A few days ago, we had a group of six men, religious demonstrators, gathered on our campus outside our library. They claimed to be "born-again Christians" who were there to "love" the students, but love was the last thing being demonstrated.
These people told students they were living their lives wrong and would be eternally damned.
As you could imagine, this group drew a crowd of students with differing values and experiences.
Specifically, the demonstrators told members of the LGBTQ community that they were damned, only to be saved if they repented and started living their lives differently.
I am proud to say that our student body stood together and supported each other.
I am not proud to be grouped into the same category as those judgemental men.
I am a Christian. I grew up in church and it's what I believe in.
However, I don't believe in attacking others for how they live their lives. (And I don't think Jesus would either!)
As Christians, we are supposed to be an example of Christ. If this is what these men were trying to do, they were doing it poorly.
Christ did not stand on a soapbox in the middle of Galilee and yell hateful things at and about people.
He spoke with love, not scare tactics.
He wanted to meet people where they were in their lives.
He did not condemn them.
When he met Zacchaeus the tax collector, he didn't condemn him for his actions. He met with him and spoke with him. He had a rational conversation.
We may not agree with you, we may not live the same way you do, but we will try to love you and treat you with love and respect.
These people are not an accurate representation of true loving Christians. Please don't think that true Christians hate you.