Free Republic

It's become a truism this election season that whatever you expect to happen with Donald Trump, you're probably wrong. So add this to the list of surprises: On Monday, the thrice-married Republican frontrunner, who described himself as pro-choice as recently as 2000, traveled to the heart of conservative evangelism only to be greeted as a conquering hero. Trump spoke at the Liberty University convocation on Martin Luther King Day. Liberty is the largest Christian university in the world... So one might have expected that Trump, who declined to name his favorite Bible verse on the campaign trail, would have received...

One of the United States' most influential evangelical leaders blasted Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. on Monday for hosting Donald Trump to give a campaign speech. Russell Moore, who heads the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, let fly a series of tweets after Falwell gave a glowing introduction to Trump, calling him "one of the greatest visionaries of our time" and saying Trump "lives a life of helping others ... as Jesus taught in the New Testament." Moore appeared incredulous at Falwell's language, which was more effusive than he had...

Donald Trump, speaking to a religious crowd at Virginia's Liberty University on Monday, turned to scripture. "We're going to protect Christianity. I can say that. I don't have to be politically correct," he said. "Two Corinthians, 3:17, that's the whole ballgame ... is that the one you like?"

Real-estate tycoon Donald Trump began his Monday-morning speech on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by touting his "record" crowd size there. Trump was speaking in Lynchburg, Virginia, at Liberty University's convocation. The Republican presidential front-runner noted that he also drew a big audience in 2012 when he addressed the Christian university.

GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump will speak at Liberty University’s first convocation of 2016. The event is scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM EST.

.....Donald Trump will speak at Liberty University on Jan. 18, the latest presidential hopeful to address the conservative school founded by the late Jerry Falwell. Trump - who spoke in 2012 at the Virginia school - is scheduled to address the school's students on the first day of classes for the spring semester, the News & Advance in Lynchburg reported. Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. told the newspaper that he and his wife, Becki, have stayed in "close contact" with Trump since his 2012 appearance on campus. Falwell and Trump also spoke after Falwell's December appearance on "The Sean...

I've always thought that if more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in," he says, the rest of his sentence drowned out by loud applause while he said, "and killed them." Falwell said that when he referred to "those Muslims," he was referring to Islamic terrorists, specifically those behind the attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino. "That's the only thing I would clarify," Falwell said. "If I had to say what I said again, I'd say exactly the same thing."

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) -- The president of Liberty University urged students at the Christian school to carry concealed weapons on campus to counter any possible armed attack like the mass killings in San Bernardino, Calif. "Let's teach them a lesson if they ever show up here," President Jerry Falwell Jr. told students at a convocation Friday. The call-to-arms was met with rousing applause from students, but some said Falwell went too far when he appeared to be referring specifically to Muslims, the News & Advance reported. "I've always thought if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could...

December 4, 2015-Lynchburg, VA - Students are reacting to Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Junior's comments during convocation on Friday. Video of Falwell's statements include him saying "if more good people had conceal carry permits then we can end those Muslims before(Not translatable). Watch the video below (on website). VERBATIM: Falwell, Jr: If the people in that community center had had what I got in my back pocket right now(Applause and Cheering). Falwell, Jr: Illegal to pull it out? I don't know. (Laughter) Falwell, Jr: If more good people had conceal carry permits then we can end those Muslims before(Not...

Macel Falwell, the widow of the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., has died. She was 82. Jonathan Falwell, the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church and one of the Falwells’ three children, posted a message on Twitter late Thursday night. “My sweet mom slipped into Heaven just a little while ago. I can’t believe I’ve been so blessed to have her in my life,” he wrote. Additionally, the Thomas Road Baptist Church website has a photo of Macel Falwell with the accompanying text, “In Loving Memory of Mrs. Jerry Falwell.” Macel Falwell was born Macel Pate on Oct. 4, 1933. Jerry...

Don't know what he is saying, but I find it amazing this conservative Christian school is more tolerant of a socialist than most secular schools are of Christians.

Lynchburg, Virginia (CNN)Citing the Bible, Sen. Bernie Sanders told a crowd of 10,000 conservative Christian students at Liberty University on Monday that while they'll never agree on social issues, "maybe, just maybe" they'll find common cause on income inequality. The Democratic presidential contender ventured onto traditionally Republican territory -- the evangelical university founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell -- in hopes of converting some new admirers.

RUSH: This next sound bite proves a point that I have been making for many, many moons here. Bernie Sanders is at Liberty University. This is the University founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell, which was and is hated by who? The American left and the Democrat Party. "It's the Moral Majority! What's Bernie Sanders doing there?" Well, I think Bernie Sanders was invited, but he went there to speak. And during the Q&A portion of his appearance, Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser asked Mr. Sanders this question: "As far as race inequality is concerned, this question from...

**SNIP** “And I would also say that as a nation– the truth is, that a nation which in many ways was created, and I’m sorry to have to say this, from way back on racist principles, that’s a fact– we have come a long way as a nation,” he added. “My guess is that probably not everybody here is an admirer or voted for Barack Obama,” Sanders said. “But the point is, in 2008 this country took a huge step forward in voting for a candidate based on his ideas and not the color of his skin.”

But the independent senator from Vermont , who is vying to be the Democratic party’s 2016 presidential nominee, has been booked to speak there next month at a university convocation. “It goes without saying that my views on many issues -- women’s rights, gay rights, education and many other issues -- are very different from the opinions of some in the Liberty University community,” Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who is Jewish, said Wednesday night, in comments relayed by a spokesman. But Sanders said he would like to see if “we can reach consensus regarding the grotesque level of income...

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans on addressing students at the evangelical Liberty University next month. The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate plans to visit the Lynchburg, Va. campus on Sept. 14 for the school’s fall convocation, according to Liberty’s website. Its website touts the event — held three a times a week at its Vines Center — as “North America’s largest weekly gathering of Christian students.” The Lynchburg News & Advance said the events frequently draw more than 12,000 people. The speeches are also mandatory for residential, undergraduate students at Liberty. Sanders’s appearance would provide him with a younger, more conservative...

On May 9, Liberty University will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2015 during its 42nd annual Commencement Exercises. More than 17,500 degrees will be awarded. The university is preparing for an expected 34,000 guests at the main ceremony at Williams Stadium. More than 7,700 master’s degrees and over 500 doctoral degrees will be awarded, including 60 degrees from Liberty University School of Law. Liberty will recognize over 5,400 graduates who are active military, veterans, or spouses of service members. Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. This year’s keynote Commencement speaker will be former Florida Gov....

This was ugly. On his MSNBC show this evening, Chris Matthews criticized Jeb Bush, who will be speaking at Liberty University, for "stooping" to "that evangelical crowd" Let's play some political madlibs and imagine that instead of "stooping to that evangelical crowd," Matthews had criticized a candidate who spoke at an Islamic center for "stooping to that Muslim crowd." Cue the cries of religious bigotry! View the video here.

The "moderate" Bush will contest the evangelical vote because next to big donors, they’re his most loyal base. Jeb Bush famously told us that to win the White House, a Republican presidential candidate had to be willing to “lose the primary to win the general, without violating your principles.” It was widely interpreted as evidence that if Bush ran, he’d do it as a more centrist, reasonable candidate who’d be, in his own words, “much more uplifting, much more positive,” and willing to stand up to fire-and-brimstone party hardliners. Now comes the news that Bush will give the commencement address...

Leftists are now openly asking the IRS to once again threaten the tax exempt status of a non-profit. This time it is Liberty University. Recently, Senator Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States on twitter. This was the first time twitter was used for such an announcement. This was historic in of itself. Later that day, the Senator’s first public speech after his announcement was at Liberty University. President Falwell of Liberty University clearly stated that Cruz’s appearance was not an endorsement of his candidacy. This is in keeping with university tradition as well as...