Tell Liberty University trusteesFire Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Posted: March 16, 2020

By mocking the coronavirus on Fox News, then dragging his feet before finally canceling in-person classes at the nation's largest Christian university, Jerry Falwell Jr. put lives at risk -- and now he's hypocritically violating his school's honor code.

This spring, Falwell went on Fox to falsely compare COVID-19 to the flu. He also blamed the president's critics for the virus: "Impeachment didn't work... Maybe this is their next attempt to get Trump."

Falwell finally cancelled classes at Liberty University, but only after ridiculing the idea and waiting for Virginia's governor to require the move. When one parent shared his concerns on Twitter, Falwell called the worried father a "dummy," then continued to make media appearances dismissing the disease.

One Liberty professor, sick of having her health put at risk, responded with an op-ed called, "Dear Liberty University board: Please stop Jerry Falwell Jr. before it’s too late." We need a grassroots Christian response to show the media that Falwell's ignorance and bullying do not represent the Christian response to COVID-19!

UPDATE, 2020-08-07: Falwell has been photographed drinking on a yacht with his zipper down, his underwear showing, and his arm around a woman other than his wife. Even conservative Congressman and former Liberty instructor Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) now says Falwell should resign.

While Faithful America will not police private behavior like the religious right, Falwell himself would expel his students or criticize progressive lawmakers for the things he's doing now. Jesus called out the hypocrisy of his era's religious leaders, and today's Christians must likewise hold our leaders accountable. It's past time for Liberty's trustees to fire the hypocritical Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Sign the petition:

By publicly comparing the coronavirus to the flu and then initially resisting requests to cancel in-person classes, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., has put the lives of his students, viewers, and their families at risk. There is nothing Christian about that -- nor is it Christian to call a concerned parent "dummy."

The best way to follow a savior who healed the sick is to slow the spread of COVID-19. We can accomplish this only by sharing facts, not misinformation, and by loving our neighbors from a safe distance. As Christians, we call on Liberty's Board of Trustees to fire Jerry Falwell, Jr., for endangering lives.

Update, 2020-08-07, for signatures after #12,369: Jerry Falwell's recent zipper-down partying is a violation of Liberty's honor code that would get any of his students expelled. Just as Jesus called out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Christians today must hold our own religious leaders accountable for their hypocrisy. The Board must hold Falwell to the same standard he holds his students, and fire him immediately.

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