A while back, my alma mater's most infamous Christian group, the Campus Crusade for Christ, covertly offered a "seminar" on Muslim philosophy, which was actually a Christian speaker who would attempt to convert Muslims to fundie Christianity. Crusade's advertisement flyers said nothing of this angle, but I would out through covertly reading their mailing list. (I had a few run-ins with them in the past.)
When they tried to convince one of my best friends to attend (she was a sweet Muslim girl from Pakistan), I got mad and organized a protest. Several of us picketed the speech, watching as several Muslim students were dragged by their fundie roommates in to the auditorium. A few of them knew what was going on (and were presumably only going to be polite), shouting some encouragement to those of us picketing.
One of the organizers of the event, however, tried to bully us into leaving. He said we were offending him by twisting the words of a book he considered sacred.
2007-06-22 07:59:52 · 17 answers · asked by Minh 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
His reasoning? The sign I brought to the picket read, "Love thy neighbor."
He told me he found this unbearably offensive, because Jesus never would have said that or agreed with my group.
I still don't get what he meant, no matter how hard I think about this. Was he just dense?
I can understand him being kinda ticked off that we were exposing their sham of a speech, but how was I twisting the Bible (and thus insulting him)?
2007-06-22 08:01:26 · update #1
To be fair, the university could not really be blamed, since they don't support the group at all. Unfortunately, Crusade is a *really* difficult group to get rid of because they hide their secrets so well.
I wish I could find a way to report some of their *illegal* missionary tactics to official authorities, but last time I tried to contact the Chinese embassy, I never heard back.
2007-06-22 08:12:13 · update #2
So, it's freedom of speech for everyone unless you're a Christian, right?
2007-06-22 08:19:30 · answer #1 · answered by Cee T 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think if some christian group has something to say to muslims, they have every right to (obviously attendence was not mandatory).. The muslim may find it convincing, or they might not. Let them decide. What 'Jesus' would have to say about the affair this is really irreelvant, and I doubt anyone actually could offer more than vague specualtion on that.
The bottom line is, if you belive in freedom of speech, and you beleive anyone's point of view should never be suppressed, then you never want to picket against this, no matter how much you disagree with that point of view.
Whether or not you offended him was also, of course, compeltely irrelevant. You have a right to have opinions which he may consider false and offensive.
But you should consider the pragmatic aspect of this situation. When religious people feel their religion is being threatened in some way, it will generally make them only more fanatic. So whatever the law of the land, students of history should know that the worst way to battle religion is with censorship or threats or persecution. This only makes the religion stronger, and more absurd. So if you really want to fight this crusade group, the only way is by making them think with friendly discussion, and acquiring yourself those qualities they are seeking to achieve with their silly religion.
2007-06-22 19:09:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Isn't it ultimately a waste of time to try and figure out exactly what these guys are saying?
I was a fundie in school but even I saw CCC as a bunch of quacks. I went to a few of their meetings and they never said anything of substance, just a bunch of huggy "Jesus is nice" BS.
They were also uncomfortably white on a campus that was majority-minority. I'm white too but I don't want to join a group that doesn't ethnically represent the campus.
2007-06-22 08:07:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, I think if you're going to believe the whole Bible he's pretty well supported. I think it all comes down to the Gospel according to John. The Gospel of John, 1st John, 2nd John, and Revelations, and maybe a few other books in there.
John 3:18 says "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
But to support his case in Mark 16:16 it says " Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. "
(Mark 16:9-20 has been recognized as a forgery by the way, so you might mention that to him.)
The trouble is, anybody following John's orders is going to think of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity as an act of love... Also they are going to think of censorship as an act of love, when it means quieting those who might screw up others' faith.
2007-06-22 14:59:29 · answer #4 · answered by Jon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may find this offensive, but you are a somewhat extreme group. Not over the edge, but well off the center for normal and then you get fanatics. Fanatics on their own are bad, but when you get fanatics in a group of almost extremeists then you have serious problems. He didn't have to mean anything since everything he was supporting was fanaticism. None of it ever makes sense.
2007-06-22 08:05:53 · answer #5 · answered by bocasbeachbum 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a psycho to me. I am appalled that your alma mater allowed them to get away with something like this. I would have picketed the president's office as well. Appalling behavior.....absolutely appalling. No one should be frog marched to something against their will or without knowledge of what is actually happening.
2007-06-22 08:05:51 · answer #6 · answered by Yogini 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, he was confused because Jesus DID say that. (Mark 12:31) As for Jesus not agreeing with your group, He might not have, but He certainly would not have just shunned you by any means, like a lot of "Christians" today might do.
2007-06-22 08:08:02 · answer #7 · answered by Spike 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
christians, fundies, muslims... they're ALL the same...
religion is Spiritual fraud !
Here's the Solution for religion:
Create a Private, Personal, Direct, Divine Relationship with Our Creator and save Your Soul from religion's and atheist's beliefs and start Your journey back home, to Heaven.
<<<<<<< UnConditional Love is the only answer >>>>>>>
Love and Believe in Our Creator;
Love and Believe in Yourself.
Only with Our Creator's Love and Peace will we be Truly Free!
2007-06-22 08:05:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
He appears to be saying that the only way you can "love thy neighbor" is to believe as he does. Your protecting the muslims was taken as an afront to his beliefs because you restricted his ability to convert people to his way of thinking.
2007-06-22 08:04:28 · answer #9 · answered by glitterkittyy 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Apparently he felt that "love thy neighbor" can only be applied to "Christian" neighbors. How very Christ-like of him!lol I'm proud of you for sticking up for your own beliefs!
2007-06-22 08:08:53 · answer #10 · answered by Elphaba 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋