Josh Benner

Tag: Jerry Falwell

  • Falwell sues Liberty after receiving $10.5 million

    Falwell sues Liberty after receiving $10.5 million

    Jerry Falwell, Jr, the disgraced former president of Liberty University, the largest Christian university in America, is suing the school for defamation.

    In his court filings, Falwell also cites a non-disparagement clause in his contract. Falwell’s lawsuit talks of Liberty’s “abdication of its legal, contractual, and moral obligations not to defame him.” The lawsuit also claims that “Liberty set out to destroy Mr. Falwell’s reputation through numerous defamatory statements.” The lawsuit talks about the wonders of Falwell’s leadership.

    Background
    The major scandal with the Falwell’s was the salacious accusation that Jerry Falwell, Jr was aware of a years long affair between his wife and a business associate. Part of that story is not in dispute. Falwell had previously acknowledged his wife’s affair (but denied the ongoing nature of the affair as well as the allegation that he had watched the two engage in the affair). But at the time, Falwell was already on leave from the university in response to a photo he had posted of himself and a woman at a house boat party with their pants unzipped.

    And before being placed on leave from the university, Falwell had done several other objectionable actions. He had posted a custom face mask which depicted Virginia governor Ralph Northam in a klansman halloween costume. He had lied about attending clubs in Miami. He had called people “stupid” and “idiot” on his social media.

    The biggest bombshell Falwell faced was undoubtedly allegations of his awareness of his wife’s affair but he had already established a pattern of conduct which was inappropriate for the president of a Christian University (or for that matter, the president of any university). Long before these allegations, there were people who had called for Falwell to step down. There had been people who simply wanted an apology.

    Resignation
    In the wake of the reports about his wife’s affair, Falwell resigned from Liberty (and then he didn’t). And then he did. That was another debacle. But Falwell was given the very nice parting gift of $10.5 million to live the school.

    And now he’s suing.

    Response
    I’m not a lawyer. So I can’t speak to whether or not Falwell has a legal case. But a few thoughts come to mind. First, Falwell had previously claimed that when Liberty put him on leave, that this went against the terms of his contract. I consider that clause and his suggestion that he also had a non-disparagement clause, and I can’t help but question why he wanted all of these guardrails in his contract to protect his own poor conduct?

    Again, maybe he has a legal case. Maybe the school will have to pay him millions of dollars. That I don’t know. But it’s shameful that the head of a Christian University would put so many provisions in his contract which so greatly reduced the university’s ability to hold him accountable.

    Second, I can’t help but question the school and why they agreed to all of these provisions and gave themselves so little ability to hold him accountable and provide oversight. Shame on Liberty’s board.

    Third, did Liberty pay Falwell $10.5 million and not have him sign any sort of release or agreement that he wouldn’t sue them?!

    This whole thing is a debacle.

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  • Accountability isn’t judgmental, it’s Biblical: why the church needs standards

    Accountability isn’t judgmental, it’s Biblical: why the church needs standards

    Over the last few weeks, Jerry Falwell, Jr had a very public suspension from Liberty, during which time he revealed an affair his wife was having. Falwell resigned, then said he didn’t, then resigned again, bashed the university. This was the culmination in a long series of personal and moral failings from Falwell.

    But what’s interesting when a prominent Christian has significant moral failings exposed, is the excuses I see online. I see comments on news articles and blogs where people will ask “and you’re perfect?” “I guess you never sin?”

    Ironically, that is a self-defeating proposition. Judging people for having moral opinions is in fact a moral opinion where you’re being judgmental!

    But what’s more, the idea that it’s somehow especially loving, or pious, or enlightened to show indifference to sin is not a Biblical idea.

    Just for quick reference:  if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1). As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear (1 Timothy 5:20). My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20). Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).

    We should be gracious. We should want to see people repent and restored. We should want to see broken people’s lives changed.

    But we should not ignore sin. Because when we do, we allow predators to run roughshod in churches and Christian organizations under the guise that that’s “loving.” It isn’t. It’s not loving to the sinner who needs people who love them and care enough to point them to truth and righteousness. And for powerful people, it’s not loving to others in their ministry or organization who can suffer and be victimized by unscrupulous morals and sin.

    Yes, there needs to be grace and forgiveness, but there also needs to be accountability. And sometimes there need to be consequences for a person’s actions. Leading churches, ministries, Christian organizations is a sacred privilege, not a right.

    What about “not judging?”

    A person might say but what about where Jesus says: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1)? And doesn’t he also say “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?“(Matthew 7:3)

    But just a couple of verses later, Jesus also says “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).

    Given the numerous Biblical passages which talk about pointing out sin and restoring sin, and encouraging people to personal holiness, the point of that verse isn’t that you should never have a moral opinion (which isn’t possible). The point isn’t about having a constant disposition of judgment, self-righteousness, comparison to others, and looking for faults. It’s not a command against thinking that immoral behavior is bad and that people (especially professing Christians) should live to a higher standard.

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe!

  • Falwell Jr. on leave after inappropriate Instagram photo

    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    The largest Christian university in the world should not be led by a person who’s controversial because of his antics. It’s one thing to be controversial due to conviction or controversial due to moral stances which cut against the grain of society.

    But Jerry Falwell, Jr’s controversies largely stem from his antics. This week, Falwell posted a photo on his Instagram of him and a woman (who he later said is his wife’s assistant) at a yacht party. In the photo – which was later deleted – Falwell has his arm around the woman, both have their shirts lifted above their stomachs, and show their pants unzipped. Along with the photo, Falwell included the caption:  “Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht. I promise that’s just black water in my glass. It was a prop only.”

    The following day, Falwell explained the photo in a slurred radio interview where he said:  “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.” Falwell said that he was “gonna try to be a good boy.”

    Everything about that situation looks bad. And his explanation didn’t do him any favors. “I’m gonna try to be a good boy?” You’re the president of the largest Christian University on earth and a 58 year old man. Also, in the photo when he says “I promise it’s just black water?” That sounds like an excuse an underage drinker would make when getting caught.

    Appearances matter. Being above reproach matters. Falwell failed on both fronts with that photo. Video from the yacht party also emerged showing people in a themed party based off of the Canadian television series “Trailer Park Boys.”

    Today, Liberty announced that Falwell will be taking an indefinite leave of absence, effective immediately. It’s a decision which is long overdo. It’s a microcosm of a larger problem in evangelical Christianity where organizations and churches fail to hold influential leaders accountable.

    If a student at Liberty had done what Falwell did, they would face disciplinary action. For Falwell, the standard for his conduct should be higher, not lower, than for his students.

    And again, it’s not an isolated incident. In May, Falwell Tweeted a picture of a custom surgical face mask which displayed the image of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam in a racially insensitive photo from his medical school yearbook. Falwell said that it was in protest to budget cuts for higher education made by Northam. Thousands called for Falwell to apologize and resign.

    He eventually did apologize. Kind of. Although his Instagram account still features a link in the bio section to a Breitbart story which paints Falwell as the victim in that story.

    Last year, there were photos which emerged of photo and his family at a Miami nightclub. Not the worst thing in the world (although not a great look for the president of a major Christian University, either). But Falwell vehemently denied the photos and said they were photoshopped, which prompted a response from the photographer who had taken the photos.

    Last October, there was a bizarre settlement involving a business deal gone awry.

    On social media, there are numerous occasions where Falwell has called people “stupid” and “idiot.”

    I appreciate Liberty University. But they deserve better. Standards and accountability matter. I’ve written about numerous influential pastors who have been fired or resigned due to misconduct. And so often, I feel like those situations could have been averted had their respective boards held leaders accountable in the beginning. And we see it here with Falwell. His board has allowed him to run wild time and again. And each time, it further diminishes the institution.