s bread and butter?

    Either way, what does it say that half the thread is people trashing liberals? That’s how you celebrate the guy’s death? By lording over his enemies because you’re better than they, because you insult them at his death?

    What?


  • trhl777: Liberal trash someone the moment they die. Totally classless.

    Very nice, it’s to be expected.

    This is precisely the point I made in #23. Those who see their world in black and white take one, two, a few or (in this case, quite a few) examples of liberal schadenfreude and paint us all with the same brush.

    We should never take pleasure in the suffering, misfortune or death of another human being. Period.

    If you cannot understand why, think of the fact that Mr. Kennedy has family, many of who might just be progressives. I’m sure that they are no more dancing on their loved-one’s grave than you would be were some ignorant fool in your family to pass away. We all have ’em and we all love ’em anyway (or at least we should).

  • He was not a very nice person to say the least. Salt & others, if you feel bad thats fine. Don’t try to impose your false sympathy on everyone else.

  • Wasn’t he one of the religious right loonies that wanted his flock to pray for the deaths of judges on the supreme court if they were for upholding roe v. wade.

  • To the haters:

    Because you don’t agree or understand the philosophy Kennedy espoused, you hate him.Because you disagree with him politically, you go into hysterics: “He’s trying to kill me…He wants a Taliban type government..He desperately wants to subvert the Constitution”. .. ad nauseum. Such extreme rhetoric nullifies anything reasonable you might have to say.

    Whenever small minds disagree, they resort to personal attacks or change the subject.

    Why don’t you argue intellectually and make your point?

    For example, Kennedy’s Darwin/ Hitler point is perfectly reasonable and plausible.

    If Darwinism helped change enough of those who held Germany’s Reformed Christian outlook to a more humanistic philosophy and increased the number of people who look at human beings as just another species under the paradigm of “survival of the fittest”, instead of creatures lovingly created in the image of God by a Supreme Being, it created an atmosphere where Hitler’s ideas were more readily acceptable.

    You may disagree, but it is a perfectly logical point.

    But instead of trying to understand his point and argue honestly and respectfully, some of the posters here scream hatred.

    And as U.E. McGill said, “It’s a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart.”

    Love to all (even haters),

    Salt

  • Pingback: Dr. D. James Kennedy’s Passing « Calvinistcorner Weblog

  • I for one will miss the little weasel. I have watched his show for years. He was the perfect advertiser for the politcal rightwing christian agenda. His show was a stage for such angelic souls as Ann Coulter and such theological giants as Dan Quail. His Dali Lama like humility reaches to us from the grave in this excerpt from his web site today

    “I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”

    Yes, I will miss this obi won kenobi of the airwaves. This Karl Rove of rightwing christianity. His ability to call the evil good and the good evil was breathtaking. The acrobat ease he displayed in flipping christianity on its’ head was dizzying.

    I do wish him well now, of course. In three days he will realize he his dead and will begin the 49 day death “bardos” where he will meet the white Buddha of the central realm, whose body is dazzling white and radiates pure blue light. Who sits on the lion throne etc. etc. etc.

  • #41: Don’t project your hatred on to other people. As for Darwin/Hitler, you are only showing your ignorance. It is religion that teaches people to hate each other and want to kill each other over invisible irrational beings that don’t exist. Centuries of bloodshed bears this out. (By the way, Hitler was a devout christian and embraced as such by the Pope and the German churches until his death.) If you had any knowledge of the ideas of Darwin you would know that he constantly stressed the necessity and benefits of humans cooperating with each other across national and tribal boundaries.

    By the way, I just read a report that Kennedy renounced christianity and embraced atheism on his deathbed! 🙂 http://www.nmmng.co.uk/46e453f1

  • Steve,

    “Regardless of what these verminous legions of me/salt types try to peddle,”

    All I did was call attention to your venom. I understand that makes people uncomfortable, but what venom can you actually accuse me of (besides disagreeing with you).

    “a battle to determine whether I get to use MY gift of free will—given to ME as an individual”

    Again, I ask what free will is anyone trying to take away from you?

    Bruno,

    “Please ignore the comments from “Nora”, “Me”, and “Salt” — Living in LALA land is bliss. Enough said.”

    How about answering the question instead of ignoring it (unless of course there is no answer)?

    Crissa,

    “Wait, the guy spent his life spitting vitriol on the masses,”

    What vitriol? I’ve heard a lot of bashing but what did he actually do that was vitriolic?

    Blink,

    “Wasn’t he one of the religious right loonies that wanted his flock to pray for the deaths of judges on the supreme court if they were for upholding roe v. wade.”

    Do you know that’s true or does it just sound good to say? I’ve never head that.

  • …to all of you, ….every knee shall bow, every tonuge shall confess!
    …make no mistake… the day WILL come….are you ready?

  • I most definatly do/did not share this mans beliefs, but I still mourn his passing without ever opening his eyes or his heart. To have lived his entire life with such bitterness, such discontent and distain for anything/anyone beyond his personal ability to understand is devastating to his soul. What a horrible waste of this wonderful life. I feel for his family and for his followers who were touched by his beliefs and surly carry his burden of bitterness on thier shoulders now. Blessings and enlightenment to all of them, may they soften their hearts and let love in.

    Shady

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