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Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, left, with Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. during a visit to the university in October 2008.
Kaine urges Liberty to reverse Democratic group ban
Updated 4:15 p.m.:
Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. made his first public comments today about the university’s suspension of the campus Democratic party club.
“That club still has the right to exist,“ Falwell said, although it cannot use the university’s name in its activities.
“They still can meet on campus,“ in certain rooms, he said. “There is absolutely no animosity at all toward any of these kids.
“They are good, Christian kids who sit with me at ball games. I just hope they find a pro-life family organization to affiliate with so they can be endorsed by Liberty again.“
More politicians, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, have joined gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in commenting about Liberty University’s revocation of the campus Democratic Party club.
Kaine issued a statement on the letterhead of the Democratic National Committee, of which he is chairman. It said: “I urge the leadership of Liberty University to reverse this attack on the liberty of its students and allow the College Democrats to have the same rights on campus as their counterparts, the College Republicans.“
Creigh Deeds, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, also issued a statement. “Virginia is the home of free speech,“ Deeds said. “Restricting free speech and discouraging students from participating in the political process are not what our colleges and universities should be about. I call on Liberty University to reverse their decision and reinstate the Liberty University Democratic Club.“
Mike Signer, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said:
“The decision of the Liberty University administration to revoke the recognition of the students’ Democratic organization is deeply troubling. It is even more problematic that the school has decided to continue to recognize the campus Republicans.“
Signer said he has contacted Democratic Club members at Liberty and “Together, we can fight this clear violation of the American tradition of the freedom of speech and political organization.”
Updated 11:50 a.m.:
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe held a conference call with reporters this morning.
Liberty University’s Democratic party club president Brian Diaz and the club’s staff adviser, Maria Childress, answered questions from reporters throughout the state during the call.
Many of the questions focused on the issue of censorship, and McAuliffe responded by saying he favors free speech and including more people in the civic process.
Earlier:
Liberty University has revoked its recognition of the campus Democratic Party club, saying “we are unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the moral principles held by” the university.
“It kind of happened out of nowhere,” said Brian Diaz, president of LU’s student Democratic Party organization, which LU formally recognized in October.
Diaz said he was notified of the school’s decision May 15 in an e-mail from Mark Hine, vice president of student affairs.
According to the e-mail, the club must stop using the university’s name, holding meetings on campus, or advertising events. Violators could incur one or more reprimands under the school’s Liberty Way conduct code, and anyone who accumulates 30 reprimands is subject to expulsion.
Hine said late Thursday that the university could not sanction an official club that supported Democratic candidates.
“We are in no way attempting to stifle free speech.”
Hine said the university had recently completed a policy that would govern clubs and organizations on campus.
“We looked at each club and organization to determine where it stood and unfortunately this one kind of got in the sights of policy, if you will,” he said.
Hine’s e-mail mentioned that he had expressed a concern to Diaz about the national Democratic Party’s platform during a meeting earlier in the semester.
Last fall, Diaz said, Hine had complimented the club for being a faith-based organization working within the Democratic Party.
Jan Dervish, secretary of the club, and Maria Childress, its staff adviser, said they met with Hine after the revocation and asked for a further explanation.
“He said it wasn’t us. It was the national Democratic Party,” which the campus club’s constitution supports, Dervish said. The campus club also opposes abortion and supports the traditional view of marriage, Dervish said.
“His bottom line was, ‘You can’t be a Democrat and be a Christian and be a university representative,’” Childress said.
Hine denied saying that.
Part of Hine’s e-mail said, “The Democratic Party platform is contrary to the mission of Liberty University and to Christian doctrine (supports abortion, federal funding of abortion, advocates repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, promotes the “LGBT” agenda, hate crimes, which include sexual orientation and gender identity, socialism, etc.)” LGBT refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Mark Lawrence, chairman of the citywide Lynchburg Democratic Party, called The News & Advance Thursday after he learned about the revocation.
“My issue with this is the statement that the Democratic Party platform is contrary to the mission of Liberty University and to Christian doctrine,” Lawrence said. “They are essentially saying, ‘you cannot be a Christian and a Democrat.’”
Lawrence said he doesn’t personally support every plank in the party’s platform, and many Democrats also have their own differences with the document, which is assembled every four years for the national convention.
Hine’s e-mail said, “The candidates this club supports uphold the platform and implement it. The candidates supported are directly contrary to the mission of Liberty University.”
The goals of the Democratic Party and LU “run in opposite directions,” the e-mail said.
LU has had a College Republicans club for several years.
Claire Ayendi, who was chairman of the Republican club last year and graduated this spring, said she didn’t regard the university’s disbanding of the Democratic group as a political act.
“I think it’s more like a moral issue,” Ayendi said. “Letting a club like that exist goes against what the school is founded on,” she said.
Democratic Party club adviser Childress, an administrative assistant in the university’s honors program, said she sees her role as supporting students, especially their academic status.
“I love and support the university,” said Childress, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from LU in 2004. “But my support is to the students as well. My number one goal is protecting them,” she said.
Dervish said he asked Hine whether LU would let him work off campus in Democratic Party activities. Dervish said Hine told him and Childress that students’ activities outside the school were not affected by the university’s decision to revoke the club’s recognition.
In a written statement sent to The News & Advance Thursday night, Hine said, “Among other things, Liberty University stands for the sanctity of human life. The loss of human life through abortion is a great tragedy and we cannot remain silent when the political policies or politicians themselves promote the destruction of innocent human life.
“While those who are members of the LU Democratic Club are well intentioned and honorable, the platform and policies of the national Democratic Party and the candidates supported by that party, and thus the student organization itself, are inconsistent with the mission of the University.”
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Reader Reactions
Liberty University without liberty is just another university.
Come on Gordie, the majority deserves special treatment?
Since less then 1/3 of the religions on earth are Christian, just what makes any Christian think they are the majority and should be given special treatment.
“Where is Kaine while Christians are being excluded and treated as second class citizens in secular tax payer schools?“
EXCLUDED?? EXCLUDED?? This comment alone shows your ignorance and complete idiocy. And then I read more about you, assuming that this really is Don Spitz (I absolutely refuse to consider you a “reverend” or a man of God). What a nut case. I’d imagine you are an embarrassment and abomination even to most of the people at LU.
“Okay Gracesdad, Lets try Wright University in Ohio, Sinclair Community College also in Ohio is only beating Christians and there are too many more to count.“
Well powerpc, you failed to find the article about how the thing at Wright State (not Wright University) was settled and the group was back. As for such an obscure place as Sinclair Community College, it would be helpful if you would provide a link about them “beating” Christians (I found links but no beating). It would also help if you can show where Christian groups have been “banned” from that campus. It appears this group was violating campus rules. I guarantee you there are other Christian groups on campus.
The fact is that conservatives like to claim that Christians are frequently banned from liberal campuses while the truth is that it rarely happens and when it does, it’s usually reversed almost immediately (sometimes from the help of the ACLU) or the Christian group has blatantlty broken perfectly legal statutes.
Peace be upon you, RWGGWR.
Well lookee here. It’s the Reverend Don Spitz.
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The Rev. Donald Spitz has never been a pleasant man. Considered a wild-eyed extremist even among his colleagues on the radical anti-abortion scene, the head of Pro-Life Virginia and long-time principal of the Army of God Web site (www.armyofgod.com) applauds the murderers of physicians, clinic workers and secretaries.
He rails against “filthy faggots” and “lesbos.“ Islam is “Satanic,“ Arabs are “Rag-Heads,“ and Muslims “should not be allowed to live in the United States.“ New York City is a “sex perverted cesspool” that richly deserved Sept. 11.
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In case you haven’t noticed, this is not a Christian Nation. Your sheep are still subject to the heathen state. You seem to be discombobulated on the subject of separation of Church and State. Please take a long sabbatical (you need it) and read up.
I’m worried that you are not aware you’re a tool (the secret’s out). You should learn a little more about your masters.
Step right up! Rev Don Spitz has your first class citizenship right here. Bang!
I hope that fellow Christians will begin to concern themselves more with the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ rather than the teachings of men, Minor Prophets, and modern day Pharisees. I for one am much more concerned with THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT than the sermon from Thomas Road Baptist church. In this instance – if we must bring politics into the church – one should compare the policies of each political party in relation to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.
Republican Party: Lies - Empowering the rich while taking advantage and ignoring the poor – War without cause- Torture- Alliances with Evangelicals in order to obtain votes (we still have Abortion and Gay People after 8 years of Republican rule) - Intolerance. Doesn’t sound “Christ-like” to me!
These days, the Democratic Party seems to be more in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, especially with regard to President Obama’s most recent speech on Abortion:
“let’s work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.“ According to the “Church and University of Falwell”, we should simply condemn women who find themselves in such a predicament. Simple Solution!
Regarding the other issue that seems to monopolize a great deal of time and thought in Lynchburg (VA). Although it is not discussed by Christ, the closest reference to the existence of Gay People is part of a discussion regarding divorce: (Mathew 19:12) “For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriagec because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” Through elaboration and embellishment rooted in the writings of men and Minor Prophets commenting on social-cultural traditions and church doctrine, the “Church and University of Falwell” has maligned and condemned millions of human beings (gay people) as “sinners in the first degree”. There have always been gay people and will always be gay people (just as in the day of Jesus Christ).
As Christians, we are commanded to show Love and Compassion…period!
Again, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: (Mathew 7:1) “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Today, the “Church and University of Falwell” has created a whole new class of “sinner” they call Democrats. The very same family that has used the Christian Faith to amass power and millions through the creation of a “family business –aka Thomas Road Baptist Church, bilked unwitting college students out of millions under the guise of a “4th tier” education – aka Liberty University, isolated out of context biblical passages in an effort to create their own “truth,” solidly aligned themselves with a political party, has now – once again - narrowed their list of who is worthy and who is not.
Again – lest we forget - the actual words of our Lord Jesus Christ: (Mathew 7:15) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits.”
Let’s make a list of fruit: Manipulation - Quest for Personal Power and Money – Intolerance - Condemnation – Self Righteousness…
Sounds like a group of another group of Leaders Christ himself famously chastised – PHARASEES!
Why doesn’t pro-abortion, pro-homosexual Kaine obey the liberal rant about separation of church and state. Why is he telling Christians what they should do? Where is Kaine while Christians are being excluded and treated as second class citizens in secular tax payer schools?
Mr. powerpc,
We are growing concerned for you on your trip here. We recommend you install an upgrade to your OS for better enjoyment of our wonderful planet.
We admit we are still struggling with an abundance of reactionary a******s, pardon our French, but we would much prefer it if you would just enjoy your stay. If need be, we will require you to download our list so that you benefit from our familiarity with them.
We note that you are having attentional difficulties and this is a symptom of overtaxed mental resources. For all of our sake’s please heed this warning.
Your Friendly Earth proprietors.
d73 f9dfnw48vsx 459gw0vfm#$%@&!*@FENSA - kindly assure Mr. powerpc of a pleasant trip. Thank you.
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