Posted on 05/23/2009 2:04:28 PM PDT by Maelstorm
"What would Jesus do?" is a question many Christians ask themselves when buying a car, choosing a charity to support or invading another country. When it comes to campus poliical clubs, Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia, thinks Jesus would limit certain First Amendment rights like freedom of speech and the right of assembly... at least as far as Democrats are concerned. In an email dated May 15, Mark Hine, the university's Vice President for Student Affairs, revoked recognition of the campus Democrats Club. In part, the email reads...
"I must inform you that the College democrats club is no longer going to be recognized as a Liberty University club. We are unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the principles held by Liberty University...
Even though this club may not support the more radical planks of the democratic party, the democratic party is still the parent organization of the club on campus. The Democratic Party Platform is contrary to the mission of LU and to Christian doctrine (supports abortion, federal funding of abortion, advocates repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, promotes the 'LGBT' agenda, Hate Crimes, which include sexual orientation and gender identity, socialism, etc). The candidates this club supports uphold the Platform and implement it."
The Campus Democrats Club, which formed in October and campaigned for Barack Obama, will no longer be able to meet on campus or use Liberty University's name, seal, logo or marks on any publication or online website. Violators may be subject to expulsion. This, the email informs us, is required as a result of a newly-adopted policy for student clubs and organizations. Other clubs, such as LU's long-standing campus Republican club, have not been affected though.
An attempt by this writer to access the Liberty Way Code of Conduct on LU's website, was found to be blocked for anyone not associated with the university. This was the only part of their website this writer found to be blocked against visitors. This, of course, does not imply censorship on their part. That Liberty University's News and Events page makes no mention of the Democrat Club's expulsion from campus despite the fact that it's headline news all over the rest of the country does not imply censorship either, does it?
What is it about PRIVATE do they not understand. Isn’t there an ounce
of freedom left?
Liberals have no problems kicking Christians and conservatives to the curb but just try the reverse and see who screams loudest.
Problem is that it’s illegal. Liberty U has already backed off and is allowing the club to meet on campus.
we need to learn to scream louder. a little screaming from a lot of us would be Earth-shaking.
They can not stand only having control of 90+% of higher education institutions.
How is it illegal?
How is it illegal? Was Notre Dame arresting pro-life protestors illegal?
What is the law on these matters anyway? If a private university doesn’t take federal funds, are they exempt from certain laws?
Does Liberty take federal money? Is it considered federal money if students there have loans?
It’s illegal because they allow the GOP group to meet on campus, and not the Democrats group. Such behavior constitutes undue influence, bordering on coercion on these young voters. That’s how it was explained to me by a couple of friends in the legal profession. Within hours of our conversation, the following was posted on FR:
Today, University President Jerry Falwell dialed back on some aspects of the ban. He said the group would be allowed to hold meetings on campus, but the club and its activities won’t be formally recognized. ‘There is absolutely no animosity at all toward any of these kids,’ Falwell said. ‘They are good, Christian kids who sit with me at ball games. I just hope they find a pro-life family organization to affiliate with so they can be endorsed by Liberty again.
Obviously on the advice of Liberty U’s legal staff. Anyone who thinks that Liberty U just decided to play nice with the Democrat students for the sake of being nice is starkers.
And it is a very sad thing that the democratic party has become an advocate for satan - supporting abortion on demand, pushing race and class hatred and divisions, supporting homosexuality, pornography (when all the pornographers band together to support your Party -- you have to wonder if you are walking in the right direction), Gaia idolatry, embryonic stem cell research (regardless of the fact that only adult stem cell work has been shown to be effective) and denigrating reverence for the God of the Bible (aka, The True God).
Here's praying and hoping that the RINOs don't push the republican party to emulate these attributes of the democrats - in order to win brownie points with the media (Psalms 118:8-9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.).
I attended a Christian college 1969-73. It did not accept federal dollars so that it would not have to answer to the feds. When the government saw they lost control of schools like this they broaden the definition of accepting federal dollars to include the students accepting student government loans. They now had control. Liberty and schools like them have lost their freedom to enforce standards that would reflect the identity of the school. Catholic hospitals, because of federal dollars, will have to perform abortions. It all about a creeping federal control of our lives which under Obama is becoming a rampaging federal control.
About time the Dems foundd out how it feels. Christian and Republican clubs get this all the time at 99.9% of this nation’s universities.
False. The school is just not going to support them. I'm sure these same people can still meet out on the lawn and say whatever they want. They just can't say they are an officially recognized club at the school.
I’m not sure that money is at the source of this. Your employer for example would be required to allow a group of Republican employees to hold meetings if the same employer allowed a Democrat group to meet. To do otherwise would legally be creating a hostile environment to the Republican employees, if not charges of outright coercion. Of course the easiest solution would be to simply not provide space or support for any political group.
“I’m not sure that money is at the source of this.”
Believe me the money is the source of the power grab and control. It extends to all venues in life. Liberty is a private institution, with a mission to develop young Christian students in leadership in all avenues of life. It should be able to maintain standards that reflects that mission.
That would depend on what statute the protesters were arrested under and if would have applied to protesters of another ilk. If they were arrested under trespassing statutes, then it’s safe to say that it was not illegal. I can protest you if I want to, but you’re under no obligation to allow me access to your property to do so.
You might be right, but are you basing this on any actual law, or on your sense of what the law "probably" is?
Jerry Falwell is dead.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/15/jerry.falwell/index.html
Try again.
Liberty is a private institution.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.