Falwell says U.S. has lost God's

protection because of spiritual void

Gustav Niebuhr, New York Times



Friday, September 14, 2001

The Rev. Jerry Falwell said yesterday that the American Civil Liberties Union, along with abortion providers, gay rights proponents and federal courts that had banned school prayer and legalized abortion, had so weakened the United States spiritually that the nation was left exposed to Tuesday's terrorist attacks.

The conservative Baptist minister said that "the ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this," according to a partial transcript of televised remarks he made on "The 700 Club," Pat Robertson's religious program.

In the transcript, distributed by the liberal organization People for the American Way, Falwell described the ACLU as "throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools." Referring to the terrorist attacks, he said he would point a figurative finger at those "who have tried to secularize America" and say: "You helped this happen."

Robertson, in a separate statement, agreed, saying Americans had insulted God by allowing abortion and "rampant Internet pornography." He also chided the U.S. Supreme Court for, among other things, limiting prayer in

public schools.

"We have a court that has essentially stuck its finger in God's eye," Robertson wrote. "We have insulted God at the highest level of our government. Then, we say, 'Why does this happen?' "

Falwell, asked to explain his remarks in a telephone interview last night, said he was making a theological statement about how various groups had so offended God that the attacks could occur. He said he did not intend to shift actual blame from the terrorists who carried out the attacks.

"I sincerely believe that the collective efforts of many secularists during the past generation, resulting in the expulsion from our schools and from the public square, has left us vulnerable," Falwell said. "God has protected America from her inception. It is only recently that many have decided God is unnecessary."

Falwell added he does not believe God "had anything to do with the tragedy," but that God permitted it.

"He lifted the curtain of protection," Falwell said, "and I believe that if America does not repent and return to a genuine faith and dependence on him, we may expect more tragedies, unfortunately."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.