I was invited last weekend to attend the graduation ceremonies at San Francisco State, and I learned some new values that are being propelled into the current culture war.

The president of the university started off the ceremonies with a speech encouraging the graduates to practice the values they learned at San Francisco State.

I soon learned what those values entailed.

The invocation was performed by a cantor of a local synagogue and an imam of the Islamic Society of San Francisco. Conspicuously absent was any representative from a Christian church or organization. Was the value to be learned here selective tolerance?

Later, the audience was to receive the treat of the "Recognition of the Alumnus of the Year," who is an activist filmmaker graduate who has produced "Stories from the War on Homosexuality." His commencement speech brought more graduation values to the table.

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The speech started with a celebration of the recent death of Rev. Jerry Falwell. Cheers, clapping and air horns sounded from the crowd as the speaker reminded the audience of the demise of this Christian leader. The speaker immediately cited the public moral stands made by Rev. Falwell, one of which included the connection between certain sexual activity and the resulting disease process of AIDS, to the derision of the crowd.

I suppose the value to be learned here is the denial of reality.

He next invoked the value of not speaking ill of the dead. By citing Bette Davis' comment regarding the death of her rival Joan Crawford, he reminded the crowd that Bette Davis knew one was to speak only "good" regarding the dead. So the speaker cited her comment: "Joan Crawford is dead, good."

The inference, of course, was difficult to miss: "Jerry Falwell is dead, good."

The lesson of the university's values here was not lost on the audience. If you disagree with the speaker's lifestyle, your death is to be celebrated. What are the values to be learned here? Lack of tolerance and common decency.

What a tragedy that the graduates along with invited friends and relatives had to be exposed to that vile exposition of hate and intolerance at an event that is supposed to be celebrating the achievement of the students. The speaker said tolerance is a two-way street. I shared with the person sitting next to me that we had just witnessed an example of the hypocrisy of those who preach tolerance and acceptance of all points of view.

The speaker criticized the fact Rev. Falwell had connected the 9-11 attacks to divine judgment for the sins of certain groups, including feminists and those who practiced homosexuality.

On this one, I will agree with the speaker, but in a different manner. Falwell did not go far enough.

I believe God has lifted His hand of protection from this country, but not only for the sins of a few select groups. We as a nation in general have turned our back on God. This includes the sin and rebellion in the Christian Church. We do not deal with the sin in the Church because of our skewed theological beliefs that excuse deliberate, continual rebellion against God's laws. We think we were saved to be able to continue in our sinful habits while those on the "outside" who commit certain sins are condemned.

The value to be learned here? This one does not belong to San Francisco State:

God is not mocked. We will reap what we sow.

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Earl A. Clampett Jr. can be contacted at simpletruthministries.com. His experience includes careers in law as a judge and attorney as well as teaching at various colleges. He is also an ordained minister with almost a decade of jail chaplain ministry. Listen to Clampett talk about his book in radio interviews.