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April 23rd, 2012
04:43 PM ET
Liberty University responds to Romney controversy, angers online studentsBy Dan Merica and Laura Bernardini, CNN Washington (CNN) – Liberty University reacted over the weekend to a brewing controversy over the fact that the evangelical school has selected Mitt Romney, a Mormon, to speak at the school’s graduation. In a statement from Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr., the school says that the complaints have significantly died down and that many of those complaining “had no affiliation with the university.” “We have also noticed over the last few days that students with reservations about Romney's appearance at Liberty basically fit into one of two categories,” Falwell, Jr. wrote. “They were either strong supporters of other candidates who were seeking the Republican nomination or they were online students who were not as familiar with Liberty University's traditions.” After last week’s announcement, hundreds of comments were registered under the announcement on Liberty’s Facebook page. While some were supportive of the decision to invite Romney, a number of respondents were angered and posted their frustration to Facebook. As of Monday morning, the announcement was deleted from the page, along with all the comments. “Complaints died down because they took the ability to complain down from the website,” said Janet Loeffler, a 53-year old freshman at Liberty who takes classes online. Loeffler was a frequent poster to the Facebook page. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories According Johnnie Moore, vice president of executive projects and spiritual programs, the post was removed because "people who had no affiliation with the university were using our Facebook page to air their grievances and to engage in conversations that violated our policies with regard to social media etiquette." "We just decided to eliminate the post all together rather than let our page be the place where these arguments were taking place," Moore wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "With regard to our students, the university has a number of channels for our students and constituents to express feedback, and that feedback is attended to by Liberty staff who have input in, and understanding of, the university's operations and decision making." Though the deletion of the post bothered Loeffler, it was the statement about online students familiarity with Liberty’s traditions that she says deeply offended her. “It is just a complete lie. You cannot get through your first semester at Liberty Online without taking their Theology 101 and Apologetics 101,” Loeffler said. Loeffler provided CNN with a copy of the page in the freshman textbook “The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics” which includes a number of passages on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormons. “Mormon doctrine stands in stark contrast to Jewish and Christian monotheism,” reads the passage, “which teaches that there is only one true God and that every other ‘God’ is a false god.” Liberty's handling of the situation "has very much altered my thinking of Liberty,” Loeffler said. “I haven’t registered for my fall classes yet because of it. I am offended that they would talk to us like that, telling us that we just don’t understand.” Many of the anti-Liberty comments, including Loeffler’s charged that Mormonism goes against the teachings of the school and claimed that the religion is a cult. The charge of Mormonism as a cult is not a new one for the church, however. In a 2011 column, Michael Otterson, head of public affairs for the LDS Church described the word as a, “a neat, shorthand and rather lazy way of putting a whole group into a box.” The nation’s largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Conference, lists the LDS Church as a cult. They specifically cite differences in theology surrounding salvation, baptism, belief in the Trinity, and marriage. A major sticking point between other Christian traditions and Mormons is the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe is divinely inspired scripture and on par with the Bible. Other Christians do not recognize the Book of Mormon as scripture. Oyindamola Bankole, a 22-year old online psychology major at Liberty, said she was disappointed that the comments had been deleted from the website. “I thought it was very cowardly,” Bankole said in an interview with CNN. “There were a lot of good conversations and debates and people were arguing both sides and I was shocked when they took it down.” Bankole will be graduating this year from Liberty but has opted to walk in 2013. Though the school differs between online and on-campus students, all walk in the same graduation. This year, 14,000 students will walk and 35,000 are expected to attend as guests. “Even though we're online students, it's still our graduation,” Bankole said. “The Liberty University Online students are going to be flying in, renting rooms in hotels, and going to the same graduation, so why does our opinion not matter as much? There are 70,000 online students compared to the 12,500 residential students, according to Liberty's website. Glad to know we're just numbers and income in their eyes.” Liberty University was founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 by the influential pastor and Moral Majority co-founder Jerry Falwell. He founded the school to be a Christian university for evangelical believers, according to Liberty’s website. Today, Liberty brands itself as the largest evangelical university in the world, with 82,500 students enrolled either on campus or online. This debate over Romney’s selection further tests the relationship between Mormons and evangelicals. With Romney as the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, many political commentators are asking whether the evangelical base, an important voting bloc to the GOP, will come out for Romney. Tony Perkins, a Liberty graduate and the president of the Family Research Council, said he sees the Romney speech as an opportunity. "As Christians we can disagree strongly but we show respect and I think they will show respect for Mitt Romney," Perkins said on CNN's Starting Point Monday morning. "They may not warmly applaud him and may continue to express differences and clearly there are differences theologically between Mormons and Christians, but here's an opportunity for Mitt Romney to talk about what he has in common with evangelicals and that is on the value issues," Perkins said. But if the evangelical vote hinges on how evangelicals see Mormonism, Romney may need further outreach to the evangelical community. A recent Pew Research Center survey finds 47% of white evangelicals say that Mormonism is not a Christian religion, while 66% say Mormonism and their religion are “very or somewhat different.” Loeffler and Bankole both look at this as a way for Liberty to help Romney with evangelical voters. “This is nothing more than a political rally, at a time when graduates are having their lives dedicated to the work they were trained to do at Liberty,” Loeffler said. In their statement, though, Falwell Jr. said over the past 25 years, many people have been invited to speak at graduation and “most of them did not share Liberty’s doctrinal beliefs.” Graduation at Liberty, like at most colleges and universities, features a baccalaureate event before the final graduation. This year, Liberty has invited Luis Palau, a preacher that Liberty bills as "among the most influential Christian leaders of all time." Mark DeMoss, a Liberty graduate, member of the Board of Trustees and a senior adviser to the Romney campaign, when reached on Monday made mention of Glenn Beck being the first Mormon to address Liberty graduates at commencement and added some background to how the decisions have been made. “I remember the first time Falwell, Sr. decided to use a commencement speaker that was not evangelical because it was controversial to some at the time," Demoss said of Liberty's founder Jerry Falwell Sr. "And he explained, or justified it, by virtue of us having a baccalaureate service that was a decidedly Christian service. And commencement could feature a prominent figure from politics or business – evangelical or not evangelical.” “Liberty has never held a commencement that did not include a strong gospel message from a evangelical leader at baccalaureate,” Falwell Jr. wrote. - CNN's Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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I'm not big on politics so to be honest, I don't care much that Mitt Romney is coming to LU. After all, its not my graduation. And Loeffler hasn't registered for Fall classes because Fall registration hasn't even opened yet. Just thought I'd mention that. Anyway, I'm not about religion, I'm about Jesus. And if people would stop using Christians and the bad behavior of some Christians to fuel their own hatred for religion, and look at Jesus Christ and really look closely at Him, they would find no fault in Him. People tend to forget that Christians are human. They. Make. Mistakes. People aren't perfect. Jesus is perfect. It is by His mercies alone that we (all of us, not just Christians) are not consumed. God is the most real thing there is and that will not ever change whether someone believes it or not. God created by the word of His mouth the very men that deny Him. But one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord....Believe it or not 🙂
They do not exist....PERIOD...Get a grip you weak minded fool!
Hey while your on your knees and asking about tounges, let me unzip!
How do you know this is true? Do you have even the slightest shred of evidence that what you are saying is true?
How did you come to believe? Were you brought up in a devout home and surrounded by devout friends, and you simply conformed?
If you are truly honest with yourself and ask how your belief started and how it grew, you will find that it had nothing to do with experiencing anything supernatural and everything to do with conforming. Had you been born in Saudi Arabia, you would be every bit as devout a Muslim, if born in Hawaii 400 years ago, you would be every bit as certain that Pele needed another virgin sacrifice, and sorry but it's your turn.
Nothing you said about God or Jesus can be evidenced or substantiated in any way. There is NO evidence anywhere in the universe. The only thing you can provide is scriptures, but Muslims have those to, as do Buddhists and Jews and Hindus and Mormons and every other religion – and they are all mutually exclusive. Why is yours right? All the other scriptures say your book is wrong and your God is false. How do you know you are right?
I would hope you would consider these thing before totally giving yourself up to the religion you were born into. However, as you seem to be a student at Liberty, I don't have much hope that you will actually open your mind up.
@Consider this
Actually, there were never any human sacrifices made to Pele that I'm aware of. If you know of one give the source please.
As it turns out, you are entirely correct. There is no evidence that people ever sacrificed humans into volcanos anywhere in the world.
Well, I am too lazy to find an alternative, so make it midget tossing instead of virgin flinging. Whatever
“God is the most real thing there is”
Maybe you should check out a dictionary for the definition of “real”
“God is the most real thing there is”
OK, I challenge you to a test of combat. You get your god, I get a baseball bat. Since I’m the challenger, you go first. You hit me as hard as you can with your god and then I will hit you as hard as I can with the bat. The first one that falls, shows that his choice is not real
Keep duking it out, mini slices of Christianity! Split that conservative vote!
No such thing....Religious Thieves and Braggarts!
Mormons all are fools and liars....talk about money for religion....What a pathetic loser group of sheep.
Anyone who is mormon should be embarrassed and hide!!
Man, you are a serious loser! Get a life, find some love. By the way, most of what you see around you is either owned by a mormon or supplied by one. I may not be a mormon, but I sure as hell respect their beliefs and their incredible drive and success. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either small minded, hateful, or simply too stupid to understand the world.
Put down the beer and step away from the computer. Better yet, keep the beer and step away from the computer.
Well some of their beliefs are nuttier then squirrel poo; but, what religion doesn’t have its embarrassing doctrine. However the ones I’ve met have been are considerably nicer and more pleasant then the evangelicals I’ve met
And Jesus never did and never will exist....wipe your butt with the bible...boring read!
And your proof of that would be ... Pretty strong and intolerant statement (not to mention nasty) to make without any proof, don't you think?
Prove him wrong...the bible is a sham.
Mormons are for the most part fools!
What are you 90 years old? Nasty? Seriously you used that word.
Yes he did exist, but so did David Koresh.
Mormons Morons....whatever....They ALL SUCK!
You suck!!! Tag, your it!
Talk about hypocrisy... the conservative White Christians would rather side with the Mormon occult than vote a for a Black Christian. Wonder what they'd done if Mitt was atheist..the hate runs deep
Religion is for fools!
That is a funny comment considering the current Prez is likely an atheist. He hasn't the honesty to admit it. One thing is for sure, he's no Chrsitian.
Only morons believe in any religion!
Bioya1, what evidence do you have to support this? None, whatsoever...that's what I thought.
It's not between a white Mormon and a black Christian, it's between two non-Christians who each claim the name "Christian" for their aberrant doctrines. Obama is not a Muslim – as I have argued strongly with some of my Christian friends – but saying he's a Christian certainly would stretch the meaning of that term.
Why is that, Gary, because you, out of the billions and billions of your species just happen to have the correct god belief?. Lemme guess, you're right and everybody else is wrong?. How original.. What do you have, like a "True-Christian Detek-Tor 31/6?". Why don't you explain just how it is that YOU have the knowledge of who is and isn't cool with your big sky daddy.. Do tell, us, Gary..
Why would it "stretch the meaning of the term", exactly, Gary?
I wish to take issue with the Liberty student who was quoted in the article. Janet Loeffler stated that one cannot get through the first semester without taking Theology 101 and Apologetics 101. As a current Liberty Online student, unless things have changed since I started, the school does not tell you which classes to take in which order. Also, she states that she hasn't enrolled for the fall semester yet due to the controversy over Romney. Again, as a current Liberty Online student, I can tell you that it is not yet possible to register for the fall semester. They are still registering for summer. I would have hoped that a professional news organization would check the facts before reporting what amounts to (incorrect, in this case) opinions. Opinions belong on the opinion page, not in the "news" section. And, for the record, this Liberty student has no problem with Mr. Romney speaking at graduation. Mr. Reagan, who spoke at a Liberty graduation, was known to have consulted the horoscope, another non-Christian religion. Mr. Romney, to my knowledge, isn't speaking on spiritual matters at graduation. I believe a graduation speaker is there to give a motivational speech, not a spiritual one.
Well said.
This article is posted under "Belief Blog." It doesn't seem to be intended as news. If you want opinion disguised as news go to foxnews.com
The only people I see objecting to Romney's speech is some 53 year old on- line freshman and CNN. The author "s have used this woman twice in reporting on this story. The "news" was created by the media in this case. Next time just report it.
To prove something is a lie, you must first have some knowledge of it- or knowledge of something you hold strong. Remember guys, this is not Star Trek- you can't get it through "logic". Mr. Spock and the "illogical" defense of grasping the beliefs of others cannot hold water. As a matter of fact I would dare say that at least one point in your life you have used the phrase "Jesus Christ". Whether through frustration or a "weak" moment...you said it!
So by that logic, gpop, if you ever said "holy shit!", you are acknowledging the divinity of shit.
Your post was most illogical.
Sometimes I say holy cow. Does that make me Hindu?
I am a Libery Alumni who is outraged at the political stunt that the leaders (Mark DeMoss and others) are trying to pull. I decided about six months ago that I would not and could not vote for Romney (a cult member who opposes the gospel of Jesus Christ). Futhermore, I was appauld when I heard the news about Romney being invited to be the speaker. This is one Liberty graduate that is suffering from buyers remorse.
Well, and rightly so, since it's "appalled".
It's "buyer's remorse." "Furthermore" has one more R in it than you gave it.
You are not an alumni. "Alumni" is masculine plural, which means that you are a group of men who formerly attended Liberty. You are an alumnus. If you were female, you would be an alumna.
You meant to say "This is one Liberty graduate who is suffering from buyer's remorse," not "that."
I guess that they weren't able to get English into the curriculum, what with all those Young Earth Creationism classes.
Too bad they didn't teach you spell "appalled" correctly at that prestigious online joke of a school.
Ryan, do you know that the proper name for the "Mormons" is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Please research before making stupid comments. They follow the teachings of Jesus Christ 100%.
I'd be mad too if I'd paid 40,000 grand a year to that idiot Falwell for a second rate education.
I hope you're not majoring in grammar or spelling.
Liberty University is itself a political stunt. Little more and little less.
.........CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES, you have a dilema. Do you vote for the cultist Mormon, or do you vote for a self proclaimed BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN who happens to be black?...............What would Jesus do?
Jesus would continue to be dead. He has no choice – he's dead.
Mormonism isn't a cult.
WWJD?
Jesus would continue to be dead. He has no choice – he's dead.
I always think of that question as, what would Jesus do if he were alive today. I guess a Christian thinks what would Jesus do if he were down here on Earth rather than up in heaven hanging out with his angel lady friends.
Liberty University is just an arm of the right-wing Republican agenda. So it is not surprising at all. They would probably invite an atheist if the candidate was conservative and running against Obama–who by the way is an avowed Christian. Which shows you what the real issue is here.
Saying your a Christian doesn't make you one. Obama's actions (fruit) demonstrate that he is not a follower of Jesus Christ. In fact he slipped up and called himself a Muslim on national tv. Check out the youtube video "Obama Admits He's a Muslim." Obama is a liar and Romeny is in a cult that is anti-Christian. This conservative Christian voter, after much prayer, will not be voting for either.
So will you be staying home on voting day?
This same Jesus who you blaspheme will one.day be your judge.Please repent and trust in Him.He is your only hope.
If obama is such a Christian, why did he cover the crosses when he spoke at Georgetown?
Perhaps to show that when it comes to his duties as president, religious preference will not be tolerated at all? Kinda like oh you know that whole first ammendment thing.
Why would they bring Romney in to speak.
His word is worth dog poo on the ground.
Maybe less
Maybe you should go speak to them....sounds like you could teach them a lot.....
Im certain to be of a higher character than mittens
what a bone head! and I thought these evngelicals were wacko.
ive been called worse by my mormon friends
In all seriousness, would anyone hire a graduate of Liberty University for anything? The school is a tax dodge for a right wing evangelical.
I was just thinking something similar – why would people so hostile to education want education?
Why would people so insistent on defending their ignorance go to a school, where they might actually have to think (okay, it's evangelical, so thinking will not be cultivated).
Why would anyone think that going to a Christian indoctrination and propaganda center would get them a better job anywhere?
@Lawrence
Because they have already been indoctrinated not to question. So they go to a school that does not challenge them to think critically, and merely reinforces the indoctrination that has already taken place.
Couldn't they just stay at home and hug their Bible instead? They would get the same result, and it would be much cheaper.
Well people have been told since they were young that a college degree is the way to get a good job, so they feel it is almost an obligation to go to college. People just forget to mention that good jobs only stay here if companies are stopped from outsourcing to foreign countries for slave wages and hardly any oversight.
Bullseye.
The fact has been lost that 14,000 dedicated students have done what is required to graduate seems to take a back seat to introducing ROMNEY
Actually, it's just a final lesson for the students. We just wanted to educate them on religious intolerance and persecution, that people who perceive that they are the victims can actually be the perpetrators.
They get a diploma when they figure that out.
Crazy evangelicals!! the mind is like a parachute, it only works when open. Time to move into the 21st century people and try practicing what you preach.
Monomial seems very closed minded towards evangelicals. Perhaps he is the one who needs to open his mind and advance into this century.
Let's ignore his religion for a second. He is an accomplished person who may be the next president of the United States. He is giving the speech at the graduation, he's not giving a sermon, he's not leading a prayer. To complain about him the some people are is very judgmental and not very... Christian.
Since when would anyone connected with Liberty University set aside religion, even for a moment?
Since they have had non christian speakers.
Isn't it a little arrogant for Christians to condemn Mormonism when Christianity is just as ridiculous in some of their beliefs. Yea, Jesus coming to America is just ridiculous to Christians, but a man living in a whale for 3 days and another man rounding up 2 of every animal is completely believable.
As a Christian and Church leader, I think the whole idea of bringing someone to speak at a graduation at a prominent Christian university, who is acknowledged as being non-christian by the Evangelical circles- is an absolute sellout! Seems like there's a lot of that going on in "Evangelical" circles these days. The idea that Falwell, Jr. would compromise and confuse the standard of their beliefs, just to accommodate and compel the young voters there at Liberty to vote Republican, is absolutely the reason why many of those students do not continue the convictions they initially enrolled for in the first place.
So why did they do it?
I personally like seeing religions act this way towards each other and prove how little of the "divine" is in them.
The writing is on the wall – Romney will lose. His own side has already doomed him.
The Devil is going to get you!
It's like I said below. They create and modify their religion to accommodate their wants, needs, and world view. It's been going on for 2000 years. But then to add a measure of authority to their personal agendas, they claim this is what God, master of the universe, wants. And what's really scary, a lot of people actually believe it.
Devils! Devils!
gpop, religion is all about selling out, so there's not much surprise in what Lib U did. Selling out reason and evidence, and accepting fictional god stories instead. Selling out freedom of expression for religious dogma and restrictions. It takes religion.
Par for the religious course, so it fits perfectly the menu of a religious institute masquerading as a university.
So why did no one complain when they had jewish speakers?
Mormons believe that "every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ" but apparently that isn't Christian enough. How about Jesus gets to decide that one? Nope, not mormon.
For those who think the confusion of the religious contradictions that take place, somehow excuse the arrogance of those who think that religion is a waste of time, you're sadly mistaken. EVERYONE believes in something, whether it's Christianity, Muslim, Judaism etc. There is NO true atheists! Even challenged with lie detector confirmation, people are usually found to believe in a deity and or higher power. Just saying you don't believe or criticize those who do, to somehow make you different, is an invalid argument.
lol.. no true atheists!. Personally, I don't find the "god" of the bible to be coherent and logical enough to be a valid being worthy of the question.. In other words, i claim that biblegod is too contradictory to even hypothesize.. No belief or disbelief is necessary when the being proposition does not even hold together under its own weight..
What would you like to call that?
"Even challenged with lie detector confirmation, people are usually found to believe in a deity and or higher power."
Why are so many Christians pathological liars? Lie detector confirmation? What a lie!
Momoya: You have been seriously disappointed by "religion", and you are certainly bitter. However, your comments are the comments that are stated by many hurt people who try to denounce their "true" curious nature as it pertain to religion.
What would I call that, you asked? I would call it escaping your true feelings...not knowing if you really want to dispel the God of the Bible, or seek out the thing that really compels you to say what you do about Him.
That's cool, gpop.. Preferable delusion is the best way to go for some folks..
Because of course it is Evangelicals who get to determine the parameters of bigotry on this or any other subject.
Isn't it strange how people of different religions insist that their's is right, and everyone else's is wrong? Yet don't see that they can't all be right, so maybe they all have it wrong? That it's all about different groups of people creating their own gods and religions to suite their own wants, needs, and world view?