Coral Ridge’s James Kennedy dead at 76

September 10, 2007 by Pastor Dan.

In the second blow to the Religious Reich leadership, Rev. D. James Kennedy died September 5 about a week after retiring from his pulpit at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, at the age of 76 from complications after a heart attack in 2006.  Read the details published by the Baptist Press.

Rev. Jerry Falwell also died unexpectedly on May 15 at the age of 73.

Kennedy, who launched evangelism programs with a political cast from his congregation’s base, was less well-known and less bombastic in personal style. Yet according to some commentators his books and articles created much of the theological framework on which the religious right built its political base.

Between them, Kennedy and Falwell were responsible for an enormous amount of pain to LGBT people and their families, in a misguided belief that Christian faith must reject any and all expressions of same-gender love.

Both men have been praised and cursed. Perhaps one of the gentlest remarks made on the occasion of Falwell’s passing will also be said of Kennedy’s passing: “He’s in a better place.”

Over the years I have felt everything from anguish to anger over the vituperative tone of fundamentalist rhetoric against sexual minorities. This comes not only from my rage at their growing political power in the United States (which shows clear signs of declining again with the disastrous presidency of George “W” Bush), but from a slavish obedience to the letter of the scriptures which also takes the life out of them.

Although less well-known than Falwell, Kennedy suffered no less form hubris in his conviction that he needed to convert the entire nation to his version of Christianity. Both Falwell and Kennedy became completely enamored with broadcasting (Kennedy’s “Coral Ridge Hour” went on the air in 1978), and along with Pat Robertson learned to use their growing media presence and influence to raise vast sums of money in order to perpetuate their starring roles, beginning with a radio microphone and later in front of a television camera.

Many mainstream Christian leaders have never felt that the expenditure of huge amounts of money to get into television broadcasting brought the kind of evangelism results equal to the costs. It remains to be seen if the legacy of Falwell, Kennedy and Robertson (who is 77) will really bear lasting fruit, considering their record of murky and manipulative conservative politics mixed with holier-than-thou works-righteousness.  Robertson, the survivor, is also criticized for his own business dealings which have netted him a personal fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness” - 1 Timothy 6:10

— Pastor Dan Hooper, Los Angeles

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