On Tuesday, Sep. 1 a group of Christians that weren’t affiliated with any Christian groups on campus showed up protesting and preaching. What they were here for, even though I spent some time actually listening to them, is still beyond me but it seemed like they were trying to “save” souls. Still, their presence, simply because of the double-sided sign that was being used, was distracting. In fact, due to the semantics of the sign, it also came across as antagonizing through the condemning of everyone who is not of their Christian sect.
Sure, religious freedom and freedom of speech are great things. However, freedom of speech is already naturally limited within reason. For example, you can’t necessarily say that someone is going to Hell simply because they believe differently. Why is that unreasonable? You’re making a certain judgment on an uncertain topic. Also, in terms of freedom of religion, you should not try to impose your beliefs on others. Campus Police showed up to make sure nothing got out of hand but didn’t remove the group. Sure, it is a matter of freedom of speech and religion but if someone is trying to impose their religious beliefs onto others, they’re infringing upon the freedom of others. There is also a problem with the general semantics of the double-sided sign. The first sentence, “Jesus saves from Hell,” is a problematic one in itself. It follows that only Christians will go to Heaven. That argument is a rather unfortunate one for those outside of the Christian faith. I don’t know why anyone would pose that argument though. All religions tend to have the same views on morality, which essentially boil down to “Do good now and be rewarded eventually.” There are many problems with the statement, “Ask me why you deserve Hell,” which was on the other side of the sign. The biggest problem is that it implies knowledge of a spiritual future. To address that problem, only the god of the religion you’re in can truly know whether or not someone is saved or forsaken, since it is a matter of the future. Isn’t saying that you know who is going to Hell an act of heresy? After all, you’re claiming to know that which only a god can know. In fact, even in religions where predestination is a part of the belief, no one knows whether or not they’re saved or condemned until after death. Believing in something is fine. This includes religious beliefs, so don’t try to accuse me of trying to say that freedom of religion is a bad thing. It’s one of the things that make our multicultural society what it is, whether you’re talking about national society right down to the NEIU community. Just don’t try to impose your beliefs on others, whether it’s through intimidation and threats of hell or through some other means. You have your right to your religious beliefs but so does everyone else. We should not fear or condemn religious difference. We should learn to embrace it. Through embracing difference we learn from it, not just as individuals but also as a community and a society at large. Don’t fall into the same ignorance practiced by the Christian protesters who came onto campus with promises of Hell.