"This university is named Liberty for a reason."

Liberty University recently became the first private organization to join the mass of lawsuits filed against the new legislation on health care. I encourage you to read the article posted by the News & Events section of Liberty University's website:
http://www.liberty.edu/news/index.cfm?PID=18495&MID=17125

The amount of attention given to politics at Liberty University has been overwhelming over the past several months. Some might find such an assessment to be strange coming from an individual who chose to attend Liberty owing to its Right-wing Fundamentalist leanings and conservative outspokenness. Nonetheless, I believe politics has taken over the LU mindset. An example may be found in the quote below from the article mentioned above.

“We here at Liberty believe that the healthcare bill that was signed into law this week is an attack on our freedoms and our liberties that our founders fought and died to secure,” said Falwell. “This university is named Liberty for a reason. We believe in defending the liberties that are guaranteed by our Constitution.”

I have spoken to many people concerning my opinions of Liberty's political momentum. Such conversations have included comments concerning the campaign at LU to register students to vote in the upcoming Lynchburg election for City Council members. Personally, I am against college students voting for local issues when the students are only temporarily invested in a community owing to the location of an educational institution. However, I digress...

As a student at Liberty University, I am not sure that joining a lawsuit against the government is the best idea out there. In speaking with some individuals, it appears that I am not alone on this matter. Some basic problems arise when Liberty jumps on the bandwagon of fighting health care reform in the courts. One such problem is the idea that Liberty has now painted a target on itself for future problems with the U.S. government. Another problem comes in the form of Liberty's purpose.

Jerry Falwell, Jr. asserts in the above quote that Liberty was named for the purpose of promoting freedom as outlined in the Constitution of the United States. While the cause of defending the U.S. Constitution is noble, one must question whether this was/is the purpose of Liberty University. After all, a main theme of LU is the concept of "Training Champions for Christ." Please note that the theme is not "Training Champions for the U.S. Constitution" or "Raising Up Voters for a Liberty-friendly City Council." Clearly political events can easily cloud over legitimate goals, and have done so in recent years. 

In addition, the University has often used 2 Corinthians 3:17 as a means of describing LU. The passage of scripture reads, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Liberty publications have often changed "freedom" to "Liberty" in order identify the institution's commitment to Christianity. (Questionable exegesis, I know.)

As a follower of Christ it is important that I keep my focus on Jesus Christ. I am a follower of Christ before I am a student at Liberty University, a registered voter, or an American. Perhaps the focus of Liberty University has shifted as a result of political unrest and economic threats. However, such a shift in focus can be dangerous. I'd rather Liberty be known for spreading the Gospel and defending biblical principles than filing lawsuits and leading biased political campaigns. This is not to say that civil responsibilities should be abandoned, but may the actions of the University reflect its purpose to "Train Champions for Christ." May Liberty University not focus on politics to the extent that its original purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ is abandoned.