Dear Crazy Campus Preacher,

You spend your days standing on the bear head mosaic in the middle of our campus, between McDonald Arena and Meyer Library to be exact. Every week you are there, rain or shine, freezing or blistering. For that I admire you. You are dedicated. That is where my admiration ends.

I can always expect to see you as I leave my Geology class on Wednesdays, yelling about the fiery pit of hell and how filthy and sinful college students are. The first time I heard it, my heart hurt for all of my peers who heard your message and thought that that's all there is to Christianity. We are all used to hearing this message that you share though, and honestly, your hateful words are falling on deaf ears. Despite how dead-wrong you were, we learned to tune you out and keep going with our days. This past Wednesday was different though. As I left my Geology class, I expected to see you standing on the bear's forehead as usual, but you weren't there. I looked up and you were standing on a bench, with a small group of students gathered around you, and that day, your message was somewhat different. It was far more hateful than I had ever expected. And your group of listeners only grew.

This Wednesday you stood in front of my peers and preached so much hate. You called my fellow women "sluts" and "whores." You exclaimed "I bet most of you girl's have already had abortions!" and "You women all just really belong in the kitchen!", which was actually kind of irrelevant to the topic at hand. Really, you largely targeted women, and I don't understand why... but that's beside the point. You stood in front of these students and told them they are all going to burn in hell for their filth, men and women alike. You damned the gays and lesbians to Satan's hands. These are only a few things you shouted at my fellow peers. They stood and listened and shouted back, and mocked you because even if they aren't Christians, they know that you're wrong. So what's the real problem?

The real problem is that you are destroying their idea of true Christianity and who Jesus really is. The worst thing that you said absolutely broke my heart: "God hates (insert people group here)." God does not hate His children. Have you forgotten that the bible says, "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."? That means you have, too. You are a sinner. We are all sinners. Who are you to tell these people, my peers, God's children, that He hates them? You are dead-wrong. Jesus did not die for this. Yes, God hates sin, but he does not hate the one who commits the sin. If He did, He would hate every human that ever existed and ever will exist. Jesus sacrificed his sinless life on the cross so that all who commit their life to him may be saved and forgiven for their mistakes. Yes, there is hell for those who choose not to put their faith in you. Yes, God is a God of justice and wrath, but he is also a God of mercy and forgiveness and love.

I don't know your name or where you are from. I don't know what made you think that this is the way to lead people to a saving faith in Christ, but it is so wrong. I don't hate you, but your words burden me as a believer. I hate to think that you are some of my peers' only image of Christianity. True believers in Christ do not think the same way as you, and preach hate as you do. I feel as though I need to apologize for your behavior to my non-believing friends, and I shouldn't have to. I'd like to see one person whom you have lead to Christ with the message you are currently sharing because I believe that said person does not exist.

I am thankful for a country and a university where individuals can speak with freedom, but when this is what you are saying, I almost disdain it. You probably won't see this, but if you do, I hope you reconsider what you shout as you stand on the bear's forehead. I love my peers, believers or not, gay or straight, and despite their past mistakes, because I am just as guilty of sinning. I hope that my fellow bears at least know this-I am sorry for this man's hateful words, I am sorry for how some "Christians" may treat you, but most of all, God loves you, and you are never too far to trust in Christ.

Sincerely, We're not all like him