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The @LibertyU We're Cancelling John Piper statement cites "feedback" that gave LU "a controversy [they] did not seek or desire."
What was the feedback, and who was it from? The article only mentions Facebook comments.
This is just interesting because...
What was the feedback, and who was it from? The article only mentions Facebook comments.
This is just interesting because...
...in the summer, literally tens of thousands of alumni signed a petition calling for Jerry Falwell's removal. That was "feedback" (lots of it), as well as some "controversy."
Shockingly, instead of cancelling Jerry Falwell to avoid the controversy, Prevo defended him.
Shockingly, instead of cancelling Jerry Falwell to avoid the controversy, Prevo defended him.
So, the suggestion from LU that they cancelled Piper because of controversy is absurd. LU does not care about controversy. Falwell repeatedly said that he LOVES controversy.
Heck, you can buy LU shirts that say "Liberty University: Politically Incorrect since 1971."
Heck, you can buy LU shirts that say "Liberty University: Politically Incorrect since 1971."
As we all know, "politically incorrect" tends to be a euphemism for "politically right," and that explains why Piper just got cancelled by LU.
He wasn't cancelled for being too far left.
He was cancelled for not being far enough right.
He wasn't cancelled for being too far left.
He was cancelled for not being far enough right.
Many of you have sat in Convocation and wasted many hours of your lives listening to members of LU administration and the Falkirk Center 
yammer and whine about "cancel culture." It's tempting right now to call them hypocrites.
But...
yammer and whine about "cancel culture." It's tempting right now to call them hypocrites.But...
"Cancel culture" is just another talking point and everyone who uses it knows that. There's no principled objection to "cancel culture" at LU, just irritation when it happens to conservatives. We can see this because technically speaking, Piper was "cancelled."
For example:
For example:
- The "feedback" ab Piper's politics had NOTHING to do with his Convo appearance
- The "controversy" existed not b/c of the Convo message, but b/c Piper did not ideologically conform to the orthodoxy of the religious right. He failed a purity test.
This is "cancel culture" !
- The "controversy" existed not b/c of the Convo message, but b/c Piper did not ideologically conform to the orthodoxy of the religious right. He failed a purity test.
This is "cancel culture" !
LU is knowingly silencing Piper's message with no substantive reasoning, except for the fact that Piper wrote an unrelated piece on his website that pissed some (unnamed) people off.
I would say "LU bowed to the pressure of the mob," but let's be real.
I would say "LU bowed to the pressure of the mob," but let's be real.
There was no mob. There was no widespread criticism. Nobody cared. Except for @JerryPrevoLU, who also lost his mind when Jeh Johnson came to LU, and who is also tight with Donald Trump's evangelical enablers.
I wish that Prevo would just come out and say it:
I wish that Prevo would just come out and say it:
"I made the decision to remove the John Piper video because it bothers me that people are using the Bible to criticize my political views."
But we've not seen honesty from LU's leadership for a long while. They hide behind mealy-mouthed press releases and good ol' boy charm.
But we've not seen honesty from LU's leadership for a long while. They hide behind mealy-mouthed press releases and good ol' boy charm.
This is mostly irrelevant, but I feel really bad for @davidnasser right now. His office is getting absolutely trampled. First Jeh Johnson, then that awful press release about the ideological conformity of Convo speakers, and now Piper.
Anyway, yeah, uh, Jerry Prevo is a bad leader & should stop being bad. Being bad is totally uncool, and we like it when people r cool. The end.
