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Follow us on TwitterOp/Ed: Media Has Misrepresented Controversy Over Club, Falwell Jr. Says
Published: May 24, 2009
A number of media sources recently reported that Liberty University banned Democrats from meeting on campus. One headline erroneously read: “Democrats at Liberty University forced to meet off campus.” Apparently many journalists do not let the facts get in the way of a juicy, agenda-driven story.
The story was spun out of control from the beginning, when Terry McAuliffe, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Virginia, called a telephone news conference to talk about the College Democrat club formed by students of Liberty University. The presses began to buzz. Much of what went to print was wrong. Most journalists were interested in scooping their competitors rather than seeking the truth. Even when some reporters learned the facts, they could not bring themselves to correct their stories because the fanciful reports were just too tempting.
The university has not banned Democrats from campus. Nor has the Democrat club been banned from meeting. And, never has the university or its officials said that a person cannot be a Christian and a Democrat. Sorry for those who want to run with these titillating soundbites, but these are the facts.
The students who formed the Democrat club last October are good students. They are pro-life and believe in traditional marriage. They can continue to meet on campus. The only thing that has changed came about as part of a university-wide review of all student organizations for official recognition status. Official recognition carries with it the benefit of using the university name and funds. While this group will not be an officially recognized club, it may still meet on campus.
Liberty University is the world’s largest and fastest growing evangelical university. While many schools have faced budget shortfalls and declining enrollment, Liberty is debt free and continues to grow at a rapid rate. We now have 11,500 students on campus and nearly 38,000 students online. This fall, Liberty University will exceed 50,000 total students.
Parents and students support the university because they believe in its distinctly Christian identity and mission. Liberty University is pro-life and believes that marriage between one man and one woman provides the best environment for children. Liberty University will not lend its name or financial support to any student group that advances causes contrary to its mission.
While the students in the college Democrat club are pro-life and support traditional marriage, the constitution of the club pledged support to advance the Democratic platform and candidates. The 2008 Democratic platform has taken an extreme turn to the left on social issues. For the first time, it supports federal funding of abortion and repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, a law passed overwhelmingly by a bipartisan Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton. Liberty University will not lend its name or financial support to undermine marriage or to promote abortion.
While students are free to meet on campus, debate and discuss politics of every stripe, the university will remain true to its core principles and not lend its name or fund groups that work to undermine the principles that make Liberty attractive to so many people. Liberty brings many diverse speakers to campus.
Last year, U.S. Sen. John McCain’s brother spoke to the students along with Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, a Democrat. Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke to our students this spring about how her opposition to same-sex marriage put her at odds with her family and her political allies. Ted Kennedy also spoke at Liberty in 1983.
We encourage our students to bring positive change to all political parties, Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
We hope our students challenge all political parties to remain true to the core moral values consistent with the Christian mission of the University. To blindly support any candidate solely because of party affiliation irrespective of their moral views is wrong. Liberty would never endorse a Republican student group that supported abortion rights. Liberty stands for certain core values; not for a political party.
Falwell is chancellor and president of Liberty University. He wrote this column for The News & Advance.
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Reader Reactions
Arthur, THAT was hilarious!! 
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to see the strange activities atop Liberty Mountain last night.
Sure, I had heard the rumors, just like everyone else. Stories of a hidden laboratory and a retractable top to the mountain. But I never paid them much mind. Until last night.
Last night I saw it with my own eyes. I heard the high pitched whining of the massive generators housed deep within the very bowels of Liberty Mountain. I stood awe struck as the gigantic Liberty Laser, pea green in color, cut through the foggy night sky like a hot spoon through lard.
It’s target was the satellite orbiting earth that was about to transmit the History Channels presentation of “The Link”. The story of a 47 million year old fossil of a primate. Perhaps the best preserved fossil ever discovered, complete with stomach contents and opposable thumbs. No Peltdown Man this. Ida, the name given to the young female, is a Darwinists dream come true. That elusive clear representation of a species in transition from a time, spot on, when it was expected to exist.
Now, I don’t know weather it was fate, mechanical malfunction or the fact that Jerry Junior had been without sleep for days trying to extricate himself from the latest gaff—- but the Holy laser failed to find it’s target and all America was capable of receiving the broadcast. And what a broadcast it was.
Sure it was inspired by Satan and entirely financed by homosexuals, but, it was great never the less. A great tribute to the mind of Charles Darwin and the tireless work of scientists who chose thinking over believing.
There I sat, in my recliner, the faint smell of brimstone oozing from the back of my SONY thinking to myself, “There will be hell to pay for this.“
I know just what they will do. Even MORE local channels will run back to back tapes of that strange looking Australian pseudo-scientist, surrounded by rubber dinosaurs, telling kids that, once, kids just like them used to ride dinosaurs to Bible School.
To tell you the truth, I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face anyway.
Ted Kennedy visited Liberty only 26 years ago! How many years of milking left?
Junior says, “Liberty stands for certain core values; not for a political party.“ Wow, if you believe that he’s got a degree to sell you.
LU Grad 1996 & 2002 - “Someone needs to stand up and start calling sin by its rightful name again or God will raise up someone new to do it.“ God doesn’t seem too bothered but I’m sure you’re up for the job. You, like jedihunter, didn’t notice Junior lying here? - “The 2008 Democratic platform has taken an extreme turn to the left on social issues. For the first time, it supports federal funding of abortion [...] Liberty University will not lend its name or financial support to undermine marriage or to promote abortion.“ Yet the group was recognized last October, when the only candidate they could have supported was for federal funding for abortion. Junior even says they promised to support a pro-life candidate when the only candidate available at the time was pro-choice. Yet you choose to believe Junior. I guess that fits the pattern - faith before truth.
Mr. Knipp seems to suffer the same “virtue”.
Lu Grad 1996 & 2002, calling sin by its rightful name. What would you call pride? What would you call self-righteousness? What would you call being in favor of withholding rights from people (it used to be from the blacks)? What would you call willfully misrepresenting other individuals and other groups? What would you call condemning and demonizing others because they do not agree with your opinion(s)?
LU Grad 1996 & 2002 just proves what kind of students Liberty graduate. He/She could not learn the first time and had to get a repeater to get a job.
I ask you, class of ‘96 and ‘02, sincerely, what genuine, born-again, Bible-believing Christian would tolerate gluttony!
Look it up in the Bible.
Take a walk around what is perhaps the most obese faculty and student campus in the country.
These people need to get right with God. Feed the soul not the bloated cracker barrel carried around under suits and “loose clothing!“
May God help those who are fat with sin.
Who in their right mind could ever call LU traditional.
This is the first time in a very long time that I have been encouraged that LU is still serious about remaining culturally conservative. I have been wondering if other alumni have noticed that the culture war seems to have gone from page one to completely off the radar screen over the last two years. As a graduate of Liberty University, I am thoroughly encouraged by this news. I know most of the people who post messages here will criticize LU for taking a strong, conservative, Bible-based stand on this issue, but count me among those who think this is highly overdue. Someone needs to stand up and start calling sin by its rightful name again or God will raise up someone new to do it. Look at the facts, the national democrat party supports abortion, gay marriage, gay rights, stem cell research, etc. I ask you sincerely, what genuine, born-again, Bible-believing Christian would vote for that agenda?
I think what makes this whole situation so bizarre, is the concept of a university actually taking a position on an issue like abortion as part of its “mission.“
Traditionally, a university’s mission would be to allow students and faculty to follow free thought to whatever conclusions it might lead. Okay, so we already knew that LU was not conservative in this sense, i.e., it never aspired to the traditional university mission. And admittedly, the traditional model has allowed particular academic departments at some mainstream universities to weed out professors holding certain conservative beliefs from tenure track positions.
But to say that “our mission is to promote a Christian philosophy ... and therefore a pro-life stance ... and because the DNC platform has a pro-choice plank, we will not sponsor a student group that supports its candidates ... but we’re not saying you can’t be a Christian and a mainstream Democrat,“ does not compute!
Gordie my Pennsyltucky Pal, I assure you, it was The Hollies (with the help of Murray the “K”.)
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