A Weekend at the Falwells South Beach Flophouse

[pstokely]

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/25/jerry-falwell-miami-hostel-liberty-university-trey-falwell-215528

"The first thing I noticed was the almost eye-level gray gate with an odd, oval sign declaring that the hostel was—for lack of a better term—a safe space.

NO

SOLICITING

FUNDRAISING

POLITICS

SALESMEN

RELIGION

“That’s weird, right?” Andy chuckled and opened the door. By then, he and I already knew, thanks to a tipster that the owner of the Miami Hostel was none other than Jerry Falwell III, better known as Trey, who purchased the property with financial help from his father, Jerry Falwell Jr., a man who pretty much embodies everything on that sign: the fusion of religion with politics, aggressive fundraising and a slick, salesman-like approach to public faith. It was Falwell Jr. whose early endorsement of Donald Trump in the 2016 primaries—he hailed him for living “a life of loving and helping others as Jesus taught in the great commandment”—was seen as pivotal in helping Trump secure the evangelical vote.

At Liberty University, the Christian private school at which Falwell Jr. is the president and Trey is the vice president for university operations—and from which I graduated in 2011—all manner of vice is prohibited. Students, whether on campus or off, and whether school is in session or not—cannot consume alcohol or tobacco. Co-ed sleeping arrangements are verboten. And, in the words of “The Liberty Way,” the school’s student handbook, “homosexual conduct or the encouragement or advocacy of any form of sexual behavior that would undermine the Christian identity or faith mission of the University” are strictly prohibited. Any one of these transgressions could get you saddled with reprimands, financial repercussions, and even expulsion. And yet, here we were, in perhaps the gayest 6 square miles in the United States—South Beach, Miami—staying in Falwell’s gay-friendly flophouse with an on-site liquor store.

At least that’s the story I thought I was there to report. The more I dug into it, the larger and more byzantine the story became—and the more questions it raised. Though Liberty University officials declined to comment on the record for this story, senior-level sources at the university agreed to answer many of my questions. But rather than settling the matter, the answers they provided begat new and more serious inquiries that go beyond mere charges of hypocrisy over owning a hostel, and point to dubious behavior by Liberty University—actions which, according to several tax-law experts I consulted, could violate IRS rules."

[underpants]

1. Ah Jerry stories

Having married into a family from Lynchburg I have several. This family are NOT members of Thomas Road Baptist but they knew Jerry from high school.

In order to grow his church and build the school (before the Rev. Moon money came flowing in) Jerry sent his young volunteers to,elder members front doors as well as literally going to door to door to convince people to sign over their home to him. It worked a lot. They had the misfortune of knocking on the door of my wife's grandmother's house. This lead to a call directly to Jerry's office dropping my mother in law's name and telling him that he better give her a call. She ripped him up one side and down another.

Jerry showing up at a jewelry store on a Sunday afternoon with someone's vintage engagement ring to get appraised.

A family forced to pick sides - Jerry or not - and lifelong friends (cousins) never speaking to each other again.

LU is booming like you wouldn't believe. The new dorms block out the horizon and there are cranes working overtime to build a new fieldhouse and some sort of tower. "Rocket to heaven" my wife jokingly calls,it.