Hitchens looks desperate to establish his link with the Left he betrayed when he sided with Bush and this very Falwell, to cheer the masacre in Iraq. 
He attacks God and religion because he hopes to redeem himself with his old Trockyite comarades, so he hoists his Atheism as the only tie left to him.
We can all agree that the World is a litle bit better without Falwell, still, there is something unsavory about attacking a dead corpse especially when you had agreed with it on important issues, whilst it was alive. With a vehemence of a drunk, Hitchen is trying to pass on his own moral and political confusion to the rest.
Hitchen was playing for too long now his favourite role of “enfant terrible”. No signs that he is growing out of his adolescence.

Perhaps the blessed passing of Rev. Falwell is a good time to bring up the societal failure that allows such charlatans to gain a following.

For the better part of a century our educational system has failed to teach our children to perceive the critical differences between belief and knowledge.  Unable to differentiate them, too many citizens fall victim to the demagoguery of Falwell and his ilk.

You may have missed this Reuters piece:

Gay Cartoons Offer Condolences to Family of Falwell
Reuters Wednesday May 17, 10:57 pm ET

SpongeBob SquarePants and Tinky Winky issued a joint statement of
condolences to the family of Reverend Jerry Falwell, the Lynchburg,
Virginia preacher who became the outspoken leader of the Moral Majority, a
Christian fundamentalist group.  Falwell died Tuesday, of a presumed heart
abnormality.

Mr. SquarePants and Mr. Winky made their television appearance Wednesday
afternoon, following the popular Nickelodeon children’s show “Slime Across
America”, a favorite of Reverend Falwell and James Dobson, founder of
Focus on the Family.

Mr. SquarePants stated “We gay cartoons want to extend our condolences to
the family of Mr. Falwell. Though we may not have agreed in matters of
public policy, we do agree that the loss of a family member is always
devastating, and Mr. Falwell will be missed by someone.” The purple
Teletubby Tinky Winky then pulled out a small slip of paper from his purse
and read “Uh-oh.”

Also appearing in the public statement of condolence for Reverend Falwell
were Tinky Winky’s Teletubby friends, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po, representing
the Cartoon Chapter of PFLAGGI, (Parents and Friends of Lesbian, Gay
Graphic Images). SpongeBob’s “friend” Patrick the pink starfish is a
cartoon member of GLEE, (Gays, Lesbians and Everyone Else). SpongeBob and
Patrick held hands and led the group of gay cartoons, friends and families
in a rousing performance of “We Are Family”, dedicated to Reverend
Falwell.

You myopic assbags. You blacklist someone because they happen to disagree with your sanctified opinion. Hitchens is not and has never been a toadie for the Bush clan. While I disagree with his position on the war, I can appreciate how he came to that conclusion and that does not negate his other valid observations.

I stopped paying any attention to Hitchens some time ago because of his insane support for Bush’s war in Iraq, the same war that Falwell also supported. So maybe someone can tell me if Hitchens has changed his mind re Iraq. Has he finally admitted the stupidity of the war, or is he still supporting our insane President and his warmongering associates?

Scary to find myself agreeing with Hitchens about anything and yet here I am. The world is a better place with Fallwell out of it. I loathed him alive and see no reason to change my mind now that he’s dead. And should there really be a God, the not very Reverand Falwell will have some serious “splainin” to do.

Hello Mr/Ms Rage.

Jesus did not “Bring salvation to all mankind.” When a woman, supposedly asked Jesus to heal her, as if he could, according to the biblical text Jesus responded, “My mission is to address the wickedness of Jews. Gentiles are not worthy of my attention.”

In other words, Gentiles were dogs who didn’t rate his attention. Rage...can you comprehend that? Jesus thought gentiles were not worthy of salvation. O.K?

It seems that Hitchens (at least in regard to religion and its purveyors) merely speaks with the voice that many of us have in our head but are too P.C. to articulate. 

My condolences to his loved ones, but Falwell’s passing is a benefit to society.

When ever there was an important issue facing this country I could always count on Jerry Falwell to say something completey opposite to common sense and reason…

That he helped elect Reagan, and used Christianity to further his own right wing agenda, should not be held against Christians, or any other religion…

Nor should the failings, of men be used as justification to condem what they believe, or that they don’t believe in anything at all.

We all, each one of us carry inside us enough injury, and vileness that I sometimes wonder how civilization survives at all.

Though it may seem a long way off, death comes to us all, none are immune, no one is safe.

Sometimes when someone dies, we can be comforted because it always seems to happen to someone else. But, we are all part of the same world the same mortality. And all share the same responsibility, the same burden, with one foot in heaven, and the other in hell.

As to Jerry Falwells passing, Amen....

Well; I’d say another one bites the dust as far as the sleaze Falwell goes. But, I can’t quite get what Hitchens is so down on religion for. After all he was certainlly willing to get on the Bush and Chaney bandwagon when it came to selling this illegal war. He must know, that Bush is only following Gods orders in his murderous rampage of the Middle East. Puzzling indeed…

I don’t care what Christopher Hitchens thinks about anything.  He was a lap-dog toadie for the Bush adminsitration and that’s what matters.

LOLOL! I am neither a fan for Hitchens nor for Falwell, but that interview with Coop was funny. Hitchens claims there is no GOD, and Falwell lived as though there was no GOD. I know there is a real GOD. That one man does not believe in His Existence and another who claims His NAME does not live up to His calling does not make GOD a figment of human imagination. On the contrary, GOD is much too great to be so minutely reduced.

For me, the truth is that Rev. Falwell spent his entire pastoral career placing an emphatic importance on contentious poltical divisiveness through torturesome Scripture wringing and religious misinformation. The legacy of Falwell’s righteousness and service are his abuse and prostitution of Christ’s Bride, the Church, to the Romish powers that has resulted in the illegitimate birth of the corrupt, mutant religio-political bastardy of christo-fascists born of the whoredom of chruch with state. Jesus is likely not at all pleased with the unfaithfulness of His Bride, her reputation almost irreparably disparaged by recent public disgraces and demonstrated unfaithfulness to Her Lord. Jesus did not die to assure the Bush administration two terms in office for all that Dumya and company have accomplished. Jesus did not die to subvert a woman’s rights over her own body, to demonize all abortions, or to judge, condemn, and kill all homosexuals. Jesus was neither a bigot nor a xenophobic racist. Jesus did not use His Divinity to presume to sway the Romans to assist Him in gaining political authority and establishing His FATHER’s Kingdom here on earth. Jesus did not twist, but rather fulfilled the tenets and promises of the Old Testement to institute the New Testement with His Blood with His Love. Jesus came to make whole what was broken and restore what was lost or taken. Jesus’ mission was to offer All Humanity SALVATION through HIS LOVE because HE loves US ALL.

Rarely did America know Rev. Falwell for that same LOVE. It seemed that Rev. Falwell neither understood nor excercised compassion for others. He held all who were different with contempt, distrust, and suspicion, rarely ever bothering to extend the good news of Salvation to the desperate, the lost, the abandoned, or the hurting. He feared too many much too much to love that perfectly. Instead, Rev. Falwell whored the Bride of the Lord to amass all that he lusted and coveted to himself. Rev. Falwell used his pulpit to pimp Christ’s Bride to the Beasts to be used irreverently that he might build himself an empire upon whose facade he could enscribe the name of Jesus. Never was that the place and purpose of the Bride of Christ. Such a place has compromised her faithfulness to the Lord to Whom she is betrothed.

Now, the world has turned the Church out. The Lord is not pleased. And, we the Church’s true members are vexed and perplexed by this horrendous predicament. Jesus bade Peter three times before He ascended into heaven to feed His Sheep. He still implores those leaders who take upon themselves the responsibility of His Commission to SERVE humanity in His stead to FEED HIS SHEEP. I am left to wonder if it is indeed the real JESUS that these misguided Falwellians truly worship, follow, and serve so diligently.

The man died with the “Knowledge of Good and Evil”
(religion) as his province...Minister of Thomas
Road Baptist Church...chancelor and titular head of whatever university that was.

He lived in that tree, offering the fruit of
immortality...if you would just take a bite…
commit...be born again...sign up for the easy,
insured, second-handed way thru life...none of
that rational thinking and due diligence
necessary…

If enough people sign up...we’ll probably get tossed out of the garden again...won’t be pretty next time.  With the political power he enlisted
in Bush et al, that process might already be underway.

I was at work in a computer room where a radio
was receiving Falwell’s “Old Time Gospel Hour”. 
Not my radio...and I was stuck there.  The first
part of the broadcast was about how self reliance
had no place in the upbringing of a Christian child.
Parents should consider the Bible as the sole source
of guidance in these matters.  The remaining 45
minutes was how you could donate your estate…
(worldly belongings and your soul) to his university.

The world is a better place for having heard the last from him.  Would that it were also the last from his ilk.

I never know Christopher Hitchens was [pro-Bush] before turning [left]? Now I know! And I won’t make Christopher Hitchens a [left-wing or progressive] hero. No way! Are you kidding me!

Good for him to be so candid about Jerry Falwell; but for [progressives] to be “grinning” like a Cheshire cat because Christopher Hitchens seems to be on our side is folly. It is so asinine to think --or even believe-- that progressives/Democratics can’t be religious and believe in [God]? Sure, many liberals don’t “subscribe” nor believe in Jerry Falwell’s philosophy; BUT MANY LIBERALS/DEMOCRATICS ARE CHRISTIAN.

And of course, many Christian liberals are not right-wing, Republicans, neo-cons, rabid, people. Even many Christians who always vote Democratics don’t necessarily listen to Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly, Ann Coulter, Savage, etc., etc.

Christopher Hitchens doesn’t believe in god? He is against god? He’s against all religion? Even Christianity?

Big Whup!!!He doesn’t speak for [me] and [I] won’t be shaking Christopher Hitchens’ hands because he candidly and intellectually spoke about Jerry Falwell’s religion and beliefs.

Let me quote TruthSeeker who wrote above:...Hitchins is nothing but an opportunist making fame and a buck depending on the mood of the nation...Complete fake…

I’m not a big fan of Christopher Hitchens, especially his unqualified support for the Bush War and America’s right to global dominance; but he certainly pinned the tail on the donkey with reference to the phony sanctimony of Jerry Falwell.  However, it might have been a bit more judicious of him to have waited at least until after the funeral.  But then he wouldn’t be the insufferably arrogant egomaniac that he is.  Then again, maybe an outspoken advocate like Hitchens is just what atheists need to start fighting back against the self-righteous condemnation of deluded religionists.  If it worked for Falwell, why not for us?