Jerry Falwell

===September 11 attacks===
After the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, Falwell said on [[Pat Robertson]]'s ''[[The 700 Club]]'', "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the [[ACLU]], [[People for the American Way]], all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"<ref name="falwell apology"/><ref name="falwell 9/11">[https://home.comcast.net/~joe.grabko/falwell.mp3 Falwell speaks about WTC disaster, Christian Broadcasting Network<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019023622/https://home.comcast.net/~joe.grabko/falwell.mp3 |date=2012-10-19 }}</ref> In his opinion, LGBT organizations had angered God, thereby in part causing God to let the attacks happen.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goodstein|first=Laurie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/15/us/after-attacks-finding-fault-falwell-s-finger-pointing-inappropriate-bush-says.html|title=After the Attacks: Finding Fault; Falwell's Finger-Pointing Inappropriate, Bush Says|work=The New York Times|date=September 15, 2019|access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref> Falwell believed the attacks were "probably deserved", a statement which [[Christopher Hitchens]] described as treason.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273295,00.html "Christopher Hitchens and Ralph Reed Square Off over Late Leader's Influence; the Christian Right."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511165011/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273295,00.html |date=2008-05-11 }} ''[[Hannity & Colmes]]''. May 17, 2007. [[FOX News]]. Retrieved June 23, 2009.</ref> Following heavy criticism, Falwell said that no one but the terrorists were to blame, and stated, "If I left that impression with gays or lesbians or anyone else, I apologize."<ref name="falwell apology">{{cite news| url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/14/Falwell.apology/ | work=CNN | title=Falwell Apologizes to Gays, Feminists, Lesbians | date=September 14, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401182609/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/14/Falwell.apology/|archive-date=April 1, 2013|access-date=February 16, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="shield of protection">{{cite web|url=http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=69715 |title=Top Stories |publisher=NY1|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323050047/http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=69715 |archive-date=March 23, 2008}}</ref> Falwell was later the object of some of his own followers' outrage for retracting his statements about divine judgment on America and its causes, because they had heard the same themes in his preaching over many years that America must repent of its lack of devotion to God, immoral living, and timid support of Israel if America wanted divine protection and blessing.{{sfn|Winters|2012|pp=383–384}}