Story by Kristin Gallagher, Business Manager—
When the leaves fall, the “crazies” come.
By crazy, I refer to the dictionary definition: “senseless; impractical; totally unsound.”
We wait for it. We anticipate it. And we eat up every minute that the “Brothers” are on campus spouting their deranged word of God.
Whether it be Brother Jed, Brother John, Brother Jeff or any bro in between, we welcome them all in like family.
By yelling, waving the Bible and insulting student passersby, the Brothers attract perhaps one of the largest crowds we see in the quad aside from Homecoming.
If one were to ever question why we allow such spectacles on campus, the student attendance is answer enough. Chairs are stationed and eager ears waiting to hear the “truth” of God skip classes.
The “truth” is, these events are nothing more than entertainment.
The ignorance involved in these preachers’ intentions is so abundant that no one can take them seriously. It is not their cause that seems unworthy, but rather the accompanying signs deeming most other religions “wrong” or “sinful.”
On a campus of over 11,000 students, one could assume that not every one of them devotes his or her life to Jesus Christ alone, or even at all.
The idea of religion is one that should remain separate from education, and all students should have the right to keep it that way if they choose to, which means not being harassed by Bible-wavers in the busiest section of campus.
Now, whether or not the Brothers cause so much tension that they need be removed is debatable.
Yes, their message is warped, but let’s be honest, we love it. We love the bantering, the shouting, and the rush we get from standing up against something we find purely offensive, and the Brothers provide that for us.
If nothing else, we love that these “crazies” offer us an outlet for all of our stress and inner tensions.
So as the leaves fall across campus, “the word” is spread. It is judgment day, and everyone wants a turn in line.