A Gentle Answer: Our 'Secret Weapon' in an Age of Us Against Them

by Scott Sauls

They got to know one another’s families, exchanged cards and gifts during the holidays, and supported one another in their shared struggles related to health and aging. After Falwell’s death in 2007, in a eulogy published in the Los Angeles Times entitled “My Friend, Jerry Falwell,” Flynt said the following: The truth is, the reverend and I had a lot in common . . . We steered our conversations away from politics, but religion was within bounds. He wanted to save me and was determined to get me out of “the business.” My mother always told me that no matter how repugnant you find a person, when you meet them face to face you will always find something about them to like. The more I got to know Falwell, the more I began to see that his public portrayals were caricatures . . . in the end, I knew what he was selling, and he knew what I was selling, and we found a way to communicate. Every time I’d call him, I’d get put right through, and he’d let me berate him about his views . . . I’m sure I never changed his mind about anything, just as he never changed mine. I’ll never admire him for his views or his opinions . . . but the ultimate result was one I never expected and was just as shocking a turn to me as was winning that famous Supreme Court case: We became friends.

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