Falwell Apology Rings Hollow.
After reading "Falwell Apologizes for Divisive Remarks" (Sept. -18), about how Jerry Falwell offered an apology to those he offended, I was overcome with a feeling of disgust for the man. I see him for the putrid individual he is. Spewing hatred and disharmony in our time of grief. Claiming that God somehow has it in for America and that God made it possible for over 6,000 innocent lives to perish is incomprehensible to me.
Perhaps Falwell and his followers should go back and read the Bible and learn what it means to be Christians, not hatemongers and traitors to America. The pick-and-choose method of religion, using segments of biblic scripture to further......

'For those of you who were fortunate- to have missed the religious right's spin of the Sept. 11 disasters, I can summarize: divine retribution. Yes, those who support abortion, gay rights, U.S. materialism and Hollywood immorality have finally received punishment for their sins. Watching these zealots spit their vitriolic words, smilingly, revealed only their true colors: hatred and self-loathing. Jerry Falwell, et al., please meet ,and -greet your dark half: Osama bin Laden.
J.P.
Agoura Hills

Falwell's statement of regret for linking feminists, pro-choice people and gays and lesbians with the terrorist attack was duplicitous. The-cat has long since been out of the bag about his fanatical views against many Americans who disagree with him. I think he should at least have had enough backbone to defend his original statements. It seems, instead, that Falwell chose to spin-doctor his comments in order to avoid the bad press of keeping company with the intolerance that characterizes fanatical terrorists. How pathetic.
M.C.
Los Angeles

John Balzar got it right, but for the wrong reason, in arguing that Falwell and Pat Robertson, on the one hand, and Bin Laden and the ayatollahs, on the other hand, are spiritual brothers (Commentary, Sept. 17). America's religious right and the Mideast's Islamic radicals are offspring of the same animal not because they are both fundamentalists but rather because they both take religion seriously, .- Wanting to base your life on fundamental principles is not misguided or even evil. In fact, it is only by using rational, reality based principles that any man or woman can pursue a life of happiness here on Earth. Falwell and his ilk are the siblings of Islamic terrorists (with the same ultimate goal) because they reject this world in favor of an imaginary afterlife. They reject their minds in favor of faith. Because there is no God, the priests are left with only their feelings to guide them; because emotions are not arguments, they are left with only force in dealing with other men. The overriding emotion that consumes them is hate. Hate for freedom, reason, material wealth. Hate for this world. Fundamentally, hate for
R.S.
Glendale

As a serious Christian, I have to say I am repulsed by the callous, insensitive, self-serving remarks of Falwell and Robertson in regard to the horrible attack on the Worldts.
J.K.
San Juan Capistrano

Falwell and Robertson have passed on the hate in their hearts and they have done so in the context of recent hateful, horrific events. We do not need more terrorism, verbal or physical.
A.A.
Pasadena

If there is some small good that can come out of the tragedies of Sept. 11, it will be to make Falwell and his ilk irrelevant.
V.U.
Pasadena