On Thursday, Oct. 29, students gathered in McCullough Plaza to listen to the rantings of three preachers representing what they call “PinPoint Evangelism.”
One of the three preachers, Kerrigan Skelly, shouted his message to students passing by. He confronted some students on what he said he thought were immoral choices and judgments.
He said judgment is coming for God-haters, greedy people, thieves, liars, drunks, mockers, fornicators, immodest women and homosexuals.
I have a problem with this. First of all, there’s a free speech event just like this once or twice every semester.
This past spring, Rick Bradley, pastor, came to campus. His antics became a hit with some students and he sparked lively discussions. There’s a whole group dedicated to him on Facebook.
This time, the three preachers seemed less funny than Bradley and more offensive.
I’m not even sure Bradley took himself seriously. I always thought of him as more of a Stephen Colbert-like character.
More importantly, Bradley’s antics got people talking. That’s exactly what he wanted.
In itself, that’s good. I’m glad students are discussing something as important as their personal views on religion.
However, the preachers who came last week got repetitive. I stopped caring about their message a few seconds after I heard just a part of it.
The reoccurring message I heard was them telling the students they were going to hell for not following their religion exactly to the letter. Trying to force a religion on someone is, in itself, unethical.
It all seems out of place for a college campus. I doubt the preachers won any support. In fact, I’m almost sure they turned people away from the religion they were trying to promote.
Speaking of which, do they really think the best way to promote their religion is to go to a college campus, call out students and yell at them?
I would like to see a quiet group come to McCullough Plaza and try to actually persuade students with sound arguments and reasoning. They’re on our campus — they should at least be polite.
Also, McCullough Plaza is an inappropriate place for a religious discussion. They shouldn’t be subjecting passers-by to whatever they think.
If this group can come here and talk about whatever they want, what’s to keep another group from doing the same thing?
If a group of Satanists came here, I have a feeling the campus administrators wouldn’t let them.
I also know, for sure, they wouldn’t allow the Ku Klux Klan to gather in McCullough Plaza either. I see a double-standard here.
At the very least, it shouldn’t be held in McCullough Plaza, the center of campus.
This kind of event is more appropriate in a town hall meeting format, like the healthcare event with Baron Hill at the beginning of the semester.
Most students had no idea the preachers were coming that day. In fact, the preachers overshadowed the smoke-out in McCullough Plaza on the same day.
After the preachers started yelling, much of the attention became focused on them and the smoke-out ended at that point.
Their rules apply to the people in their church, not to random people on this campus.
Next time, I hope they stay at their church and don’t come back here.
Then again, maybe this is exactly what that group was going for. It got people talking, and they’ve fed off the attention students gave them.
Next time someone comes to campus and tries to push an agenda through yelling and condemnation, ignore them.
Arguing with someone who won’t listen to you is pointless, and you only serve to satisfy them.
By JOSEPH DEVER
Editor
jwdever@ius.edu
