How Jerry Falwell Jr. Lost His Flock

How Jerry Falwell Jr. Lost His Job at Liberty - The Atlantic

As president and chancellor of the country’s largest Christian university and the son of one of the founding fathers of the religious right, Jerry Falwell Jr. has come to serve as a stand-in for American evangelicals.

Click to expand...

Lesson to be learned: It is very important not to hitch your wagon to a piece of crap. And, Jerry is the ultimate in crap. And, now his stink is rubbing off on the "movement." So, the movement has been busy doing all it can to wash the stench of Jerry Falwell off of it...to no avail.

A contingent of students condemned his support for Trump ahead of the 2016 election. A group of Black student athletes recently left the school over what they described as its racist environment, and Black pastors and young alumni wrote a letter decrying the face-mask incident. But with the yacht photo, Falwell lost the confidence of even the older generation of Liberty leaders. “Years ago, I promised the founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., that I would serve on the board as long as I was asked to continue to do so, and to help try to be part of the spiritual barometer that he always wanted,” Reighard told me. Falwell Jr.’s actions showed “some lapse in judgment.”

Click to expand...

IMO, Jerry exposed the hypocrisy of Evangelicals for Trump. And, real evangelicals are concerned about the damage that has done to their faith. I'd say it has done much damage, perhaps even irreparable damage.

From Politico:The posting — which was quickly withdrawn — drew a sharp backlash and charges of hypocrisy because the evangelical university that he leads prohibits students from having sexual relations outside of a “biblically-ordained” marriage and consuming media with lewd lyrics, sexual content and nudity. The university’s policy also counsels “appropriateness” and “modesty” in how students must dress.


“I’ve apologized to everybody,” Falwell said in an interview on the Morningline show on WLNI 105.9FM, a local radio station in Lynchburg, Va., Falwell’s home town and that of the Liberty campus. “And I’ve promised my kids I’m going to try to be — I’m gonna try to be a good boy from here on out.”

Falwell described the woman in the photo as his “wife’s assistant.” On his Instagram account, Falwell tagged a picture of the woman as Kathleen Stone, who lists on her Facebook account that she works for Liberty University. A university spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“She’s a sweetheart and I should never have put it up and embarrassed her,” Falwell said.

Falwell described the scene leading up to the photo. “She’s pregnant so she couldn’t get her — she couldn’t get her pants up,” he said. “And I was like, trying to like — my — I had on pair of jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long time so I couldn’t get mine zipped either. And so — and so — I just put my belly — I just put my belly out like hers.”

The photo of Falwell appeared to be a parody of the comedy TV show “Trailer Park Boys.” The website Pulpit & Pen also published a video, set to the theme music of the show, that shows Falwell and other yacht guests in costume. The video appears to have been taken by someone on the yacht.

Asked about the reference to the TV show during the interview on Wednesday, Falwell demurred. “Whatever,” he said. “It was a costume party on a — we were on vacation. And, anyway, long story short it was just in good fun. That’s it.”

Falwell’s response comes after the photo drew widespread criticism earlier this week, much of it from liberals but also from some conservatives, including Meghan McCain, the ABC talk show host and daughter of former Sen. John McCain, and S.E. Cupp, the CNN commentator.

Another in a long list of reasons why drinking and social media don't mix well.

calamity said:

How Jerry Falwell Jr. Lost His Job at Liberty - The Atlantic


Lesson to be learned: It is very important not to hitch your wagon to a piece of crap. And, Jerry is the ultimate in crap. And, now his stink is rubbing off on the "movement." So, the movement has been busy doing all it can to wash the stench of Jerry Falwell off of it...to no avail.



IMO, Jerry exposed the hypocrisy of Evangelicals for Trump. And, real evangelicals are concerned about the damage that has done to their faith. I'd say it has done much damage, perhaps even irreparable damage.

Click to expand...

Another man of god, LOL! Seems pretty human to me. That is NOT his wife.

The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is Saudi Arabia's religious police.

The Falwell Dynasty self-appointed their family and church to this role in America a generation ago and have been running around with their hair on fire ever since, pointing fingers, sitting in judgment and issuing fatwahs.

From time to time their spox have even recommended death to people who refuse to kow-tow.
The picture, and even the party itself, a full on luxury yacht bacchanalia, are all pretty tame but because it's pictures and video of America's self-appointed religious police, it's a dumpster fire and Junior doesn't have the army of mob lawyers and muckrakers, and a private army to fight back.

And after November 3rd, neither will Trump!

That apple didnt fall far from the tree.

Maybe it wasn't Jerry Falwell who discovered the joys of Campari.
Maybe the old man was covering for Junior??

armycowboy said:

Another in a long list of reasons why drinking and social media don't mix well.

Click to expand...

If she is pregnant then why would you wear clothes that obviously don't fit if you are going to spend time on a yacht ? That is very tacky where there are very cute maternity clothes that dont look like my mother muumuus.

Maternity Tops & Pregnancy Shirts
– A Pea In the Pod

Maternity Pants & Maternity Shorts | Seraphine US


It is considered rude to drink alcohol around someone who is pregnant and cannot drink themselves.

I didn't think that evangelicals drank alcohol.

Lisa said:

If she is pregnant then why would you wear clothes that obviously don't fit if you are going to spend time on a yacht ? That is very tacky where there are very cute maternity clothes that dont look like my mother muumuus.

Maternity Tops & Pregnancy Shirts
– A Pea In the Pod

Maternity Pants & Maternity Shorts | Seraphine US


It is considered rude to drink alcohol around someone who is pregnant and cannot drink themselves.

I didn't think that evangelicals drank alcohol.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the cover story made no sense at all.

calamity said:

Yeah, the cover story made no sense at all.

Click to expand...

If you plan to lie you should learn to make it in some way believable.

Why is it that people cannot turn their phones off when they are being stupid or taking part in personally or professionally embarrassing actions? I don't have Twitter on my phone, I don't use Instagram and my use of Facebook is maybe 3-4 times a year.

Lisa said:

If you plan to lie you should learn to make it in some way believable.

Why is it that people cannot turn their phones off when they are being stupid or taking part in personally or professionally embarrassing actions? I don't have Twitter on my phone, I don't use Instagram and my use of Facebook is maybe 3-4 times a year.

Click to expand...

It's always fun to read between the lines.

Black drink is not alcohol = Jack and Coke

Wife's assistant = Third wheel in threesome

Could not fit into shorts = was nekkid as a jaybird for most of the journey but had to wear something for the pixie

calamity said:

It's always fun to read between the lines.

Black drink is not alcohol = Jack and Coke

Wife's assistant = Third wheel in threesome

Could not fit into shorts = was nekkid as a jaybird for most of the journey but had to wear something for the pixie

Click to expand...

Jack and Coke makes sense. That is a bit sweet for adults. Gin and tonic are better on a yacht. or a Bellini /Mimosa because peaches are in season.

I automatically assumed a threesome.

Don't take the pixie and certainly don't post it.

I just had to look up what had happened:

The image provoked outrage and charges of hypocrisy from the political right and left, with Republican lawmaker Mark Waller, chairman of the powerful House Republican Caucus, calling on Mr Falwell to step down.

"Jerry Falwell Jr's ongoing behaviour is appalling," Mr Walker, an advisory board member at the university, wrote on Twitter. "I'm convinced Falwell should step down."

Speaking to WLNI, a local Virginia radio station, earlier this week, Mr Falwell acknowledged the criticism and identified the woman in the photo as his wife's assistant.

"Yeah, it was weird. She's pregnant. She couldn't get her pants zipped and I was like trying to like… I had on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a long time and couldn't get zipped either. So, I just put my belly out like hers," he said.

Liberty University, a private evangelical institution based in Lynchburg, was founded by Mr Falwell's father in 1971.

Click to expand...

Jerry Falwell Jr to take leave of absence after racy photo - BBC News

Faculty and alumni who have been critical of the school’s direction under Falwell Jr. were both shocked and gratified by the news of his leave of absence. “For at least a decade, Liberty’s faculty have labored under Falwell’s increasingly autocratic leadership and been shamed by his public behavior besides,” said Marybeth Davis Baggett, who taught English at Liberty for 17 years and resigned this spring after publishing an op-ed calling for Falwell Jr.’s removal based on his handling of the coronavirus crisis. “One man cannot act this way without many enablers, and any meaningful reform of the school will require a thorough and brutally honest inquiry into the LU culture.”

Click to expand...

Why that Falwell Jr. yacht photo finally led to his departure from Liberty University.

This Falwell seems to have been a model Bible Christian.

Rumpel said:

Why that Falwell Jr. yacht photo finally led to his departure from Liberty University.

This Falwell seems to have been a model Bible Christian.

Click to expand...

He's about as close to being one as you are...:2razz:

Falwell is quite clearly a typical pious Bible Christian.
Maybe a bit over-pious.

Rumpel said:

Falwell is quite clearly a typical pious Bible Christian.
Maybe a bit over-pious.

Click to expand...

And you haven't a clue...look up the word pious before you go spouting off at the mouth...

calamity said:

Black drink is not alcohol = Jack and Coke
Wife's assistant = Third wheel in threesome
Could not fit into shorts = was nekkid as a jaybird for most of the journey but had to wear something for the pixie

Click to expand...

Well translated!

@ Elvira

Just a word for you:

Why always these disgusting personal attacks?
With no connection to the tread-topic?

There seems to have been a string of scandals.
Just one example of many:

After offering his early endorsement of Trump in the 2016 election, the prominent evangelical figure was criticized by students for silencing anti-Trump dissent and creating a “culture of fear,” accusations that were expanded upon in a 2019 Politico exposé, citing two dozen Liberty staff, which alleged Falwell would discuss his sex life at work in graphic detail and show off photos of his wife “in provocative and sexual poses.”

Click to expand...

Jerry Falwell Jr. Put On ‘Indefinite Leave’ From Liberty University After Latest In Long String Of Scandals

Rumpel said:

@ Elvira

Just a word for you:

Why always these disgusting personal attacks?
With no connection to the tread-topic?

Click to expand...

When you get brave enough to quote, then perhaps...maybe...I'll answer you...:2razz:

A co-worker whose children went there told me well before this that Jr. was seen as an inherited problem that they had to tolerate because of the name. I guess the straw that broke the camel's back was bound to happen eventually.

I think that religions should not have universities of their own.

The very idea of a true UNIVERSITY goes against a religious university.

Rumpel said:

I think that religions should not have universities of their own.

The very idea of a true UNIVERSITY goes against a religious university.

Click to expand...

I can see a school of Theology or Philosophy being run by religious people, but not a serious STEM school.

Jerry Falwell Jr. is the true face of white evangelicals — and dumping him changes nothing

One has to imagine that for Jerry Falwell Jr., things feel very unfair right about now. For more than four years, the world of right-wing American Christianity has not only lined up behind Donald Trump — a thrice-married chronic adulterer who bragged on tape how he likes to "grab 'em by the *****" — but has embraced him as if he were the second coming. White evangelicals' devotion to Trump didn't wane after he became president, even in the face of stories about Trump paying off a porn actress and a centerfold model to stay quiet about his compulsive cheating on his third wife. Nor was there any angst on the Christian right over Trump's relentless grifting or his efforts to blackmail the Ukrainian president into bolstering lies about former Vice President Joe Biden.

On the contrary, the Christian right's worshipful attitude toward Trump has only increased over the years, with pastors comparing Trump to Jesus himself and calling Trump "God's chosen one." The president's approval with white evangelicals remains strong, at 72%, and 82% say they plan to vote for him.

Click to expand...

Stunning numbers.