Jerry Falwell was a fallible human being. Only one man has ever been perfect without sin, Jesus Christ. That being said, by worldly standards, Jerry Falwell was a great man. He was bold in his faith and that is why he was persecuted by the ungodly. He has a reward in heaven for that. May God bless him.
It's amazing how the rose-colored glasses of zealotry make the faults of the people in your own tribe/camp completely disappear, but make the faults of those outside your own camp appear larger than life.
And incidentally, there is a difference between being criticized and persecuted. To my knowledge, Jerry Falwell was never tortured, imprisoned, or deported for his faith, nor for his crimes against humanity, for that matter.