The Seventh Deadly Sin

24th May 2007

posted in Fat Bias, Feminist Topics, Gender and Sexuality |

Apparently, colleges are but mere breeding grounds for children of the devil. Or so says the fundamentalist preacher man and company who spouted this and other such hate-mongering on the “designated free speech” area at the University of Cincinnati, where I attend classes.

I couldn’t help but stop and listen in morbid curiosity yesterday as “Brother Mike” shouted out his interpretation of Christianity. Yesterday he was alone; today, my friend Ryan tells me he brought friends. Here’s a sampling of Brother Mike’s views (yes, I wrote them down verbatim because I didn’t think people would believe me otherwise).

On race relations…
“Martin Luther King is burning in hell.”

On masturbation…
“Every masturbator is a confused homosexual.” (They say even babies masturbate. So ergo, is one then “born” a confused homosexual?)

On sin and the Christian concept of original sin…
“Sinners aren’t Christian. Sinners are children of the devil. I am not a sinner because I am a Christian.” (Boy, this one sure does go against everything I was taught in Sunday School)

On women and women-related issues…
“Women have strayed from their natural uses.” (Natural uses as in, say, dick warmers?)

Of course, the sin of abortion has its own very special place in Satan’s basement of hellish horrors. But one girl asked Brother Mike about cases involving rape and incest. He said:

“You girls should dress more modestly. You’re asking for it. Close your legs.” (Right. Closing one’s legs when a man is forcing them brutally apart is a little difficult, Brother Mike)

And so on and so on, ad nauseum.

Ryan, who happens to be very secure with his openness as a gay man, called me today with news that Hate-Mongering Part Two had only gotten louder and more violent. According to Ryan, the group even devised a “god hates fags” song that they tried to make the crowd perform like some divinely-inspired musical number.

I wasn’t surprised when Ryan told me of the group’s proclamations of hate against gays, Jews, Muslims, and anyone else who believes the world to be older than 6,000 years. But I was shocked by his next words. He said the group was singling out larger women – and calling them whores.

I stopped Ryan mid-sentence and asked for clarification. But my ears did not deceive.

Ryan said – and he recorded such incidents on film – that these “men of god” were picking out fat women in particular – any such woman who happened to merely be walking by the spectacle on their way to class, the bookstore or elsewhere on the campus they pay to attend classes at – and were very vocally calling them whores and sinners and proclaimed that they were surely going to hell.

Were they picking on the thin girls also, I asked Ryan. Oh, they were, he said, but it was mostly larger women and especially any woman who sported large, natural breasts who bore the brunt of their biblical condemnations.

It seems as if fat women are quarantined in either one of two bipolar extremes: either fat women are desexualized to the point of invisibility, or they’re hyper-sexualized to the point where fat becomes fodder for fetishism.

Fundamentalist Christian on college campus
This is the scene from yesterday. I’m going to check with Ryan about posting video clips to YouTube.

UPDATE
May 24 - 3:45 p.m.
I stopped by campus again today and the fundies were still on campus. There were two preachermen and two women. The two women didn’t talk and the preachermen were quick to remind us how god placed man over woman, and that women cannot teach men.

I’ve been in contact with several people at the university, including Director of Public Safety Eugene Ferrara, who patronized me with a very asinine email about freedom of speech and the First Amendment. I am a journalist; I know the first amendment. But there is a vast difference between free speech and hate speech which advocates and promotes violence.

As students, what Ryan and I are most upset about isn’t the vitriolic spewing of hate emanating from these miscreants; it’s that the university has failed in fostering an atmosphere of true dialogue, where more than one side of a debate is presented. There is a total lack of transparency at UC; although they knew how controversial and potentially offensive these speakers would be, the university failed to notify any group on campus so that they would have ample time to apply for permits and present alternate views other than “You’re all children of the devil and you’re going to burn in hell.”

I’ve inquired numerous time to numerous offices at the college, including Public Safety, and have yet to be given the policy and procedure on how guest speakers receive these permits. I find it highly ironic that a fundamentalist speaker, with no ties to the university, can discover this procedure, yet I, as a paying student, constantly run into brick walls.

Ryan’s editing the videos today, and plans to upload them to YouTube soon. I’ll keep you all posted.

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1 On May 24th, 2007, Jennifer

said:

I am shocked.

They allowed him to be on campus pushing that crap?

My last year of university, pro-lifers (the extreme ones) tried to set up on campus and they were escorted off by security. They ended up setting up across the street on city property. I remember driving by it every day for about a month, large signs with aborted fetuses on them. I was very glad that my 12 month old in the car seat didn’t know what she was looking at.

I believe in free speech, but there comes a time when it turns into something that takes away our freedom.

posted on May 24th, 2007 at 1:44 pm

2 On May 24th, 2007, PastaQueen

That boob thing reminds me of the fact that pop singer Jessica Simpson originally tried to be a Christian singer. However, her breasts were so large that no one felt comfortable signing her since it made her seem sexual and unwholesome. Then she entered the pop world and became a success because her boobs were an asset.

posted on May 24th, 2007 at 3:45 pm

3 On May 24th, 2007, Jenny

Uh, this is deeply disturbing to me on so many levels that I’m sitting here in shock.

And while I believe in free speech, people on a college campus (or anywhere) have a right NOT to hear crap from fake clergyman.

posted on May 24th, 2007 at 5:18 pm

4 On May 24th, 2007, Charlynn

This kind of thing makes me sick. Did anybody take action against this guy or was he largely ignored?

posted on May 24th, 2007 at 7:02 pm

5 On May 24th, 2007, Rachel

I stopped by campus today and Preacherman had brought friends: another preacherman with a beer gut who looked like a used car salesman, and two women who were so totally covered from head to toe, despite the sweltering Ohio heat, that for all intents and purposes they could have been wearing burkahs. They didn’t talk. The preachermen made sure everyone knew that man was placed above woman and that women should not teach men.

Ryan and I have corresponded with several people on campus about this. The director of the security on campus actually emailed me back, but patronized me with this asinine message about freedom of speech, blah blah. As a journalist, I think I’m perfectly aware of the first amendment, but what I wanted to know is how they make the distinction between free speech and hate speech which promotes and advocates violence.

I understand that the university, as a state-funded institution, has to allow people of all persuasions equal access to air beliefs, but these men are singling out innocent people and quite literally, harassing them. Universities are supposed to foster atmospheres of support and non-judgment, yet people can’t even walk across campus now without being attacked.

I’m trying to find out how these fundies received a permit to speak on campus and what that procedure is, but I am running into brick walls. I find it highly ironic that hate-mongerers with no affiliation to the campus have no problem finding out how to air their grievances on campus, yet I, as a paying student, am given no answers at all.

And unfortunately, these two draw quite the gathering. They might be guaranteed freedom of speech, but we don’t have an obligation to listen. However most of the kids on campus are young, and hot-headed and are responding back to these idiots, which is precisely what they want.

posted on May 24th, 2007 at 7:17 pm

6 On May 25th, 2007, celsou

If those f***ers really were haranguing women, specifically fat women and women with large breasts, then this is no longer free speech it’s harassment, sexual harassment even.
How can they get away with this?

posted on May 25th, 2007 at 5:16 pm

7 On May 27th, 2007, Jackie

Wow, this guy’s ignorant hatred in the name of religion, is making me think Marilyn Manson should write a song about him. I liked the remark about women’s natural uses, being “dick warmers”, lol.

posted on May 27th, 2007 at 6:40 am

8 On May 27th, 2007, Rachel

I agree Celsou - we’re meeting with the director of public safety next week and intend to bring up that very same argument.

posted on May 27th, 2007 at 10:32 pm

9 On September 23rd, 2007, T.A.

The preachers count on your reaction to them with their confrontational tactics to generate a crowd. In Jesus’ day, he is said to have used miracles to attract a crowd. The difference in practice suggests to me a wide disparity in their methodologies, perhaps even their purposes.

In America, freedom of speech and religion end where the civil rights of others are denied by it. This is the legal key to harmonizing with the Constitution in eradicating confrontational preachers from campuses–not university sponsorship, permits, not free speech areas nor “being escorted off campus for their protection.” Some of these preachers will sue if their Constitutional rights are violated.

If a preacher is making too much noise near a library or classroom, that is interfering with the civil right of students and teachers to engage in their activities. If they preach over the speech of another organized rally or outdoor festival concert (which they come to for an instant self made crowd), that is interfering with the crowd’s civil right to hear and enjoy the music. If a preacher singles someone out or follows them and doesn’t leave them alone after requesting them to, that is harassment. In some localities, preaching over a specified decibel level is disturbing the peace.

Unfortunately, these types of charges are misdemeanors–there is no extradition for such. All the preacher has to do is not show up for their court date. A warrant is issued. The preacher is off scott free if he never shows his face in that locality again.

Hey, now there’s an idea….

; )

posted on September 23rd, 2007 at 4:29 pm

10 On January 24th, 2008, Lindsay

What ever happened with that? I’m really interested to find out, because this lit the flames of anger within me when I read it. You are welcome to email me if you want to share and don’t feel like posting back here shilindsay(at)gmail(dot)com

Thanks!

posted on January 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

11 On January 24th, 2008, Rachel

Sadly, not much Lindsey. My buddy Ryan wrote a story on it for a local alternative weekly newspaper, which garnered some support. We did meet with the university, however they’re insistent that they did nothing wrong in not notifying any other group on campus. They still refer to this online calendar, which no one knows about and which didn’t list that this man and his preacher posse would be coming to campus.

This guy makes the rounds at lots of college campuses - just google him or do a search on Youtube. He stays just long enough to piss everyone off and then moves on and people forget him until he returns again a few years later. I’ve heard that this group actually consciously and actively tries to get people and students to strike them, so that they can then sue the university for failing to protect them. What a wonderful way to spread the word and love of god, don’t you think?

posted on January 24th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

12 On January 24th, 2008, Lindsay

(it’s actually Lindsay, not Lindsey, but that’s ok, a lot of people make that mistake :P)

Thanks for the response! Someone suck their brains out.

I’m sorry that this didn’t end sufficiently. I would have been angry if it were my campus as well, but the christian group at my alma mater was peaceful and friendly, very much unlike this d-bag and his insane God posse.

I’m sad that you didn’t push harder though, but I understand the frustration in the face of such overwhelming denial. Scholastic tactics like that are completely unfair, and I wish there was something we as students could do to get them to realize they are harming us.

posted on January 24th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

13 On January 24th, 2008, Rachel

We did speak to a first-amendment lawyer here in town for the article. The lawyer said that if anyone was personally singled out by this guy and called a slut or whore or whatever else he was calling them, they could sue him for slander in civil court. Unfortunately, not many college kids realize this and very few would have the financial resources to pursue it.

And this guy had no connections the Christian and Mormon groups on our campus. The Mormon kids were actually out there counter-protesting him, but since they didn’t have a permit (it takes about a week to get a permit and no one knew he was coming), the campus police made them disband.

posted on January 24th, 2008 at 3:44 pm