D. James Kennedy (November 3, 1930-September 5, 2007)

As a youngster, I would get up on Sunday mornings to watch televangelists. D. James Kennedy was one of my favorites. I first watched him when he gave a sermon on “Thou shalt not kill.” He argued that “Thou shalt not kill” actually means “Thou shalt not murder,” so capital punishment was acceptable. That impressed even my dad, who normally does not like televangelists. I was also impressed by the long list of degrees that appeared at the end of his program. And, interestingly, I do believe that I once saw Bob Dole sitting in his congregation. A lot of people criticized him as pompous, and many on the left saw him as downright scary. But I admired his attempt to promote morality in America and to teach Christians how to share their faith. I am saddened that so many people whom I have taken for granted as part of the national landscape are dying. First it was Jerry Falwell, and now it is Dr. Kennedy. I hope that the younger generation can produce strong leaders for the Christian conservative movement.