Ivy Leaguer `infiltrates' Falwell's university (AP)

[sampsonblk]

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker, Associated Press Writer – Wed Apr 22

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Kevin Roose managed to blend in during his single semester at Liberty University, attending lectures on the myth of evolution and the sin of homosexuality, and joining fellow students on a mission trip to evangelize partyers on spring break.

Roose had transferred to the Virginia campus from Brown University in Providence, a famously liberal member of the Ivy League. His Liberty classmates knew about the switch, but he kept something more important hidden: He planned to write a book about his experience at the school founded by fundamentalist preacher Jerry Falwell...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_re_us/us_rel_religion_today



Now that is GREAT stuff. Good work by this young fellow.

[Muttocracy]

1. how the hell does that place keep accreditation...

Every one of the biology classes has to be baloney.

Are the Bible and books by Falwell the only things literature majors can read?

How interesting that the "Creation Studies" department weblink doesn't work. http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=139 Wanted to see if they still have the creation museum.

[depakid]

19. That's a very good question

The fact that it is says something about the nature of accreditation in America- and not something that inspires confidence in the system.

[underpants]

2. I drive by Liberty regularly on our trips to Roanoke

Falwell was insured up to his eyeballs so Liberty is now debt free. Falwell once had to get Sun Yung Moon to bail out the school. LU is going to pour money into campus life stuff I read recently including a ski slope.

I could go on and on about Falwell. My wife's family knew him well and for a long time but not as friends.

This sounds like Matt Taibbi's "The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics & Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire" in which he infiltrated a bornagain megachurch and went on a soul saving retreat. He also infiltrated the LIHOP crowd and they don't come off any better. Highly recommend it.

[deepthought42]

10. I'm going to school in Roanoke

before that it was Lynchburg, but not liberty, thank FSM. :scared:

[gamecock]

3. Smart boy

I actually considered attending Liberty University before I visited the campus and saw how strict everything was. Definitely not a Democrat's cup of tea.

[burning rain]

4. Using Bible class to score dates...

liked that. And I'll bet the off-campus party scene isn't too shabby -- the young people have a way of turning out healthy and alright. On any given morning -- particularly Saturdays and Sundays -- there are doubtlessly some fine young Christian scholars doing the walk of shame, hair all mussed, going-out clothes all wrinkled, chastity in shreds. God has clearly blessed them.

[sampsonblk]

11. What you got against the walk of shame?

LOL Those were the days.

[burning rain]

24. Good Lord, nothing.

It would be dismal to go through college without any casual flings.

[NJCher]

5. I thought of doing something like this

for an ethnography I had to write for a class.

Instead I dropped acid and went to a student orientation at Bob Jones University.

Interesting, to say the least.


Cher

[Stevenmarc]

6. ROFLMAO, I got to hand it to him.

"He visited a campus support group for chronic masturbators, where students were taught to curb impure thoughts."

[rcrush]

7. They have a support group for that?

Is the entire male population of the school enrolled in that group?

[Snazzy]

8. no, the wide-stance support group was overbooked

:dunce:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. Don't forget the Texas Aggies that they punish for that.

JOKE: They punish Aggies that they catch playing with themselves.

They make them stand up through all the football games.

:rofl:

Note: All Aggies stand up all the way through all football games. They're nuts. It's called the twelfth man tradition, in case some football player gets hurt and they need to get somebody from the stands. Crazy, I kow.

[Snazzy]

13. "I got to hand it to him"

:rofl:

Clearly the root problem.

I wonder, though not for long, if they gather in a circle for these group therapy sessions?

[tomreedtoon]

12. He'd better get a Kevlar vest and hide.

Christians don't take the mocking of their God (Falwell) casually.

[fujiyama]

14. With my original quick read

I had worried he transferred to Liberty and then I realized it was only for a semester.

I have no idea how degrees from these crazy places are valued by any employer or graduate school. Then again, it's worth remembering that Monica Goodings made up the former administration...

[sampsonblk]

15. Yep. They work together to legitimize each other

Which makes it even more crucial that we don't give them any extra legitimacy that they don't deserve.

[and-justice-for-all]

16. Those poor kids....

paying all that money to learn a whole lot of Nuttin'.

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Read the whole article; it's not like you think.

[sampsonblk]

23. I did read the whole article - before posting

I dont understand your point.

[Are_grits_groceries]

18. I read his book out of curiosity.

He took the assignment seriously and didn't go into the semester with an agenda to mock them. Roose was really interested in knowing what the university was like. It is a good read.

Some of the specifics surprised me, but not the overall tenor of the place. He was brought up as a Quaker, and a friend of his who grew up in an evangelical environment had to tutor him so he could even pass. She also warned him about getting in too deep and falling in with the church. He had a couple of moments.

I think this is a good book to read because it gives one a good look at the mindset of the evangelicals. Know thine enemy. He learned a lot by sincerely trying to succeed at the school and learn about its culture.

[depakid]

20. Pretty much the Margaret Mead approach

to cultural anthropology.

[KharmaTrain]

21. Liberty Degree = Bubble Gum Wrapper...

I've never had problems with those who want to go to these schools...if anything I've felt somewhat sad as I knew the brainwashing and religious bullshit took away valuable class time to learn the real things that matter in the world of the living and putting these people at a disadvantage. Of course that changed with georgie booosh, but it also exposed the poor edcuation and training those who attend these schools get. Today, the school's most "famous" alum is Monica Goodling, a name that has become connected with corruption and ineptness. Not quite a reputation a quality university would want to have tagged on them.

Kudos to the author...the worst thing a wingnut or fundie wants is sunshine. It blasts away their myths, strawmen and any legtimacy or credibility. I can't see many Liberty Grads with law degrees getting much government work for a long time. University of Phoenix has a better program/reputation.

[HughMoran]

22. Cool

I think he'll make some money selling the book too.