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Church & Ministry
Jerry Falwell Jr.

“More than two dozen current and former Liberty University officials describe a culture of fear and self-dealing at the largest Christian college in the world.” - Politico

Discussion

Thu, 09/12/19

Jerry Falwell Jr. needs to go

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Thu, 09/12/19

There was a corresponding/follow up article in National Review a day or so ago as well; and there is a protest scheduled on the grounds of Liberty University tomorrow as well.

Here’s a quote from NR:

Time and again, powerful Christian men create or nurture powerful Christian institutions — only to fall prey to the temptation to equate the advance of those institutions and their own power with the advance of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God.

In other words, the zeal for the advance of Christendom harms the practice and witness of the Christian faith…

…And they also can hear when people of faith justify hypocritical alliances, double standards, and even blind ambition by arguing that it “protects the church.” No, it protects Christendom, and there are times, sadly, when Christianity retreats even within the heart of Christendom itself.

The practice of Christianity requires faith and courage. It often requires believers to do what’s counterintuitive and utterly contrary to worldly logic. We gain our lives by losing our lives? The last shall be first? There are times when every single earthly impulse will be screaming at you to compromise, to forsake the hard path, to “trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong.” Christianity thrives when you resist that impulse, when you trust in the seemingly upside-down truths of scripture.

This could get very interesting, very fast.

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

Thu, 09/12/19

Almost everybody’s anonymous. Though if someone wanted to, one could compare some of the listings of buildings owned with the public accounting statements and figure out if it is true that it’s a real estate hedge fund with a school attached. I don’t have the time or the ability, but it could be done by someone. (hey, Jim’s retired!)

(sorry, Jim!)

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Sat, 09/14/19

Wonder why Falwell’s response does not address his lies about attending that night club. I wonder if he is going to continue to follow the strategies of his idol and claim that is fake news.

Sat, 09/14/19

[GregH]

Wonder why Falwell’s response does not address his lies about attending that night club. I wonder if he is going to continue to follow the strategies of his idol and claim that is fake news.

It’s really an odd response. He doesn’t deny being at the nightclub, just says he has no knowledge of any pictures and no recollection of being at the nightclub. It’s weird that he wouldn’t just flat out deny it if he wasn’t there.

AMBROSINO: Why did Moon go with you to Miami in 2014? I’m referring to the trip during which your picture was snapped at WALL nightclub.

FALWELL: Bobby Moon and his wife were in Miami at one point at the same time as Becki and me. I do not know the date. I have no knowledge of any picture of me at any nightclub or lounge in Miami and I have no recollection of ever visiting any such nightclub with the Moons. My purpose for meeting with Mr. Moon in Miami was to discuss LU construction business.

Sat, 09/14/19

This is a lawyerly response, and it is likely intentional:

  • Bobby Moon and his wife were in Miami at one point at the same time as Becki and me. I do not know the date. He will not confirm the date; giving himself wiggle room.
  • I have no knowledge of any picture of me at any nightclub or lounge in Miami and I have no recollection of ever visiting any such nightclub with the Moons. Knowledge of pictures is meaningless. Didn’t say he never went. He said he had “no recollection” he went with the Moons.

Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.

Sun, 09/15/19

I think that Falwell’s response indicates he knows approximately who is accusing him and why. Almost a concession of some of the points. Hence I “take back”, at least in part, my unease with the fact that the sources were anonymous.

Tyler is correct that the response is lawyerly, but the flip side is that it’s not smart—or is at least a concession that when people do go public with this (with their names), it’s going to be a lot harder to debate.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Sun, 09/15/19

The photographer took umbrage at being called a liar or whatever it was, and they released several more photos taken of Falwell Jr. and his family. Politico has the story.

Here’s the quote:

On Tuesday, Browarnik published the newly unearthed photos on his website, WorldRedEye.com, along with a strongly worded “rebuke” of Falwell’s claim of photoshopping.

“First things first,” Browarnik told me over the phone, “we didn’t even know [Falwell] was in the photos. Number one! Finding him in the crowd is like a ‘Where’s Waldo?’”

Browarnik lives high up in a South Beach skyrise, from which he can see the Falwell-owned Miami Hostel. Not that the owners of the flophouse crossed Browarnik’s mind that often. He didn’t even know his company had taken any photos of Liberty University’s first family partying at Wall, a Miami Beach nightclub, until he saw them identified in the piece published by POLITICO yesterday.

“All of a sudden, I scroll down and say, ‘Oh my god!’” Browarnik said.

It wasn’t an exclamation of excitement as much as indignance. In the article, Jerry Falwell Jr. repeatedly claimed that the photos—which POLITICO obtained from World Red Eye, which World Red Eye has had on their website for five years, and which show Falwell partying at Wall on July 19, 2014—were manipulated. “If the person in the picture is me, it was likely photo-shopped,” Falwell said.

Browarnik said he felt insulted. “My integrity is everything in this business,” he said.

Jerry Falwell Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

Mon, 09/16/19

If the photo isn’t photoshopped, all Browarnik needs to do is provide the original file. Few, if any, people use film anymore, and the signs of photoshopping are, I’m told, pretty clear in the actual file. No affidavits needed, it’s there or it ain’t.

And if this happens, I anticipate some of those anonymous sources find their names, because Falwell’s credibility, and ability to act unilaterally, will be crippled.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.