Liberty University’s New Policy

by Eugene Cho 05-27-2009

Did you read the news of Liberty University (founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell) removing the Democratic club as an offiicial Liberty club because the national party’s platform goes against the values of the school?

As I’ve shared before, I’m neither a Democrat or a Republican. I’m an independent voter/thinker and attempt to look at things issue by issue. But in regards to this news from Liberty, let me first say that I get where their administration is coming from. They have certain convictions and are trying to honor them, and as a private university they have the right to do so, right? Especially since students sign the Liberty Way policy:

It is the duty of every student to respect Liberty’s Statement of Doctrine and Purpose. They may not engage in any activity on or off campus that would compromise the testimony or reputation of the University or cause disruption to Liberty’s Christian learning environment.

In a letter addressed to the student body, the chancellor of Liberty wrote:

No student club or organization shall be approved, recognized or permitted to meet on campus, advertise, distribute or post materials, or use University facilities if the statements, positions, doctrines, policies, constitutions, bylaws, platforms, activities or events of such club or organization, its parent, affiliate, chapter or similarly named group are inconsistent or in conflict with the distinctly Christian mission of the University.

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 promote the destruction of innocent human life. While students may meet on campus, debate, and discuss important and controversial issues of the day, Liberty University will not lend its name or fund organizations whose stated purpose is to promote and advance issues that are contrary to its Christian mission.

But here are some of my concerns: Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Why would they grant the “Democatic Club” permission last year … only to pull the rug out right underneath them? Why inform them via e-mail?
While I appreciate and deeply respect Liberty’s stance for the sanctity of human life … umm … how about its stance on war and some estimates that over a million Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. led invasion of Iraq?
These are college students and not middle schoolers. They are adults, right? Of age to enlist themselves in the armed forces. Let’s give them the freedom to engage the larger marketplace of ideas, philosophies, and worldviews — even in a Christian college. Their faith in Christ will be stronger as a result (and their ability to engage the larger world).
Here we go again: this idea that Christians have to be Republicans in order to be good Christians. It’s old … and it’s the same thing when people say that Christians that love justice and mercy must be Democrats. Here’s my recommendation: Be neither. Be independent. Follow Christ and your convictions … issue by issue. And finally, be someone that cares about more than the issue and actually cares about the people behind the issues.

Alright. Your turn:

What do you think about Liberty U. kicking out removing the Democratic Club as an official club?

Here’s the article from the Washington Post.

Eugene Cho, a second-generation Korean-American, is the founder and lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle and the executive director of Q Cafe, an innovative nonprofit neighborhood café and music venue. He and his wife are also launching a grassroots humanitarian organization to fight global poverty. You can stalk him at his blog or follow him on Twitter.

Categories: Faith and Politics

MarKatJac

I believe in voting with your feet. If LU is suddenly anti-Democrat...hit them where it hurts...take your tuition dollars, and go somewhere else. I attended another seemingly "Fundamentalist Christian" College, but unlike Liberty U...dissent was permitted. Messiah College had a replica of the Wittenburg Door..a place where students could post whatever was on their mind. While many of the students at Messiah might have been given the choice to go to a place like Bob Jones, or LU, they chose a school where it is OK to have a different opinion about when life begins, when life was created, how long this ball we live on has been circling the sun, what 'thou shalt not murder' really means...So, for those of you who disagree with LU's policy..I say...transfer...now...

bpang

actually in an email that got sent out by Liberty they said exactly that. This club lost it's official affiliation because it went back on an agreement previously made with the school to not support candidates that are pro-choice. Had there been no pro-choice issue the club would have been allowed to continue on as an officially recognized school. The letter went on to say that if any Republican group had begun supporting a pro choice candidate the same thing would have happened. The club in question as far as I can tell from the letter is still allowed to meet on campus; it just doesn't receive school funding and the university won't lend its name to the group anymore.

BlueDeacon

It just might -- might -- be the case. Its umbrella organization crowed about just how much "havoc" it was having around the country.

ando

And, of course, your experience speaks for the rest of the country.

seekingdisciple

First of all to say that you are independent and then defend the Democratic party shows that you are not. The entire theme of this piece is Democratic period.

As far as your points Mr. Cho. First, if you are a pastor why waste your time with the things of this world such as Liberty or politics in general. Why not seek to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) and let these things go. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) so don't waste time with the things of this world that are only fleeting (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

Second, as far as Liberty is concerned. They are a free college. They are not state owned and therefore they can kick out whomever they desire. If they want the Repubs instead of the Dems then so be it. They are in a free nation (but that may change under Obama) and can do what they like. Who are you to ask otherwise?

JamesM

I am responding to your earlier response to me, greenasphodel. I was not responeding to you when I wrote what I wrote. I was responding to BlueDeacon. I am quite certain that you accurately described your experiences. There is no doubt in my mind. I would have to say that I found the article posted by 1Grace refreshing. It gave some good perspective. I do not want to dehumanize LU attendees but I have to concur with you that I am not where they are as far as an institution goes.

BlueDeacon

No, I haven't actually mentioned it that much, perhaps just three or four times. But my point is that conservatives who frequent here want Sojo to add conservative voices when conservative blogs have no intention of allowing more liberal voices, like mine, to be considered valid.

And that actually plays into the topic. Many of the same folks who press for freedom for themselves often do not extend that same freedom for those who disagree -- which is why I've often said they're after only power, never reconciliation or justice. In fact, they really don't even want their views scrutinized and held up to critical analysis -- they'll shout "persecution" at the drop of a hat. Rush has made a fortune doing just that.

justontime

So is this like the 67th or 68th time you've mentioned this? You sure do get a lot of mileage out of one anecdote...

Nathan Bedford

"I simply stated the fact that Sojo gets to publish who it chooses just as Liberty gets to sponsor who it chooses."

Let me respond my affirming what others have already written. As a private institution, Liberty can ban any club that they choose, and I can't remember anyone here writing that they do not have that right.

But where I think you are off base is your comparison of Liberty to Sojo. There are a wide variety of opinions expressed here and other than ensuring that we don't use any four-letter words, the moderator of this blog has made no attempt to censor the content. Some people write long entries and other people write short ones. Some of us are Democrats, some are Republicans, and some are Libertarians. Neither your politics or your opinions disqualify you from contributing here.

I think that your analogy to Toyotas and Hondas is a poor one. Universities are not in the business of selling. They are idea factories. Placing restrictions on ideas makes no sense in an educational institution.

Just one more point: Those of us who comment here are not restricted in any way by the amount of space that is allocated. Therefore, the comments can, and frequently do, occupy as much space as the original blog entry from a member of the Sojo organization. Since our entries receive just as much exposure as the original, I believe that Sojo is being more than fair in its format. And that is why the statement that "Sojo gets to publish who it chooses" is wrong. All of us have an equal opportunity to have our words published here, and unlike some sites, I have witnessed no actions to either limit the size of the entry or the content.

JaneinWNY

greenasphodel:

"She told me she couldn't imagine anyone voting for a non-Republican because she had always been brought up to believe that the Republicans were Christ's political party."

That statement made me laugh. I was out of college for decades before I met a Christian who was also strongly Republican. I thought you had to be a Democrat to be a Christian. I still haven't gotten over how the Republican party turned themselves into the Christian party.

I'm sure I knew Christians who voted Republican, but they were mostly apolitical so it never came up in conversation.

Jane

letjusticerolldown

"What do you think about Liberty U. removing the Democratic Club as an official club?" E Cho

Silly. Their right. Let it be. They strain at gnats and swallow camels. To spend much time criticizing it could as easily become straining at gnats.

I think Fundamentalism lost its way in an isolation from culture; and then lost its way in the moral majority's over-embrace of political action, and likely needs to return to establish some fundamentals of faith that are not in reaction to a social gospel, or reaction to modernism, or reaction to isolationism, or reaction to God's ways equating to the Republican Party--and from there develop a coherent and persevering base for political action and cultural engagement into which they can contribute to Christ's peoples' manifestation of Jesus' love.

cpd

I never said my comments have been censured. I simply stated the fact that Sojo gets to publish who it chooses just as Liberty gets to sponsor who it chooses. And I don't think that's wrong! But for Sojo to get on it's high horse about diversity of thought while not offering any (other than in the comment section) is a bit duplicitous.

No one said Liberty is prohibiting the exchange of ideas - just the sponsoring of ideas that are the opposite of the core values of the institution. I'm not entirely sure how anyone can argue with that. It's like a Toyota dealership being raked over the coals for not offering Hondas. Toyota dealerships are there to sell Toyotas, not Hondas. Liberty is there to, for lack of a better word, sell its students a certain value. There are a gazillion other schools out there - no one is holding a gun to anyone's head saying, "You must go to Liberty!"

I'd never go to Liberty and I sure as heck wouldn't sent my kids but it's a private school. It gets to do what it wants. Just as Sojo can publish who it chooses.

greenasphodel

Thanks, but mine are not stereotypes. No offense. I grew up in Liberty's shadow, had a hot dog bought for me by Dr. Falwell and am basing my comments on both my life experiences and what has been shared with me by LU alums.
Like I said, Liberty University is a place made up of exceptionally nice people, but the intent of the institution itself is skewed from its supposed Christian mission. I have read about the book mentioned above - probably the very same article - and I must say that my statement about the niceness of the people there is pretty much in line with what the book is about. I do not really understand why I am being directed to investigate it.
My comments about "baby eating" were taken from a conversation I had with a LU alum because that is what she thought upon graduation. In fact, it wasn't until she met my family that she realized one could be both Christian and vote for a Democrat. She told me she couldn't imagine anyone voting for a non-Republican because she had always been brought up to believe that the Republicans were Christ's political party. I should have been more clear in my allusions. I apologize if in not doing so, I came off as callous. That was not my intent.
In what I have seen, there is a lot of fear at LU. I would rather that were not so. But having dealt with the university in a multitude of situations, it seems that after a brief respite before his death, Dr. Falwell's school is only becoming more closed off to the rest of the world.

rryand35

You know? They are a private institution and can virtually do what they want. In that way they are ALLOWED to kick out a club they don't like.
However is it WISE? Nope. You want educated students? Let them make choices. There are plenty of Democrats who are pro-life but overlook that policy in favor of other policies the Democrat Party holds. There are some pro-life Democratic politicians.
I say, let the club stay!
Grade for Liberty: D+

mscynthia

As long as they are back to kicking people out
I think the opperative expression is

"So who's going to be next?"

Make sure the last student knows how to shut the door when they leave.

BlueDeacon

But what does that say, still? If you want to be a Democrat you're officially an "outsider." What will happen when -- and I mean when -- it comes out that many members of the Republican Party are actively homosexual? And someone else asked, can a chapter of Democrats for Life meet; conversely, what about Republicans for Choice?

Nathan Bedford

Please tell us on what occasion(s) that Sojo has censured your comments (or the comments of any conservative) on this blog.

Your comparison of Sojo to Liberty University is invalid. No one has suggested that Liberty should select as its primary spokepersons anyone other than whom it chooses. Campus clubs do not now, or to my knowledge ever have been forced to parrot the views of the college administration. That's not the kind of message that any university should be sending to its students. Eventually, they will be entering the real world that includes Democrats, Libertarians, and others whose view of politics and the world differs from the insulated aquarium that they have occupied. Liberty University does these students no favor by keeping them isolated.

An exchange of views is never dangerous in an open society. That is what Sojo is providing here and that is what Liberty University is prohibiting.

BlueDeacon

I did read it, and the quote from Jerry Falwell Jr. said it all for me: "We appreciate Kevin's generally positive tone toward LU but he admittedly comes from a culture that has very little tolerance for conservative Christianity and even less understanding of it."

BlueDeacon

Actually, based on what I've read, much of that "political correctness" thing is overblown and exists primarily at major and more influential schools on both coasts. But because of the specific schools where it has occurred it sounds like a bigger problem than it actually is.

BlueDeacon

I don't see the point, to be truthful -- after all, the blog from which I was banned represented the majority in evangelicalism. What I'd like to see is people from both sides sit down and talk about their concerns, taking each other seriously and developing a sens of unity -- but the right won't do it because it has consistently sought enemies to defeat. Heck, Ron Sider, who sits on Sojo's board and overtly opposes abortion, was skewered as a socialist four years ago in World magazine, and Falwell once denounced Wallis as "as evangelical as an oak tree."

JamesM

The fact that you did not see it, does not mean that it doesn't occur. There are fundamentalist conservatives and fundamentalist liberals. You should read the article that 1Grace posted. It was interesting.