Reprimands and Consequences at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University

Liberty University ^ | 6/2003 | Liberty University

[bluecollarman]

"Aren't all sins equal?"

No all sins are not equal, but break one and your as guilty as if you had done the worst as far as salvation is concerned.

Why do care what Falwell does at his college? He does not advocate violence or any bad behaviour that I am aware of.

Fundi Christians are good decent hard working Americans. Why do you care if the Liberty moral code is stricter than yours? They are not forcing anything on you.

Maybe you just feel guilty because you could not lead that type of life without being miserable.

[Moose4]

I grew up in Lynchburg, VA, home of Liberty U. Yes, it got a lot of snarky remarks from us townies about the strict rules. However, folks, nobody is holding a gun to the heads of the students there. They voluntarily associate themselves with the rules, and if they want to go to a school with restrictions like that, it's their prerogative to do it. LU is, rules aside, a pretty decent college academically.

Now, on the flipside, strict rules don't necessarily mean that your kids are going to come out of LU as saints. When I was working for a computer consulting firm back in Lynchburg, I was assigned to help implement some systems at a new manufacturing plant. The management at the plant invited me out to the ONE dance club in Lynchburg in thanks for the work I put in. (150,000 people in the SMSA, and back then there was exactly one non-country dance club in the entire town, and it was only open three or four nights a week.)

One of the employees we went there with was a recent Liberty grad, who immediately started downing shots when she got there--and she obviously knew her way around the place. In fact, she was busy the whole night pointing out people she knew. ("I roomed with her sophomore year...I went out with that guy once...oh yeah, I had a biology class with her...") Suffice to say that regardless of the fact that LU actually has "spies" around in eeeeeevil places like bars and dancehalls (what few there are in Lynchburg), teenage resourcefulness will always win out.

Final note--students were expelled from LU back in the 80s for distributing Pentecostal literature. LU is Baptist. Make of that what you will.

}:-)4

[Tamar1973]

I reviewed the slides of the women's attire you linked. I feel that they are perfectly reasonable guidelines for women who claim the name of Messiah Y-shua to follow.

Most of you should be glad that Dr. Falwell didn't consult me first. I probably would have ix-nayed sleeveless garments, period. Cover those armpits!! ; )

[The Great RJ]

I didn't know the Taliban had a university in this country.

[GovernmentShrinker]

No, but there's "12 Reprimands + $70 fine" for "Entering the space above ceiling tiles ".

What a bunch of wackos!

[Chancellor Palpatine]

They are not forcing anything on you.

At the moment. Give them power, though, and they will.

[MineralMan]

"What's your point in posting the rules at a private institution which people attend of their own free will?"

Perhaps to demonstrate just how bizarre and out of touch Falwell and his institutions are. Having read this, I'd think twice before putting any graduate of this institution in a position of authority over others. Legalism bites, is non-Biblical, and smacks of tyranny.

These students are all legal adults. Yes, they've agreed to go to this school, and that's just fine. The rules, however, are of interest to those who do not attend.

[Dilly]

Why do care what Falwell does at his college?

I care what Fallwell does because he is--wrongly in my opinion--seen as a spokesmodel for Christians in this country.

They are not forcing anything on you.

I beg to differ. It's the moral crusaders like Fallwell and his students who aim to codify their own morals into law. These are the type of people who brought you prohibition and blue laws, and the ones who today support legal bans on contraception, conseusual sodomy, medical marijuana and the like. So yes, they are trying to force their views on me and limit my--and everyone else's--freedom.

Maybe you just feel guilty because you could not lead that type of life without being miserable.

You're absolutely right that I couldn't lead that type of life without being miserable, but I can promise you there is zero guilt involved.

[Moose4]

In all honesty, though, how different are these rules from rules at other private Christian colleges? What about those rules makes those who live under them somehow, in your opinion, unfit to have authority over others?

By the way...you want rules? Check out Bob Jones University. From what I've heard, BJU makes Liberty look like Faber College.

}:-)4

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Having read this, I'd think twice before putting any graduate of this institution in a position of authority over others.

Ain't that the truth. I sure wouldn't hire one.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"Why do you care if the Liberty moral code is stricter than yours?
They are not forcing anything on you."

You bet your sweet ass they're not,
but they sure as Hell would like to.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"I didn't know the Taliban had a university in this country."

Yes, and if they had their way, every one.

[NEWwoman]

Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages

I broke this one the first night after freshman orientation.

Hey, Jesus' first miracle was to turn water into wine. It wasn't to turn wine into water. (I know. They explain it away as the wine was only grape juice.) But it puts you in great company, my friend.

[MineralMan]

"What about those rules makes those who live under them somehow, in your opinion, unfit to have authority over others? "

It's simple. Authoritarian leadership is useless where innovation and creativity are required. Graduates from this school or BJU, I'm sure, have been trained in an authoritarian system, and embrace that system, since they manage to live in that world for four years, at least.

It stands to reason that those attitudes will follow them through their lives. That's fine, for them, I guess, but putting them in charge of other employees who do not share their narrow view would be a serious management error.

We've all worked for one autocratic boss or another, for whom the rules mean more than the goals of the company. Such bosses are poor leaders and soon earn the enmity of all their subordinates....

That's why.

[Grando Calrissian]

Association with those consuming alcohol

I guess that means if you're a practicing Catholic, you are in violation of the rules. Nice place. Does the woman's dress code consist of burqas?

[Dilly]

They explain it away as the wine was only grape juice.

My sixth grade Sunday school teacher told me that lie, too. I still wonder whether she was stupid enough to believe that herself or if she was just lying to her students and inserting her own words into God's word.

Come on, can you imagine a wedding party getting all exited about grape juice? "Woo hoo! More juice! That Jesus guy rocks!"

[MineralMan]

"I guess that means if you're a practicing Catholic, you are in violation of the rules. "

Oh, there aren't any practising Catholics at Liberty U. Doncha know, the Roman Catholic Church is the great Jezebel of Revelation? Trust me on this. Now, get those shoes polished up or give me ten!

[NEWwoman]

Come on, can you imagine a wedding party getting all exited about grape juice?

Right. Why would the wedding guests say - most weddings serve the best wine first? (Maybe they were a little intoxicated to notice the lesser quality wine, later.) But in this wedding, they saved the best for last.

[MineralMan]

"Ain't that the truth. I sure wouldn't hire one."

Nor would I, for any job. I've known some graduates of such schools, and there were, to a person, humorless drones with no initiative or creativity.

I suppose they'd be OK doing some sort of repetitive, mindless clerical work, but they'd bum out everyone around them.

Not to worry, though. They'll all be working as assistant preachers at some pentacostal church until they can split off enough members of that church to start one of their own. Watch your daughters, though....

[Grando Calrissian]

No Do Rags!