Anything I should know about Liberty University?

[ddandb]

The pastor of the church I attend on occasion graduated from there. He seems normal enough, but then the only thing I can compare him to was my last pastor, a graduate of Hyles-Anderson.

[captain_solo]

(08-16-2012 11:49 AM)ddandb Wrote:  The pastor of the church I attend on occasion graduated from there. He seems normal enough, but then the only thing I can compare him to was my last pastor, a graduate of Hyles-Anderson.

I'm not sure those two can even be compared.

[Papa Bear]

I've known people who attended HAC and others who attended Liberty. The main difference I saw was that Liberty students didn't look down on other believers for not being just like them. From what I gathered, Liberty, while definitely a conservative evangelical school, wasn't particularly interested in making everyone look, dress, and sound alike, didn't have the vast structure of petty rules designed to enforce conformity, and understood that good christians can have a much wider range of opinions than allowed at HAC.

Liberty was founded by Jerry Falwell. Some people see this as a plus, and others as a minus. I think Falwell's connection with the school does give an indication where they stand on certain issues, but they were not trying to turn out little copies of Jerry Falwell in the same sense that HAC was trying to turn out little copies of Jack Hyles.

[Bob M]

Liberty is pretty far removed from the Hyles Anderson types of churches. Falwell started it and moved it away from Fundamentalism in th 90's. I know several people who went there and they are a Christian college, but they are reasonable school. And they are accredited. HAC is not.

[aisforazebra]

^ This. I went to Liberty and enjoyed it. I could do without all the political emphasis/brainwashing attempts, but other than that, it was a great experience. Liberty is one of a very few Christian schools I would send my kid to.

[Lady Julian]

And it's definitely growing more diverse and willing to entertain new ideas (they've had wide-ranging speakers, etc). I have a friend who teaches in the English department there, and she's definitely not fundy: She teaches her students about *gasp!* feminism!

[redbeardiam]

They do still hold the line on YEC. other than that oddity, I wouldn't call them Fundy at all. Overly political, yes. But a lot of places probably have that problem.

[Dude]

Liberty's a hard-core liberal school...

Actually, they are a far better school than anything in the fundamentalist camp. They are conservative evangelical, however, in most aspects. redbeardiam mentioned YEC and several others mentioned their political issues. They are definitely conservative on the male-female thing, although not as harsh and controlling mysogonists like fundy schools are. I do think they lack understanding and respect for diversity, although many folks would argue that's a good thing (I don't make that argument and wouldn't send my kids there for just this reason).

You might consider reading the book The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose, a Brown University student who spent a semester at Liberty, basically as an exchange student. He seemed to do a good job of wrapping up the good and the bad that exists there.

[Papa Bear]

(08-16-2012 06:10 PM)redbeardiam Wrote:  They do still hold the line on YEC. other than that oddity, I wouldn't call them Fundy at all. Overly political, yes. But a lot of places probably have that problem.

What's YEC?

[Tikatu]

(08-16-2012 06:51 PM)Papa Bear Wrote:  

(08-16-2012 06:10 PM)redbeardiam Wrote:  They do still hold the line on YEC. other than that oddity, I wouldn't call them Fundy at all. Overly political, yes. But a lot of places probably have that problem.

What's YEC?

YEC=Young Earth Creationism. Think Ken Ham.

I'd be leery of Liberty because of their recent imbroglio over Ergun Caner (a preacher who was caught in multiple lies over his past and who Liberty made Dean of their Religion Dept.). Other than that, it is a far cry from BJU or HAC. And, as has already been said, it is legitimately accredited.