Hitchens Slams Falwell

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Christopher Hitchens appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 to give his views on Jerry Falwell's life and work. Let's just say that Hitchens is opinionated...

And while I am personally not one to dance on any fresh graves, I will say that, to a certain extent, I have to agree with the following quote from Hitchens:

"The empty life of this ugly little charlatan proves only one thing: that you can get away with the most extraordinary offenses to morality and to truth in this country if you will just get yourself called Reverend.

Who would, even at your network, have invited on such a little toad to tell us that the attacks of September the 11th were the result of our sinfulness and were God's punishment if they hadn't got some kind of clerical qualification?

People like that should be out in the street, shouting and hollering with a cardboard sign and selling pencils from a cup."

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In case you need a refresher on just why this criticism of Falwell is deserved, here are some of Falwell's own words:

"Throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. 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 [9/11] happen.""

"AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharoah's chariotters."

"If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being."

Read more of Falwell's propaganda.

UPDATE: I think TMZ.com probably has the best send off for Jerry Falwell of them all.