Liberty University, Ian McCaw and a Chilling Message for the Lukewarm

Ian McCaw was recently fired from his position of Athletic Director at Baylor University.

He is currently being sued by a woman named Jasmin Hernandez who was raped by a Baylor football player named Tevin Elliot. In the lawsuit, Hernandez alleges that McCaw knew about Elliot’s former sexual assaults, and failed to protect her and other women from the perpetrator, and was indifferent about it afterward. McCaw has also been accused of creating an atmosphere of sexual assault on Baylor’s campus, refusing to take action against athletes victimizing women.

Even though he is in the middle of a lawsuit and was just fired from his position at Baylor, McCaw doesn’t need to worry about finding a new job-he has one. Liberty University, a Christian institution in Virginia, has hired him as their new Athletic Director. Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty, has touted McCaw’s achievements in athleticism and seems to view the recent hire as a victory for the school.

This is a chilling wake up call.

Liberty University, in practice and in name, is a CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION. By hiring Ian McCaw, they are essentially slapping all victims of sexual assault in the face, and letting them know that they don’t care about the crimes committed against them. They are effectively ignoring the crime, violence, and sin that McCaw allowed and passively encouraged at Baylor.

And for what, a better athletic department?

A line has been drawn in the sand for Liberty University, and it is time that they decide on which side of it they will stand. Either they follow Christ and make Christlike morals and values the driving force of the school. Or, they let that front die, let McCaw come onto their staff, and quit pretending that they care about the same things as Christ.

Christ emphasized that he loved the broken, and so should we. Last time I checked, sexual assault victims are broken people in need of love, compassion, justice, and defense. Roughly 53 percent of Liberty’s 15,000 students are women. What message does this send to them? Clearly, Liberty is not putting a safe atmosphere above prowess in athletics.

This is a wake up call for all institutions of learning, businesses, nonprofits, and ministries who claim the name of Christ as the reason why they operate. If you are willing to sacrifice values and ethical integrity, or even the safety and dignity of individuals you oversee, you are no better than your secular counterparts who despise the name of Jesus. Either you represent his name well no matter the cost or you should quit pretending to represent his name at all.

The message of Revelation 3:15-16 is not just for individual Christians; it applies to any organization that dares to operate under the name of Jesus.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (NIV)

You can’t be halfway in and halfway out. Simply following Jesus when it works best for you and you feel like it will not work. Jesus talked about how living for him is going to require sacrifice, but it will be worth it. Any organization that operates under his name when it is worth it for them has lost the entire point.

Shame on you Liberty University. Yet, thank you for bringing this point to the surface. Organizations that claim to operate according to Christ are held to the same standards of holiness as a Christian individual. Either walk according to Jesus’ ways, or quit pretending to do so.