Liberty University, known for its conservative evangelical identity, will be receiving an unusual guest this fall: self-described socialist Bernie Sanders.
Sanders will be speaking Sept. 14 at one of the school’s regular “convocations,” meaning Sanders won’t just be allowed on campus to speak, but every student at Liberty will be required to attend his speech (convocation attendance is mandatory). Sanders will be guaranteed a crowd of about 12,000 people.
Ironically, while Liberty bills its convocations as Christian assemblies, Sanders himself is a largely irreligious Jew.
Liberty, founded by conservative pastor Jerry Falwell, is better known as one of the few centers of higher education that is safe turf for Republican presidential candidates. Ted Cruz even chose the school as the place to announce his presidential campaign. When it happened, the school drew criticism for using one of its convocations to provide an audience for Republican politics. Now, they’ll be making up for it by putting a voice of the far left on stage.
Other notable people who will appear at Liberty’s fall convocations include former pro baseball player Darryl Strawberry (now a minister), Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson and several cast members from A&E’s Duck Dynasty.
Sanders was frank on the matter, releasing a statement acknowledging his many differences with Liberty’s administrators while thanking them for the invitation.
“Liberty University was kind enough to invite me to address a convocation and I decided to accept,” Sanders’ statement reads. “It goes without saying that my views on many issues – women’s rights, gay rights, education – are very different from the opinions of some in the Liberty University community. I think it is important, however, to see if we can reach consensus regarding the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality in our country, about the collapse of the middle class, about the high level of childhood poverty, about climate change and other issues. It is very easy for a candidate to speak to people who hold the same views. It’s harder but important to reach out to others who look at the world differently. I look forward to meeting with the students and faculty of Liberty University.”
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