In July 2005, Jerry Falwell was the keynote speaker at an Exodus conference. During his appearance, he approved of parents jailing their children at exgay boot camps such as Love In Action.

It was shocking enough at the time, that Exodus would permit a speech affirming the internment of teen-agers at camps that have developed reputations for abuse and maltreatment.

In late February, Falwell reminded the public that gay youths aren’t the only target of his hellbound self-righteousness: Falwell labels the choice of Judaism a sin and damns all Jews to hell, even though the Bible says otherwise.

From Christian Alliance for Progress:

Last week, Jerry Falwell, in a press release entitled “A Gracious Correction of the Jerusalem Post” repudiated a story in the Post claiming that he believed that Jews had a covenant with God that paralleled that of Chrstians, allowing them to be saved: “While I am a strong supporter of the State of Israel and dearly love the Jewish people and believe them to be the chosen people of God, I continue to stand on the foundational biblical principle that all people — Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Jews, Muslims, etc. — must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to enter heaven.”

The Christian Alliance argues that Falwell’s anti-Semitism is a transgression against a literal reading of the New Testament. In Romans 11, the Alliance points to Paul assuring the salvation of Jews despite their rejection of the gospels:

So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written,

‘Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.’
‘And this is my covenant with them,
when I take away their sins.’

As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

A Google search finds thousands of instances in which Falwell has used the phrase “Judeo-Christian” in speeches to soften the sound of his anti-Semitism.

Once again, I am puzzled:

Why did Exodus invite a Jew-hater and proponent for involuntary bootcamps to keynote its conference?

And why did Exodus cancel the comparatively compassionate Christian speech of Jay Bakker at the same conference?

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