Jerry Falwell Jr. opens up, says the whole evangelical thing was just an act

[left-of-center2012]

Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife, Becki, are finally opening up about that whole pool boy scandal that destroyed their sterling reputation among evangelicals, crushed their powerful influence in the Republican party, and led to Jerry’s resignation from Liberty University in August 2020. Speaking to Vanity Fair, the Falwells now admit the whole evangelical power couple thing was an act and that they never lived by the values they purported to, as if that wasn’t already totally obvious to anyone who saw those photos of Jerry at a Miami circuit party or the footage of him partying on that yacht with his pants open.

“Because of my last name, people think I’m a religious person,” Jerry tells the magazine. “But I’m not.”
“We had to put on an act,” adds Becki.

Jerry took over as president of Liberty University in 2007 after his father, Jerry Falwell Sr., who founded the conservative college, passed away. In the interview, he explains that all the hateful things he said during his tenure there was just him playing the part of a bigoted Christian figurehead and that he didn’t enjoy doing it. “There was so much pressure on me to become somebody I wasn’t,” he admits. “I’d wake up each day saying, ‘How am I going to do this?'”

Somehow, the poor guy managed to find a way. We’re sure the multi-million dollar salary and invitations to the Trump White House helped some.

https://www.queerty.com/jerry-falwell-jr-opens-pool-boy-scandal-says-whole-evangelical-thing-just-act-20220126
........................................................

“Inside Jerry Falwell Jr.’s unlikely rise and precipitous fall at Liberty University”

Jerry Falwell Jr. was the Trump-anointing dark prince of the Christian right. Then a sex scandal rocked his marriage and ended his lucrative stewardship of the evangelical education empire founded by his father. In a series of exclusive interviews, Falwell—accompanied by his wife, Becki—describes the events that led to his ouster, their fallout, and why he’s finally ready to admit he never had much use for his father’s church anyway.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/01/inside-jerry-falwell-jr-unlikely-rise-and-precipitous-fall

Falwell (with a glass of ‘black water’?) and ‘friend’

[nolabear]

1. Grifters gonna grift.

[gratuitous]

2. Good news, Junior

The market for flaming hypocrites continues to be on the rise as Republicans can always use someone adept at faking sincerity.

[calguy]

12. Trump will probably endorse him for a Senate run.

[dalton99a]

3. Shocking, indeed

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Nothing turns me on like reverends flashing navels with their girlfriend

[Mike Nelson]

5. Well...

... his bank accounts will be a comfort.

[msongs]

6. portraying himself as an innocent victim....nt

[Chicago1980]

7. Looks like they just walked out of Walmart.

[lindysalsagal]

8. Instead of kilts and furs, the new proud boy attire: unzipped flys.

Jesus would be so proud.

[padah513]

9. BS. Looks like rum and coke without the rocks

[Probatim]

10. He's on a rehabilitation tour and then admits the whole religious schtick was an act?

I think there's some money to be made in Image Consulting if that's the advice he thought was the best.

[calimary]

27. "... and send money."

As our own nolabear farther upthread just stated: “Grifters gonna grift.”

[Probatim]

33. Best part - He'll get money.

The corollary to Grifters gonna grift is "rubes gonna rube". They can't help themselves.

[calimary]

38. No shit!

[calimary]

45. Well, then maybe the more he gets from all the gullible marks out there,

the less will be left for the donald.

[lagomorph777]

11. Real or satire?

I swear I cannot tell which

[Botany]

13. It has always been "an act" for those grifting right wing Christian evangelicals

Jerry Falwell Sr. started his megachurch so "his people" didn't have to sit with blacks ... BTW IF the
biblical Jesus was real he would have been black.

BTW This motherfucker is the king of the reptilian lubricant salesman (snake oil).



My late Uncle and Aunt ran an Episcopalian Church* in a small town in S.W. OH they walked the walk and they showed
real love to the people. This is there legacy:

http://samaritanoutreachservices.com/

* he was the rector of the church and his wife/partner worked with him as a team to help people their whole lives.

[dalton99a]

17. +1. Most evangelical preachers are grifters and con men without employable skills

[left-of-center2012]

14. He claims the drink in the photo is 'black water'

Uh huh.

And you claimed to be an evangelical born-again Christian,
and the young lady with you is just a friend,
and the two of you were just 'acting silly'.

okie dokie

[Celerity]

22. I remember this at the time. The woman is the pregnant wife of his personal assistant, there were a

photos of all of them (including her with her husband) at the party. The theme of it was 'The Trailer Park Boys', a Canadian telly show.

[calimary]

46. Um... whose baby is it?

[I_UndergroundPanther]

50. Black water?

You know that black water is the toxic contents of a septic tank.
The water is black because its filthy shit and pee concentrated rotting fetid ammonia water.

You cannot breathe around black water the ammonia can kill you if its in an enclosed space .

[left-of-center2012]

52. Not the same black water

There is a mineral and vitamin enhanced drink called blackwater

[I_UndergroundPanther]

56. Dont think

I could get past the name.

At moms the downstairs grinder mechanism that pushed sewage up to the pipe that goes to the water treatment pipe got messed up.

The sewage guy told us to stay out of basement as he replaced the grinder.

He said its because of the black water. Being curious I asked him why.

He said I could come down and see it and go
Back upstairs fast.

I said ok.

Well I went downstairs and the grinder was open
And omg the ammonia stung my eyes worse than an onion in my nose.

The water in the grinder was totally black and rather thickish. I ran my ass back upstairs as fast as I could go.

The stench was horrific and the ammonia torturous.

Never go near black water.

[themaguffin]

15. His dad was an act too.

[TheRickles]

32. I wonder if he'll ever spill the beans on Dad....

[Grokenstein]

41. Sure, why wouldn't he?

There's money and attention to be had!

[sinkingfeeling]

16. Same can be said of all evangelical TV preachers.

[Botany]

19. "all evangelical TV preachers"

https://aerocorner.com/blog/american-pastors-with-private-jets/

[Farmer-Rick]

40. Yeah, most of those Christian Evangelical leaders are acting

They don't believe the crap they tell their parishioners and followers. Especially if it is a very wealthy church. The more money they make, the more you know they are faking it.

Just listen to their BS. None of it matches up with what they do. None of it has any evidence or truth behind it. It all sounds so rediculus.

Religion is just another con to get you to be complacent.

[andym]

18. He's not any less religious than Trump or less moral

Trump has Stormy and her colleagues, Jerry Jr. and his wife have the equivalents.

[tishaLA]

48. they probably bonded over it

how skeevy they are and how easily they get others to give them money

[orleans]

20. puke. all those assholes are nothing but throw-up. nt

[lpbk2713]

21. Turns out he wasn't as good a con man as his old man.

Maybe he can get some pointers from Jim Bakker.

[Lonestarblue]

23. Remember the photo of all those "religious" leaders in the Oval Office with Trump?

The photo was nauseating. A couple of them had hands on him as if they were healing him. Everyone of them who supported a liar, a cheat, an adulterer are just as fake as he is and putting on a show. P. T. Barnum would be proud.

[Paladin]

24. Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Falwell

Please continue fucking yourself.

[keithbvadu2]

25. Trump's evangelicals

[global1]

26. The Righteous Gemstones.....

in reality.

[rogue emissary]

44. +1

Had the exact same thought.

[captain queeg]

28. The truth will set you free

Would have been a lot better to have come clean years ago, but as long as he was getting away with it and making a lot of money, I guess he never considered telling the truth. Certainly in his circle he fit right in.

[MuseRider]

29. I think most of us could play

the role if we were grifters. It might not even be fun but if we were grifters it would be worth it. I do not buy your line of being miserable. The difference between most of us and you is that we would never even think of grifting for any reason, including money. We would probably all like to have that kind of money but selling ourselves like that is distasteful and below most of humanity.

Dirtbag fits I think.

[JHB]

30. So, how long until he gets back on the bullshit gravy train?

Ten years? Five? Five minutes?

Will he be hawking nutritional supplements? Prepped food? Some other rip-off product?

[KS Toronado]

42. Think it's already started

By coming out and admitting they were "bad" people, they're judging how good a book would sell. IMHO

[Sapient Donkey]

31. I almost feel as if that's even worse

[Harker]

34. There's only one positive thing that comes to my mind.

He didn't pull a Swaggart.

Or hasn't yet.

[gibraltar72]

35. As a recovering Evangelical I say

It could be anyone of them.

[tenderfoot]

36. Now do Franklin Graham

eom

[jcgoldie]

37. Yeah so that whole jesus thing...

Just kiddin’ guys!

[Jilly_in_VA]

39. Thank God and Greyhound he's gone

[Xolodno]

43. The more "religious" a person is...

...the more I know they are faking it.

[drmeow]

47. This is some expert level BS

In the interview, he explains that all the hateful things he said during his tenure there was just him playing the part of a bigoted Christian figurehead and that he didn’t enjoy doing it.

Translation - he didn't enjoy heating caught and losing his cash cow.

[Tree Lady]

49. My husband's favorite show is

The Righteous Gemstones on HBO. He hates religion and loves how they make fun of it. I think most is funny but its also sad because some of it is so true.

The family in the show do the most outrageous things totally ungodly and yet mega church filled to the brim. I told him just like Trumps cult they can do anything. The church is run like a performance and entertainment rather than spiritual.

The adult kids act like spoiled brats, made me think of jerry Jr and Trumps kids.

[Skittles]

54. religion is proof you can make people believe anything

I hope that show will become available elsewhere

[mike_c]

51. well that's classy

[DFW]

53. We always knew it was an act, an insincere put-on

But with the money these con men rake in with their act, it is rare that one of them comes clean in public and finally says outright that it was all a put-on. Most of these phony characters need to be hooked up to electrodes and tortured with high voltage before they admit the truth.

[Martin Eden]

55. How many others?

How many other holier-than-thou bible-thumping "Christian" leaders are grifting hypocrites riding the rightwing gravy train to fame and fortune?