Dear Friend of Liberty
Last week I mentioned that I’d received a letter from Liberty University. Today I’d like to comment on that letter.
I’ve debated this for a couple of weeks now and I’ve decided to comment on the letter paragraph by paragraph. I will post the letter in full at the bottom of the post for those of you that want to read it first.
Dear Friend of Liberty,
I hope this letter finds you well and prosperous. I am writing to you today because, quite frankly, I need your help.
It does, thank you. With what can I help?
For nearly three decades, proud Americans like you have helped us grounded in the conservative Christian values that Liberty University was founded to support and defend. With the recent election of Barack Obama as President, radical left-wing activist groups are energized and seeking to use big government to mute the conservative voice. Few groups are more sinister than Americans United for Separation of Church and State and its misguided leader Barry Lynn.
What? I am ever frustrated with the labeling of others as radical and with the idea that radical is a bad thing. Were our founding fathers not radical?
and sinister? What makes a AU sinister? They stand up for freedom and the separations of church and state. Many on the extreme right subscribe to the notion that our country was not founded on the principle of separation which is probably where the term sinister comes from, but they are sadly mistaken. Our nation was indeed founded on that principle and I firmly believe it is one of the factors that has given us our prosperity (along with the entrepreneurial spirt most anyone must possess to have picked up and moved to another country).
Recently, Lynn, an ACLU lawyer turned reverend, seized on a fundraising opportunity when the university told a LU Democrat Club it could not use LU’s name and money in promoting some of its causes. The Democrat Club and its staff sponsor had refused to cut ties with the National Democratic Party, which supports abortion-on-demand and same-sex marriage.
First of all, what’s with the “an ACLU lawyer turned reverend” comment? What is that supposed to convey?
So, he was a lawyer for the ACLU. Good for him! We need good lawyers in the ACLU. I don’t agree with everything they do (and I’ve written about that before) but they stand up for freedom and that is a good thing. This is another thing that used to frustrate me about Dr. Falwell. The first time I heard him make a derogatory comment about the ACLU I was genuinely confused.
So, Lynn became a reverend. In my experience I’ve known many pastors who had been called to ministry after another career. Make no mistake, Falwell’s comments are meant to make the average “friend of liberty” think that Lynn can’t possibly be a “good guy” if he worked for the ACLU.
LU thought the Democrat Club’s allegiance to the Democratic Party was a direct contradiction to core Christian values held dear by the university, which is both pro-life and pro-traditional marriage.
This is where things get a little difficult for me to explain. I have NO problem with a university hiring employees who subscribe a a statement of faith, but university’s SHOULD NOT hold positions on issues. Once again, I DO support the right of the university to require employees subscribe, but a university is designed to be a place of education. Education by nature must be liberal. Student’s must be taught in an environment that is open to different positions.
I am also NOT saying that all material be taught as though it is on the same moral ground. I FULLY SUPPORT the right of any private university to teach students different positions and for students to learn what university leadership believes, but students should never be restricted from educational activities simply because university leadership disagrees with the political affiliation.
Lynn’s weapon of choice is the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency which he often uses to pistol whip those who disagree with his radical, liberal political agenda.
Really? Is this any way for the chancellor of a university to speak of someone else? I’m not the biggest fan of Lynn’s but to say he uses the IRS to “pistol whip” anyone who disagrees with him? And there you go calling him a radical again as if that were a bad thing. The science department at LU teaches that the earth is less than 10,000 years old. I can think of few things more radical.
In this case, Lynn’s assertion is that LU, in limiting the use of its name and money, had violated its non-profit standing. His goal is to have LU stripped of its tax exempt status by the federal government.
I don’t know if Lynn has a case here. My suspicion is that he has, but this is an open and shut case in my book. I don’t think any of us should pay taxes but since we do I don’t think any institution should be exempt from those taxes. There is too much abuse of this. Religious institutions and other non-profits should pay taxes like any other institution (well, no they shouldn’t but you know what I mean).
Personally, I find such assertions and petitions for federal involvement in curbing religious freedoms a disturbing trend as we move closer to a more intrusive and socialized federal government. in fact, AU’s actions are un-American. If a school like Liberty University can be required to endorse and support abortion rights and same-sex marriage, then how can we continue to call America “a free country�
Wow, this is packed full of goodness.
I wholeheartedly agree that “federal involvement in curbing religious freedoms” is disturbing. I’d argue that federal involvement in anything is disturbing but unfortunately we’ve crossed that bridge already, haven’t we? So, why are so many on the right set on granting the federal government the right to restrict behaviors as personal as sex and reproduction? How is that not disturbing?
AU’s actions are un-American? LU wants to tell students to break ties with one of two political parties in this country and AU’s attempt to stop that is un-American?
Is LU being “required to endorse and support abortion rights and same-sex marriage?” I didn’t read that anywhere. First of all, one of these rights is already guaranteed by ruling from the Supreme Court but that doesn’t mean LU has to support even that one. What has always made America great is the right to disagree. Restricting the rights of someone to have an abortion is a crime as it should be but disagreeing with that is not. Allowing students to believe does not require the university agree.
“[H]ow can we continue to call America ‘a free country’?” This is the point I’ve been trying to make. America is founded on principles of individual freedom and the separation of church and state. Students must be given the opportunity to associate with any political party they want. THAT is what makes America free.
My father taught millions to stand and fight when they knew in their heart they were doing what was right.
One of the things I admired most about Dr. Falwell. No matter how much I disagreed with some of what he stood for, I admire that very much and always will remember him for it.
I think it’s time for Christian conservatives to stand up against left wing political bullies like Barry Lynn. If we don’t stop him now, your church or your family could be his next political target. I hope you can send a financial gift of $15, $25, $50 or $100 to help us fight for the heart of America.
Calling names again. This argument might be relevant if Mr. Lynn was attacking LU’s right to teach a certain religious position, but we are not talking about that here. LU is telling students they cannot associate with a political party. This is similar to LU’s efforts to stop the formation of a Greenpeace chapter on campus when I was there. They simply cannot call themselves “Friends of Liberty” if they restrict the rights of their very own students.
In closing, I must say that this whole episode bothers me as a Christian as much as it does as an American. Jerry Falwell Jr. is following in his fathers footsteps by stating in so many words that a Christian cannot be a member of the Democratic Party or support certain candidates and/or political positions. I find this upsetting in a way that I find hard to put into words. I know very many devout Christians who are Democrats. I know many who are pro-choice, myself included. I know many who support human rights for homosexuals, myself included. I also know many who support positions I disagree with. I can be very arrogant from time to time but I would never be so arrogant to tell those people that they are not really Christians. Do I run around telling people that no Christian in his right mind should have voted for George W. Bush? Well maybe but I don’t question their faith over it, do I? 
Dear Friend of Liberty,
I hope this letter finds you well and prosperous. I am writing to you today because, quite frankly, I need your help.
For nearly three decades, proud Americans like you have helped us grounded in the conservative Christian values that Liberty University was founded to support and defend. With the recent election of Barack Obama as President, radical left-wing activist groups are energized and seeking to use big government to mute the conservative voice. Few groups are more sinister than Americans United for Separation of Church and State and its misguided leader Barry Lynn.
Recently, Lynn, an ACLU lawyer turned reverend, seized on a fundraising opportunity when the university told a LU Democrat Club it could not use LU’s name and money in promoting some of its causes. The Democrat Club and its staff sponsor had refused to cut ties with the National Democratic Party, which supports abortion-on-demand and same-sex marriage.
LU thought the Democrat Club’s allegiance to the Democratic Party was a direct contradiction to core Christian values held dear by the university, which is both pro-life and pro-traditional marriage.
Lynn’s weapon of choice is the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency which he often uses to pistol whip those who disagree with his radical, liberal political agenda.
In this case, Lynn’s assertion is that LU, in limiting the use of its name and money, had violated its non-profit standing. His goal is to have LU stripped of its tax exempt status by the federal government.
Personally, I find such assertions and petitions for federal involvement in curbing religious freedoms a disturbing trend as we move closer to a more intrusive and socialized federal government. in fact, AU’s actions are un-American. If a school like Liberty University can be required to endorse and support abortion rights and same-sex marriage, then how can we continue to call America “a free country�
My father taught millions to stand and fight when they knew in their heart they were doing what was right. I think it’s time for Christian conservatives to stand up against left wing political bullies like Barry Lynn. If we don’t stop him now, your church or your family could be his next political target. I hope you can send a financial gift of $15, $25, $50 or $100 to help us fight for the heart of America.
God Bless You,
Jerry Falwell Jr.