As a Christian, I think the ‘preacher’ on campus did it all wrong

Jesus’ message is one saturated with love. This ‘preacher’ was filled with hate

As I was walking out of my statistics class, I saw a cluster of people gathered by the 2nd floor Alter Hall windows. I peered out, saw the big sign and knew: another “preacher” was shouting about the wrath of God. But there was something different about this situation. There was a mass of students congregating around him, visibly outraged. I’m used to seeing people just walking by the Bell Tower Preacher, not paying him any mind. As a journalism major, I needed to check it out myself.

My friend and I gathered around the outskirts of where the man was speaking. I couldn’t make out all of his words, but what I did hear were words full of hate.

“There are four steps to becoming a homosexual.”

“People who commit suicide are going to hell.”

“All you gays out there, you’re going to hell! Just pray the gay away, people!”

“Christians build bridges; Muslims blow them up. Christians go to school; Muslims shoot them up.”

As I continued to listen, growing more upset by the second, my body started to shake with rage, something that almost never happens to me.

I love Jesus. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday, had a phase where I rejected God and then came back to my faith and made it my own. I have come to the conclusion that I am simply not strong enough to handle this life on my own, and the Bible and God make perfect sense to me. I don’t go around judging others for their faith or lack thereof. Each person is entitled to his or her own belief system, and while it would make me overjoyed to see every person on this planet believe in the God that I do, not everyone is going to. And screaming that people who are physically intimate with their partner before marriage are “whoremongers” is certainly not going to convert anyone, especially sexually-charged college students.

Where this preacher went wrong is by holding up this sign; a summary of his nonsensical speech:

I actually laughed out loud

This man was not preaching love, freedom and especially not peace through Christ. He was preaching death, wrath and hell. Christians are called to be loving, even to people that the Christian faith considers “sinners,” which is, well, everyone. To Christians, only a relationship with God can get you to heaven. That’s the crux of it. So at the very root, this man had Christianity right. We are sinners, and repentance through Christ is the only way to keep us from hell.

It’s a bit scary to think about, because I know that I sin everyday. I’ve looked at things on the internet that I shouldn’t have, I’ve lied hundreds of times, I use profanity daily, I gossip, I’ve cheated, I could go on. Really, I’m a terrible human being. But that’s why I love Jesus. Because He accepts that I’ve f*cked up and loves me anyways. He just wants me to acknowledge I’ve messed up and try not to do it again. And when I do, because it’s almost guaranteed I’m going to sin again, I just have to acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness. Christianity isn’t hard in theory, and to me, the wrath of God is one of the smallest aspects of the faith.

We shouldn’t be scared into converting to Christianity. What good is our faith if the only reason we believe is because we’re terrified of hell? Christianity is so much more: it’s about serving others, loving others, forgiving others, understanding that we are a flawed people and spreading that message of Jesus’s love more through our actions than our words.

When Jesus walked this Earth, he hung out with people that the “righteous” priests of the time called “unclean” and “sinful.” Jesus loved those people, and he showed them respect. Just look at the story of the Woman at the Well in John chapter 4. Jesus sought out a woman who was not a believer, gave her a drink from the well and talked to her about God’s spirit. He didn’t yell fire and brimstone saying she was destined for the pits of hell if she didn’t repent. In John chapter 8, there is another story about a woman who committed adultery, a sin carrying the punishment of stoning. The woman was surrounded by an angry mob of people holding rocks, waiting for the OK to throw them and kill her. Then, Jesus stepped in. “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7b) Boom. Shut down. You can almost hear the people on the outskirts shouting “ooooooooh.”

What I’m trying to get at is the preacher today did not show Jesus’s message of love and redemption through His death. This man’s heart was full of hate towards “fornicators, homosexuals, drunkards, potheads, cowards (sissies), thieves, porno freaks, masturbaters, effeminate, all liars, murderers and adulterers.”

Porno freaks? Really?

You, sir, are doing it wrong. There is no way you made a single person want to repent today. My heart aches for you, and I hope one day you realize the weight of your own sin. Remember, “he who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.” Judging others isn’t going to bring them to Christ.

I forgive you for the insensitive, misogynistic, hateful things you said, but do us all a favor and don’t come to Temple again.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure you can’t pray the gay away.

@sarah_madaus

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