Evangelist preaches on front campus

By Ann E. Dyar
Staff Writer

A man from Alabama was on front campus last week expressing his religious beliefs.
Questions arose about his right to be on the campus of Georgia College & State University, but as long as he stayed in the free speech zone, he was not doing anything illegal. He was standing in front of Atkinson but was asked to move down to the clock tower. The clock tower is the free speech zone on campus.
The preacher was shouting things to the effect of, “all you drunkards, fornicators, masturbaters, etc. are going to Hell.”
Kent Henderson, who also leads worship at the Wesley House, a Christian ministry on campus, was opposed to what the man was preaching.
“Because of what he was preaching, my first reaction was that he was totally wrong,” Henderson said. “He did have a right to express his beliefs because of what the Constitution says.”
Many of the students who witnessed the events were appalled at what was being said. Dr. Ginger Carter’s Mass Media Law & Ethics class was able to turn the event into a learning experience.
Melissa Comer is a member of that class, and she was able to experience what was being said first hand.
“I know he has a right to say what he wants, but it made me mad because he was saying some very judgmental things,” Comer said. “He said that all sorority girls were going to hell, but that is his own ignorance.”
Not only girls were chastised, Henderson feels as though he was because he is a male.
“I really did not even try to make an argument with him; however, because I am a male in college, he specifically called me a pervert and fornicator,” Henderson said.
It did become a time for students to reach out to each other and minister. A group of students gathered together to pray for the visitor. Announcements were made about different ministries on campus such as the Wesley House and Campus Christian Fellowship.
No one came forward to agree with what the man was saying. A lot of the people gathered around seemed to be entertained or strongly disagreed. Henderson is one of the students who disagreed with the preacher.
“I do not agree with the points that he made, he twisted the Bible in ways that I have never heard,” Henderson said. “According to him, he had the right to judge us, which is wrong as well as a sin. He also called himself morally perfect. In my eyes, the only one who is morally perfect is Jesus Christ, not our friend.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 1 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry