As I was making my usual attempt to study in Coe Library this Monday, the loud yelling of a large crowd outside interrupted me. As I looked to see what the commotion was, I was hit with a barrage of words like “drunkard,” “faggot” and the good old expression: “YOU ARE GOING TO HELL!” That only meant one thing to me: Yep, Brother Jed is back in the Gem City.
For those who did not see what University of Wyoming Memes for Great Success dubbed as “The Circus,” allow me to fill you in.
Brother Jed, a Methodist Evangelist, along with his wife, Sister Cindy, spent a solid five hours in front of Coe Library preaching the “word of God,” in which apparently the “word of God” means that we are all going to hell and that fornication leads to homosexuality, but that is beside the point.
On the other side, we had several students mocking him with signs like “F— this guy” and reading from the book of the “Flying Spaghetti Monster,” and basically attempting to make Brother Jed and Sister Cindy look like idiots.
Naturally, this is going to create some serious entertainment. Thus the reason I spent a few hours watching the “circus” unfold.
Yet, while watching all of this, something dawned on me: is yelling and ridiculing preachers like these really going to stop them? My answer: Not a chance in hell.
While I am sure you read my article a few weeks ago about the Evangelist’s perspective on what he is doing, what it comes down to is that in his head, he is right. He obviously has been influenced by God and he wants the same for you (although let me be clear that I do not support or condone anything this guy says). His premise for all of his arguments is that it is written in the Bible and God inspired the Bible. And with that premise, you are not going to win a single argument.
So how do you really stop people like this? You beat them at their own game.
Study the Bible academically: find the areas where there are contradictions. I personally asked him what parts of the Bible need to be taken literally and what needs to be figurative. After going on a tangent about literal and figurative meanings, he never gave me a direct answer. This kind of made him look like an idiot and that he did not know what he was preaching.
Form good arguments: Yelling at the guy is only going to enhance his argument. He thinks that we as college students are all a bunch of animals and that is how a lot of people were behaving. Now, you have every right to yell because it is a public campus, but if you want to shut these guys down, make solid arguments. Force him to agree with you on something, then, once you do, take that line of reasoning and bring him down.
Probably the most effective way to stop Evangelists like these? Ignore them altogether. I know it is tough considering all the words he is saying. Believe me, I also was drawn in by the hateful words he said. But what it comes down to is that Evangelist like him exist because there is an audience. If you truly want people like him to go away, do not pester them. Just ignore them.
Folks, Evangelists like Brother Jed are going to exist for as long as religion exists. If your goal is to really discard of people like this, shouting at and mimicking them is not going to do anything. This is his profession. He gets paid to verbally combat people who yell at him. And honestly, he is one of the best at what he does.
My advice to you for next time: stay educated in your arguments or just simply ignore him altogether.
