It’s that time of year once again when off-campus community members draw crowds to the circle of benches outside the Union to preach their versions of God’s word, often offending those who cross their paths.
Throughout the day Tuesday, these members drew different sized crowds at different times, and between 5:30 and 6 p.m. around 30 people gathered to listen, coming and going at their will.
During this half hour, a man referred to as Brother Jed, a member of the same congregation as the well-known frequenter Bible Bob, found a way to offend almost anyone from fraternity members, members of the LBGT community, women, disabled persons, practicing Christians and those whose membership spreads over several of these categories.
“He doesn’t even go here,” read a sign one University student held in protest of Brother Jed.
That sign wrapped up what a lot of students were thinking and saying, with one student even mentioning that this is her and many other students’ home, and he wouldn’t appreciate if they came to his home to preach their version of God’s truth, or in some cases lack thereof.
On the other hand, far fewer than argued with him, but still a few, tried to silence the crowd in his favor. It wasn’t because they agreed with his views, but simply because the man had the right to his freedom of speech and religion.
One Falcon said fighting ignorance with ignorance wasn’t the answer.
The discussion for a few minutes shifted from Brother Jed to an argument between students, one side fighting against the bigotry and hate seemingly spread by Jed, and the other fighting for his Constitutional right to say it and against the continued “ignorance” University students responded with.
The discussion got so heated one girl pulled her friend away to stop a verbal argument from continuing.
Some students tried to fight Jed’s words with their own, Bible in hand. Jed, with his crucifix walking stick, persisted that his message was the right one, however.
“He died for you, so he expects you live for him,” Brother Jed said. “You mock and you ridicule because you don’t want to live a life of self-sacrifice.”
He went on to tell students gathered that they had Stockholm Syndrome because the devil had kidnapped them, and they had fallen in love with him.
Students seemed to not have an issue with Brother Jed’s mentioning Jesus’ expectation to live for him, but they did have a problem with the type of self-sacrifice Jed requested.
“I love men. I love women,” Jed said. And when asked if he loved President Barack Obama, he said, “I love Obama, but I never voted for him.”
While he preached his version love, his message transposed to hate for many students because only his love was the answer.
A student tried to fight the hate by reading Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut aloud. The book explores issues of science, technology and religion.
When he mentioned that Vonnegut was one of the best people in the world, Brother Jed said he was in hell. Vonnegut wasn’t the only one in or going to hell though according to brother Jed.
He pointedly asked the student reading aloud if he was gay, and the student proudly responded, “Yes, I am,” which brought genuine cheering from the audience gathered.
Brother Jed responded with “Aha,” saying he knew because the boy was taking on “feminine traits.”
“God can bring you back to straight—I mean sexually straight,” Jed said.
But the crowd’s response of “God made him gay to start with” got a much bigger reaction with more cheers and hugs for the boy reading the book.
“He’s a nice gay guy but he’s going to Hell,” Jed said when the Cat’s Cradle reader left.
To which a protestor in the audience asked if she would also go to hell.
“You seem like a nice pagan person, but you’re going to Hell too,” Jed said.
While some asked off-the-wall questions like “do you think God agrees with Taco Tuesday,” others asked sincerer questions, most of which got answers saying if they didn’t repent, they would go to Hell.
Tattoos, tongue piercings, tight jeans, any form of sexual contact before marriage and homosexuality are sure ways to earn a spot in Hell, according to Brother Jed.
However, he mentioned in college he was a “fraternity boy,” and therefore a player as well.
“When I was in college I was able to turn some lesbians back to normal,” he said. “In every lesbian there is a real woman waiting to come out.”
He said he was converted in 1972 and lived 10 years as a celibate, but women at universities he’s preached at have tried to seduce him, to which he responds “repent of your sins you wicked woman.”
He said men are naturally more attractive than women and “most of you girls don’t need makeup, now granted some of you do.”
While he offended many, some protestors did give the man credit for being a good guy, but going about preaching the wrong way, and some thought the Constitutional right to freedom of speech was far more important than arguing when students could just walk away from the situation.
Regardless of the side, Brother Jed made it clear students hadn’t seen the last of him.
