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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT JERRY FALWELL JR. SEEN WITH YOUNG WOMAN IN INAPPROPRIATE PHOTO

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT JERRY FALWELL JR. SEEN WITH YOUNG WOMAN IN INAPPROPRIATE PHOTO
Photo appears to show Jerry Falwell Jr. with zipper down and arm around a woman
The screen grab, circulating on the internet has sparked condemnation of one of Trump's leading evangelical supporters

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
August 5, 2020

A photo circulating on the internet that appears to show Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. on a yacht with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman whose pants are also unzipped, has sparked outrage and backlash by fellow evangelicals, with a call for him to step down from his position. Both have their midriffs exposed.

The president of the largest Christian university in America and a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, has positioned Liberty University with a strict code of conduct for how students must behave at the school, including prohibiting premarital sex and the consumption of media that includes lewd lyrics, anti-Christian messages, sexual content and nudity.

The story was broken by POLITICO with tweets from a number of people condemning Falwell's behavior.

"How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real?" tweeted Meghan McCain. "Also if you're running the largest Christian university in America maybe don't put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht - with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical."

S.E. Cupp, the conservative CNN host, tweeted: "There were already so many good reasons not to entrust your kids to Jerry Falwell Jr's learning institution. The unzipped pants yacht photo - of the school's PRESIDENT - is sadly the least of them."
"To me, the real problem is the self-righteous, arrogant behavior/comments that Mr. Falwell makes, and the iron fisted, authoritarian brand of "religion" that Liberty U demonstrates... then this???" wrote Jeff Chalmers.

Canadian theologian, Dr. John G. Stackhouse tweeted, "I have an "insider's" experienced & studied disdain for the self-righteous and vacuous hypocrisy that has long characterized North American fundagelical/evangelicalism."

Tim W Callaway, a Liberty U grad, now an Edinburgh PhD grad said about Jr - "he's an effing moron."

The photo had apparently been posted to Falwell's Instagram account, but was subsequently deleted. Several photos that seem to be from the same yacht vacation remain on Falwell's account. A screen capture of the post was first posted by Robert Downen, a religion reporter at The Houston Chronicle.

"More vacation shots," read the caption, apparently posted alongside the photos. "Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht."

The photo also shows Falwell with a drink in his hand. "I promise that's just black water in my glass," the caption added. "It was a prop only."

If such a photo of Bishop Julian Dobbs, my bishop, or ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach were seen on Facebook or Instagram, calls for their resignation would be immediate and overwhelming.

Scott Lamb, a spokesperson for Liberty University, declined to comment on the authenticity of the photos or the appropriateness of Falwell being seen in such circumstances.

The university also has a dress code for students that reads: "Cleanliness, neatness, appropriateness, and modesty are the general guiding factors with regard to dress."

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

This is not the first time Falwell has been caught up in controversy over photos that seemingly run counter to the reputation that Liberty University has cultivated as a leading evangelical school.

POLITICO last year reported on photos of Falwell visiting a Miami Beach nightclub with his family in July 2014. Falwell claimed that any such photos were "photo-shopped."

For more read here: https://relevantmagazine.com/current/falwell-has-responded-to-his-bizarre-instagram-post-just-in-good-fun/  

and here:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8600299/Liberty-University-president-Jerry-Falwell-Jr-apologizes-picture-pants-unzipped.html

END

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