Jerry Falwell vs. PETA

It has been said, often, that President Bush won this election largely because of the "moral values" issue, which refers mainly to his willlingness to amend our Constitution in order to prevent gay people, even Dick Cheney's daughter, from getting married. It was the conservative Christian vote which made the difference on this issue, and who else but Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority and chairman of the Faith and Values Coalition, better represents that viewpoint?

As reported by Media Matters for America, Falwell has made some recent statements which migh offend a few of us liberal types: he described NOW (National Organization for Women) as the "National Organization of Witches"; he referred to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, headed by Rev. Barry Lynn, as "an anti-Christ" group; and, in a November 21 televised service, broadcast from his Thomas Road Baptist Church, he said of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) : "And we're going to invite PETA [to 'Wild Game Night'] as our special guest, P-E-T-A -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. We want you to come, we're going to give you a top seat there, so you can sit there and suffer."

Presumably he is joking at some level, but even so I find his reference to PETA particularly offensive and even sick. PETA may go further than I would in some respects (I am neither a vegan or vegetarian), but their basic purpose is good, to prevent animal cruelty. Recently a PETA member was arrested outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Vietnam, protesting how the company boils chickens alive, and makes them so fat their legs break if they stand up. This seems like something worth protesting. Here in Berkeley on my local access channel, animal rights documentaries are sometimes aired about the cruelty toward animals in slaughterhouses. I find these too hard to watch.

What is evil about protesting this kind of animal cruelty? Or is it evil to defend this kind of behavior? It has been said that children who commit cruel acts against animals often grow up to become sociopaths. It is too bad that Jerry Falwell and his followers do not seem to understand this but instead believe it is their Christian duty to oppose those fighting animal cruelty.