With Trump seeming to lose support gradually from this group and that, one group that is searching its moral code and lessening its liking of the Republican Presidential candidate are the Christians. One of the hubs that we pay attention to when it comes to Christian morality, religious opinions, and policy support is Liberty University, the largest Christian University in the world.
Recently, it seems that there is disunion at Liberty. Students are not too thrilled with their University's President and they are making it very well known.
In the months since Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed him, Donald Trump has been inexorably associated with Liberty University. We are Liberty students who are disappointed with President Falwell’s endorsement and are tired of being associated with one of the worst presidential candidates in American history. Donald Trump does not represent our values and we want nothing to do with him.
A majority of Liberty students, faculty, and staff feel as we do. Donald Trump received a pitiful 90 votes from Liberty students in Virginia’s primary election, a colossal rejection of his campaign. Nevertheless, President Falwell eagerly uses his national platform to advocate for Donald Trump. While he occasionally clarifies that supporting Trump is not the official position of Liberty University, he knows it is his title of president of the largest Christian university in the world that gives him political credentials.
Associating any politician with Christianity is damaging to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But Donald Trump is not just any politician. He has made his name by maligning others and bragging about his sins. Not only is Donald Trump a bad candidate for president, he is actively promoting the very things that we as Christians ought to oppose. – Liberty United Against Trump
The statement continues with mention of the "locker room talk tape" and how it is embarrassing that Falwell Jr is making excuses for such actions.
Jesus tells a story in the Bible about a man who tries to remove a speck of dust from his brother’s eye, while he has a log stuck in his own. “You hypocrite,” Jesus says, “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
We Liberty students are often told to support Donald Trump because the other leading candidate is a bad option. Perhaps this is true. But the only candidate who is directly associated with Liberty University is Donald Trump.
Because our president has led the world to believe that Liberty University supports Donald Trump, we students must take it upon ourselves to make clear that Donald Trump is absolutely opposed to what we believe, and does not have our support.
We are not proclaiming our opposition to Donald Trump out of bitterness, but out of a desire to regain the integrity of our school. While our president Jerry Falwell Jr. tours the country championing the log in his eye, we want the world to know how many students oppose him. We don’t want to champion Donald Trump; we want only to be champions for Christ. – Liberty United Against Trump
Members of the Liberty University family are asked to sign this statement.
What may be of interest as well is the turmoil not only at Liberty, but also in the Falwell family.
Whereas Jerry Falwell Jr., has endorsed Donald Trump and emerged as his most prominent surrogate in the Evangelical world, his brother [Jonathan] hasn’t taken a public position on any candidate.
Of course, that’s partly due to their respective positions. Jonathan is an ordained reverend; Jerry Jr. is not. Jerry Jr. is politically active; Jonathan is not. Jonathan leads Thomas Road, the Baptist church with some 15,000 congregants, which his father founded in 1956; Jerry Jr. helms Liberty University, the largest Christian university in the world, which his father founded in 1971. – politico.com
Will we see more colleges, universities, and newspapers back away from Trump like many republicans have already?
Will we see Falwell Jr return to Liberty to rally the troops and set the school straight in why the college and its president are throwing the support behind the republican?
Apples don’t fall far from
Apples don't fall far from poison trees.