Before the somber beatification begins in earnest, let’s look back at some of the rev’s “greatest hits” as compiled by Voices of American Sexuality:

* “AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals”
* “It appears that America’s anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is possibly being replaced by a Christ-centered men’s movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening.”
* “If you’re not a born-again Christian, you’re a failure as a human being.”
* After the September 11 attacks Falwell said, “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this happen.”
* “Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions”
* “[Homosexuals are] brute beasts…part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven.”

Update: Tim Noah has more. As do Carpetbagger Report and Brad DeLong.