I have a question for Jonathan Leirer (Crowd's reaction to evangelicals less than thoughtful
intelligent May 11): Were you listening to the things the evangelists were preaching? I am a firm believer in the basic human rights ' the right to peaceful assembly and the freedom of speech. But I also believe that every person can choose how to live his or her life. I do not believe in putting down other people because of the way they live. I would encourage them to stop destructive behavior, whether it is to themselves or others, but I do not condemn them for their lifestyles.
These evangelists came to save us from our sins but only proceeded to tell us hypocritical truths and refused to acknowledge that our rebuttals also had founded evidence. They stereotyped every male as a frat boy who is a pot-smoking
alcohol-drinking fornicator and every woman as a whore who just needed a man to put her in her place. They told us that women do not have free will and must be controlled by husbands. They told lesbians, gays and bisexuals that our parents don't truly love us, because they allow us to live in sin. They told us that 90 percent of us have a good chance of becoming serial killers and that English classes and critical thinking make murderers. Oh, and they told us that our sins caused Sept. 11. Not terrorists.
Brother Micah referred to himself as Lord several times throughout the week, and told women we were stealing business from crack whores. (Guess I better stop fornicating so that crack whore can earn her way back into Hell.) Brother Jesse told us that getting saved for the sake of saving your soul is a sin, though he learned the Word while in prison after having his neck slashed in a street fight. Sister Elizabeth told us that rape is caused by women dressing provocatively, not by men who desire to feel powerful.
This is only the tip of the iceberg; and if you're not as angry as we have been this past week, something is wrong.
Granted, we told them that we accepted them for their beliefs. We told them that even though we disagreed with them, we still loved them. We offered them food, hugs, flowers ' and every time we were rejected. They told us that we were being judgmental and refused to admit that's exactly what they were doing to us. We countered their arguments with our own ' discussing topics from carbon dating and the existence of dinosaurs to interpreting the Bible ' and they told us that our facts were based on science and refused to even think their book and their God might be too. Molly Alcox told them, If your faith was strong enough
you would be able to read the works of others and critically analyze it and still hold on to your beliefs. Still, they clung to their Bibles and their faith, requesting us to turn from ours.
Now, if this isn't enough, we were informed that these preachers take pictures of us during our rally and since we appear to be eager listeners and newfound followers, post them on their Web site saying that we were converted by them to gain money from sponsors. If this is not hypocrisy and if they are not judgmental, then I don't know what is.
So, if our reaction was less than thoughtful
intelligent
tell me what yours would have been. I'm sure you would have welcomed them with open arms.
Chrissy Abelow is a freshman chemistry major.
17
Archives
Letter to the Editor
