[PAmedic]

Supports socialized medicine? Check.
Supports SOPA? Check.'
Supports NDAA? Check.
Is a member of a cult? Check.

He's the scum of the Earth on every conceivable level.

Jerry Jr. is just like his dad, unfortunately, when it comes to pursuing political power. What an embarrassment to biblical Christianity.

uh- wow. good thing we have you around to pass judgement on everyone.

as a friend of mine once sang... "I spoke to God this morning and he don't like you"

[Purple Haize]

I told you that in confidence! Mr Tinkertrain will NOT be happy!

Also, wouldn't it be more apt to say that the Secret Service is more likely then Jerry Jr?

[jbock13]

NAJ is trying to compete with me to be the most arrogant person on here. But then again, at least I can get along with folks who disagree with me.

Okay, I concede, NAJ wins.

[Purple Haize]

NAJ is trying to compete with me to be the most arrogant person on here. But then again, at least I can get along with folks who disagree with me.

Okay, I concede, NAJ wins.

Suck up sell out of a whormongerer

[jbock13]

NAJ is trying to compete with me to be the most arrogant person on here. But then again, at least I can get along with folks who disagree with me.

Okay, I concede, NAJ wins.

Suck up sell out of a whormongerer

I know. I am the scum of the earth at every conceivable level.

[Purple Haize]

I think the order is
1 Mitt Romney
2 JB
3 YOU

[jbock13]

Wait, isn't Toman worse than me? It's close anyway

[rueful]

I think not a jerry is peter lumpkin

[alabama24]

'Bama I don't think you have been intolerant, but have you read the posts of others? Vicious.

I have begun to read some things, including some in this thread. Pretty pathetic.

Again, as long as he doesn't come claiming to be "one of the boys," I'll be ok and glad to have him speak. I do see the faith speech of 4 years ago considerably different than you. The "tolerance" parts are ok and fine. It's the other parts that I have serious problems with.

[EagleOne]

Yes...these kids have been preached at all 4 years at LU...but how many friends/family will be at graduation that have never heard the gospel?

Isn't that what Baccalaureate is for?

[BJWilliams]

Comments from our fearless leader (for those who cant view it from the LU website):

My office has received hundreds of messages from students and 2012 graduates who are thrilled and honored that the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States will be our Commencement speaker. Some graduates have also inquired about Liberty’s policies regarding the doctrinal beliefs of graduation speakers. These same questions seem to surface every spring and I'm writing you in response to those inquiries.

First of all, it is important to remember that Liberty actually has two Commencement speakers each year. Long ago, most universities ceased their practice of including a Baccalaureate service during their Commencement weekend, but we have insisted on keeping this service as a demonstration of our Christian commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

This year our Baccalaureate speaker is Luis Palau. Dr. Palau is an evangelist who has preached the Gospel to a billion people. Palau is often considered second only to Billy Graham in his influence for the Gospel, and, as is our tradition, he will be clearly delivering the Gospel at Baccalaureate.

For twenty-five years Liberty has traditionally had leaders from the worlds of politics, business, and entertainment speak during the Commencement ceremony on Saturday. Most of these leaders have not traditionally shared Liberty’s doctrinal convictions. In the last few years, our Commencement speakers have included an evangelical filmmaker (Randall Wallace), a Mormon commentator (Glenn Beck), a Jewish economist (Ben Stein), an evangelical actor and athlete (Chuck Norris), an evangelical - now Catholic - politician (Newt Gingrich), a Catholic commentator (Sean Hannity), a Southern Baptist senator (John McCain), and an Episcopalian chief of staff to President Bush (Karl Rove). In all, at least 20 of Liberty's 38 Commencement speakers have fit in this category.

My father's vision for Liberty University was both a theological and a cultural vision. Theologically, it was to found the world's preeminent Christian university where every faculty member professed faith in Jesus Christ, agreed with our doctrinal statement, and sought to fulfill the Great Commission and live the Great Commandment. Culturally, it was to found a university that held in high regard our nation's founding principles of limited government, the free enterprise system, and individual liberty. Liberty's tradition has been to focus on the first part of this vision during the Friday night ceremony and the second part on Saturday morning.

Liberty's commitment to an annual Baccalaureate service has ensured that we have never held a Commencement that did not include a strong gospel message from an evangelical leader.

I am sure that members of the Liberty University community will treat Gov. Romney with the respect he deserves, regardless of whether they agree with his religious or political beliefs.

When my father traveled the nation speaking in many secular universities, he was often met with boos and hisses by those who held different theological beliefs than he. I am so proud that Liberty students have gained a reputation for treating those whose beliefs are different than their own in a Christ-like manner. You have shown respect to speakers as divergent from Liberty's worldview as Ted Kennedy, Bob Beckel, and Tim Kaine.

Gov. Romney is a man who has excelled in business, governed a state, and even managed the Olympic games. He has been faithfully married to his wife, Ann, for 43 years, and they have 5 sons and 16 grandchildren. Gov. Romney is a leader of global significance, who might eventually be the leader of the free world, and we are honored that he accepted our invitation.

An invitation to speak at Commencement is not an ad-hoc endorsement of a presidential candidate or even of that particular speaker’s religious or political views. The ultimate purpose of having a prominent Commencement speaker is not to promote the speaker or his views but rather to inspire and challenge the graduates and showcase Liberty and its mission.

My prayer is that having the presumptive Republican nominee as our speaker will cause many who have never heard of Liberty to take notice of what Liberty is doing to train a generation of Champions for Christ. Perhaps, many of them will consider a Christian education over the secular alternative.

[jcmanson]

Well stated Chancellor

The ultimate purpose of having a prominent Commencement speaker is to showcase Liberty and its mission.

My prayer is that having the presumptive Republican nominee as our speaker will cause many who have never heard of Liberty to take notice of what Liberty is doing

I think I said something like this earlier in the thread

[NotAJerry]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/2 ... -students/

Other comments from JFLJR that, if you spent any time perusing the actual discussions, are patently false. He and Johnnie Moore lie through their teeth on this one. The idea that the participants "had no affiliation with the University" is deplorable and laughable since the vast majority were citing their coursework and the sales pitch that got them to Liberty as a starting point for their opposition. It's a shame to see such an intentionally dishonest response to legitimate concerns from hundreds of students. It also shows the cowardice of the University "leadership" that they removed the discussions and then claimed that the complaints had died down. Of course they had, you took away the thread discussing them on your own Facebook page and keep deleting any post on your timeline that mentions it again. There's clearly a lack of character and integrity at the top of the food chain at Liberty.

As far as the tradition of commencement speakers, the most recent ones are either in the entertainment industry or on the war profiteering side of the GOP. The argument would hold a shred of legitimacy if there was some actual variety/dissenting viewpoints in the mix. It's just a further proof that commencement is a prop for desperate attempts at political power/influence no matter the cost.

Instead of addressing things honestly, it's been nothing but spin, lies and removing dissenting opinions.

Repent.

[Purple Haize]

Here is Johnnie Moore's comment:

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."-CNN

I'm not sure how this is 'deplorable'. This is a true statement. There were several posters on the FACEBOOK page who had no affiliation with Liberty. The majority of whom were using it as a platform to bash Liberty.

I'm not sure this rises to the level of calling someone's integrity into question or allude to them as sinners in the hands of an angry God in need of repentance

Also, I think we found NOJ's real world name. Compare and decide:

Article
“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.

NotaJerry
Of course they had, you took away the thread discussing them on your own Facebook page and keep deleting any post on your timeline that mentions it again. There's clearly a lack of character and integrity at the top of the food chain at Liberty.

[BJWilliams]

Here is Johnnie Moore's comment:

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."-CNN

I'm not sure how this is 'deplorable'. This is a true statement. There were several posters on the FACEBOOK page who had no affiliation with Liberty. The majority of whom were using it as a platform to bash Liberty.

I'm not sure this rises to the level of calling someone's integrity into question or allude to them as sinners in the hands of an angry God in need of repentance

Also, I think we found NOJ's real world name. Compare and decide:

Article
“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.

NotaJerry
Of course they had, you took away the thread discussing them on your own Facebook page and keep deleting any post on your timeline that mentions it again. There's clearly a lack of character and integrity at the top of the food chain at Liberty.

Jonathan Edwards reference...very nice

[LUconn]

and removing dissenting opinions.

So, you've never spent a day on campus using LU's network have you?

[jbock13]

If Ron Paul were a pagan worshipping heathen I don't thing NAJ would care.

Forgive me for getting personal, but it's a bit pathetic.

[ALUmnus]

As far as the tradition of commencement speakers, the most recent ones are either in the entertainment industry or on the war profiteering side of the GOP. The argument would hold a shred of legitimacy if there was some actual variety/dissenting viewpoints in the mix. It's just a further proof that commencement is a prop for desperate attempts at political power/influence no matter the cost.

Wait, when did LU get into arms dealing? Then again, I could see Godwin being the "god of war" type.

And I would say having a Mormon speaker would qualify as "variety/dissenting viewpoint", wouldn't you?

[TallyW]

I'm honestly concerned that so many on this board are cool with assisting the LDS in their perversion of the gospel. This is completely counterproductive to our mission.

Romney isn't coming because he likes our mission. He's coming to court evangelicals who do not like the idea of having a man in the most powerful position in the world when he actually thinks that in the next life he will in fact be a god of his own world.

If he wins, Romney will immediately become the poster boy for the Mormons to be considered "Just another Christian denomination."

The fact is that Liberty does call them a cult. It's not a hard leap then to say that Liberty is inviting a cult leader to give the commencement address. Yes he's running for President but HE IS BY OUR OWN DEFINITION A CULT LEADER.

The argument of "That is what the Baccalaureate is for" may be the worst argument I've ever heard. "Here Jesus... you get Friday with 1/4 of the crowd... The overseer of a cult gets the big boy stage." We are supposedly the answer to BYU... now we're the normalization for BYU.

The argument that we will get attention from this is another one that makes no sense whatsoever. A car accident gets a lot of attention but what people see isn't exactly pretty. We are drawing attention to the fact that we're a school that cares more about a political cycle than staying true to our deeply held religious convictions... like (I don't know) say that we hold that Jesus is Lord and we've submitted our lives to Him.

Have you guys actually processed the reality that Liberty is inviting a man who CURRENTLY FUNDS efforts to deceive and entice people away from Jesus Christ is now going to be speaking at Liberty? Literally this is a man who funds efforts to send people out to actively engage people to deny Jesus as Lord. If we are really believers in the bible then this guy is the opposite of everything we say we stand for biblically... but he's going to get our embrace and the national media will see this as "evangelicals" loving on Mitt Romney.

How's that attention working out? We're telling the world that we'll sell out to have more students. Isn't that version of Christianity what TCU, SMU and Baylor already have covered? I thought we were going for something a little more true to the scripture.

Commencement occurs one time a year with the largest crowd assembled on the mountain every year and we can't bring in one successful CHRISTIAN as an example of what our students could become? This is so disheartening.

[NotAJerry]

From Voddie Baucham Ministries and Grace Family Baptist Church (A Facebook posting):

There is a bit of a 'revolt' going on at Liberty University right now over the decision to have Mitt Romney as this year's Commencement Speaker (http://americanvisionnews.com/3023/libe ... ent-choice). Ironically, Romney will not be the first Mormon to give a commencement address at the Fundamentalist Christian (Religions Right/Neo Conservative/Republican) University. Glenn Beck gave the commencement address two years ago!

I've often said American Christians are far more 'American' than they are 'Christian'. The problem is even worse at America's "Christian" Universities. Remember, folks, Mormonism is a Cult! More importantly, they make a mockery of Christ (viewing him as the spirit brother of Lucifer who once was a mere man as we are), and of the Father (whom they view as having had sex with Mary). See here for more info (

It's really that simple. You've got a cultist who is also a supporter of socialized medicine, is bought and paid for by Goldman Sachs and other bankers, supports SOPA, supports NDAA, will continue the national building and war profiteering that is bankrupting America both financially and morally, and you've got the LU leadership running at full speed to ignore all of that just to try and grab a little more political influence. It's an embarrassment and it's shameful that they're removing all dissenting opinions and then lying about where those opinions came from.

[LUconn]

If he wins, Romney will immediately become the poster boy for the Mormons to be considered "Just another Christian denomination."

So you're against a Mormon being president. I just don't see how you guys make the leap from letting a non-Christian politician speak at commencement, to giving mormanism a seal of approval. Everyone knows why he is being asked to speak: he is the presidential nominee of the more conservative party, and likely the next president. Any inference of giving the thumbs up to mormanism is a huge leap in logic, just as giving the thumbs up to state funded healthcare would be.

[TallyW]

It's no leap in logic at all... He is coming to Liberty because he needs to get Evangelicals comfortable with the idea of Mormonism, period.

We as Liberty University are explicitly assisting his effort to court evangelicals for this one reason. Evangelicals aren't a voting block of healthcare wonks. Evangelicals are first and foremost a religious block. Up until today we've never been asked to vote for a person who has actively made part of his life's mission the denial of Jesus Christ as the one true God our bible speaks of.

This isn't an economic or healthcare discussion... this is "How do you feel about giving a greater platform to a person who has spent most of his life trying to convince Christians to walk away from Jesus Christ as you know Him?" Many Evangelicals do not feel good about that, even if there is an election lost because of it. In 4 years we'll have another vote. If we give Romney a platform to spread a faith completely contrary to our own the consequences for Christianity will last a lot longer than 4 years.

To say that we're not endorsing his Mormonism is to have blinders on about why the Romney campaign wanted to come to Liberty. The campaign is not coming to Liberty because of any other reason than our faith. If this was simply a stop in a swing state, they could have stayed away from the religious angle all together by doing something else. They need evangelicals to embrace them and Liberty is doing the work of setting up the awkward dance.

The Romney campaign is not winning over evangelicals and so they need LU to give a tacit seal of approval so that other evangelicals can get comfortable with the idea that Mormons are okay to support. To not see that is to defy all logic.

If you think those boys in white shirts and black ties are fired up now about converting people away from Christianity... wait until they can point to one of their leaders sitting in the White House. The consequences here are far beyond public policy... they have eternal consequences.

[jbock13]

From Voddie Baucham Ministries and Grace Family Baptist Church (A Facebook posting):

There is a bit of a 'revolt' going on at Liberty University right now over the decision to have Mitt Romney as this year's Commencement Speaker (http://americanvisionnews.com/3023/libe ... ent-choice). Ironically, Romney will not be the first Mormon to give a commencement address at the Fundamentalist Christian (Religions Right/Neo Conservative/Republican) University. Glenn Beck gave the commencement address two years ago!

I've often said American Christians are far more 'American' than they are 'Christian'. The problem is even worse at America's "Christian" Universities. Remember, folks, Mormonism is a Cult! More importantly, they make a mockery of Christ (viewing him as the spirit brother of Lucifer who once was a mere man as we are), and of the Father (whom they view as having had sex with Mary). See here for more info (

It's really that simple. You've got a cultist who is also a supporter of socialized medicine, is bought and paid for by Goldman Sachs and other bankers, supports SOPA, supports NDAA, will continue the national building and war profiteering that is bankrupting America both financially and morally, and you've got the LU leadership running at full speed to ignore all of that just to try and grab a little more political influence. It's an embarrassment and it's shameful that they're removing all dissenting opinions and then lying about where those opinions came from.

Another Ron Paul post. Do you have any objective sense in you?

I love Ron Paul, and I voted for him. It's folks like you that drove people like me away.

[LUconn]

Romney needs the evangelical vote, and that's why he's coming here. I agree with that. Just like John McCain did, who apparently is southern baptist. You seem to view Romney as some sort of mormon sleeper cell.

[TallyW]

Everyone needs the evangelical vote. That's not the point. The point is that this man has spent his entire life involved a cult focused on leading Christians away from Jesus Christ as Lord.

The LDS church has spent years crafting their message to be considered simply a 'denomination' within the tent of Christianity. They have co-opted the Christian language but replaced the entire lexicon. Their goal is to be considered main stream. Our goal is supposedly advancing Jesus Christ as Lord and telling the truth about who Christ is. Why would we want a man to gain the office of the Presidency who outright denies everything we believe about God?

As a Pastor I have to constantly explain the differences between Mormonism and the Christian faith. They use the same words but they mean extremely different things. Theologically speaking why should we allow Liberty University to be used as a venue for a Mormon to codify Evangelicals? Theologically that is the exact opposite of why Liberty began. We are being used not only by a campaign... but by an opposing faith... that's what is being missed here. By normalizing Romney's beliefs and giving him our endorsement... we make things 100% more difficult on every graduate we've ever sent out to share their faith.

It's disturbing that a handful of this board are so focused on the Republican Party that we're not thinking about how this will impact our faith for generations to come.