Using The Bible To Teach Hate
I had an interesting experience today, one that anyone who has gone to college can probably appreciate. I was meeting my staff at lunch time today to go over to the Union because today is the beginning of our campus Diversity Week. We were going over to check out music from Central and South America, as well as yummy eats from cultures across the globe. A real feel good fest, you know what I mean?
Well, we came around the corner to go to the festival and I lost my appetite. Staring me in the face was a gigantic sign reading the following: Sodomy is a ticket to hell, Adam and Eve(not Adam and Steve), and AIDS: Epidemic or Cure? I guess this guy comes to campus often with his minions. He was holding forth talking about college students as sinners and the road to hell through fornication, homosexuality, drinking, etc. Now, I consider myself the progressive change agent, but I just wanted to have some flatbread and Indian food. So instead of hitting him in the head with a brick, I walked up to him and politely told him that he was misinformed. I also told him that book he was waving around and pounding in his fist (the Bible) was actually a book about love, not a book about discrimination and hate. I think he was kind of surprised cuz I just kept walking. I then had a nice lunch of a sausage taco (chorizo), roasted ears of corn, and a spicy Indian potato dumpling. It was great, and my friend Wisconsin J loaned me the money to buy it since I forgot my money, but he is a liberal, so he appreciates the sharing of resources so that all may enjoy. College is one place you have to appreciate, to the music of an Andes band, professors in their 50's and 60's dance and laugh with each other....you just don't see it in other working environments.
After lunch Wisconsin J, my staff, and I went to listen to the preacher spew hate, which is what he read in the Bible. I told Wisconsin J that I could not sit there unless I had some sort of protest, so I took some notebook paper from Camelot J(one of my staff) and made a simple sign that read: Tolerance, Love, Peace. Once we started listening, the great thing happened, the reason I love college campuses. Several students started confronting what the man was saying in constructive ways. I got into a great dialogue about how the man was using hate and fear as a motivator for his vision of the Bible. The group of students took issue with his portrayal, saying that God and Jesus were of love, not hate or discrimination. It was a great session to see.
The saddest thing was that the man had several folks helping to pass out information to the students. 10-12 of them were children aged 7-15. That is child abuse in my opinion, to have children preaching hate. It was very sad to see. So when I left, I went up to one of the kids, probably 12, and gave him my sign. I told him, "here is something you should read and know that there are people that think this is beautiful".
I love being on campus, so much is going on! Next week we launch a huge voter registration and absentee ballot drive to get as many students to vote as possible. It is non-partisan and should be a great experience.
Well, we came around the corner to go to the festival and I lost my appetite. Staring me in the face was a gigantic sign reading the following: Sodomy is a ticket to hell, Adam and Eve(not Adam and Steve), and AIDS: Epidemic or Cure? I guess this guy comes to campus often with his minions. He was holding forth talking about college students as sinners and the road to hell through fornication, homosexuality, drinking, etc. Now, I consider myself the progressive change agent, but I just wanted to have some flatbread and Indian food. So instead of hitting him in the head with a brick, I walked up to him and politely told him that he was misinformed. I also told him that book he was waving around and pounding in his fist (the Bible) was actually a book about love, not a book about discrimination and hate. I think he was kind of surprised cuz I just kept walking. I then had a nice lunch of a sausage taco (chorizo), roasted ears of corn, and a spicy Indian potato dumpling. It was great, and my friend Wisconsin J loaned me the money to buy it since I forgot my money, but he is a liberal, so he appreciates the sharing of resources so that all may enjoy. College is one place you have to appreciate, to the music of an Andes band, professors in their 50's and 60's dance and laugh with each other....you just don't see it in other working environments.
After lunch Wisconsin J, my staff, and I went to listen to the preacher spew hate, which is what he read in the Bible. I told Wisconsin J that I could not sit there unless I had some sort of protest, so I took some notebook paper from Camelot J(one of my staff) and made a simple sign that read: Tolerance, Love, Peace. Once we started listening, the great thing happened, the reason I love college campuses. Several students started confronting what the man was saying in constructive ways. I got into a great dialogue about how the man was using hate and fear as a motivator for his vision of the Bible. The group of students took issue with his portrayal, saying that God and Jesus were of love, not hate or discrimination. It was a great session to see.
The saddest thing was that the man had several folks helping to pass out information to the students. 10-12 of them were children aged 7-15. That is child abuse in my opinion, to have children preaching hate. It was very sad to see. So when I left, I went up to one of the kids, probably 12, and gave him my sign. I told him, "here is something you should read and know that there are people that think this is beautiful".
I love being on campus, so much is going on! Next week we launch a huge voter registration and absentee ballot drive to get as many students to vote as possible. It is non-partisan and should be a great experience.
posted by GT at 1:06 PM
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