Why Christian College Presidents Should Not Endorse Political Candidates
I remember when it happened. It was a small headline on The Washington Post: ‘Falwell endorses Trump,’ or something like that. I was attending Liberty University, studying for my bachelor’s degree in information technology, and I thought from my home in Texas, You’ve got to be kidding me.
The story, at that point, was just a paragraph — a breaking announcement with no direct quotes. I decided to hold my judgment until I read or heard my college president’s own words. I knew where Falwell’s political tendencies lay. Having been raised in a conservative, Baptist family, I was no stranger to the influence of Jerry Falwell Sr. and the vaunted work of his “Moral Majority.” I fully expected Falwell to encourage evangelicals to support whoever turned out to be the Republican nominee for president. I did not expect him to endorse a candidate. If, on the off-chance he did, Senator Ted Cruz seemed to be primed to receive that blessing.
About thirty minutes later, I read Falwell’s words for myself. He wasn’t kidding.
I am proud to offer my endorsement of Donald J. Trump for president of the United States. He is a…
