In defense of preaching hate
Middle Tennessee State University student Michaela Morales was arrested on campus this week for assaulting a preacher, and video posted on YouTube shows fellow students gleefully cheering and applauding her for what she did.
According to police, Morales became upset at the preachers for what they were saying to a growing crowd of students, and Morales took matters into her own hands to stop it by pushing preacher John McGlone down concrete steps into a trashcan. He was treated for injuries at a local emergency room.
You can watch these same preachers from Pinpoint Evangelism doing the same thing at campuses across the country on their YouTube channel. These preachers have a Constitutionally protected right to express their opinions. They get permits when and where they are required, and they know where they can and cannot exercise their Constitutional right to free speech.
The message shared by Pinpoint Evangelism is vile and often hateful, but it’s their right to be fools and morons. Just as they have the right to express their views, students who gather have an equal right to argue or shout back. It is not the right of others to deny anyone their Constitutional right through criminal behavior like assault.
Students at MTSU who were caught on video cheering and applauding the criminal behavior of Morales registered their complaint against the most basic freedom we have as Americans: the right to free speech.
If we are to protect the precious right of free speech, we should stand up to thugs who resort to assault or vandalism to silence views they oppose, and we should never let them forget it. Sadly, what I’ve seen online is more cheering and applause in defense of what Morales did, and that’s wrong.
Yes, u r right. No matter how vile and hateful the message, violence is never the answer. However, I can’t help but think these “Pinpoint Evangelism” folks do what they do intending to provoke. Now they can be “Christian martyrs” for their twisted cause.
I agree with you Christian. We have to maintain control of our outrage and use it constructively to engage with people. As a follower of Christ, I get so upset with these “christians”. Yes, Jesus said things that made people upset but He did not provoke them and badger them for the purpose of confrontation. This is a difficult balance that these types of people do not have the first clue about.
I’m unfamiliar with Pinpoint Evangelism. What about their message is vile and hateful? If you are going to make that charge in a blog post, you should at least link to something that reasonable people will agree supports your assertion.
Bill, hopefully the link to their YouTube channel I provided in the post will help you become familiar. One example is their beliefs about other faiths. Pinpoint sells Bible tracts calling the Catholic church a whore. Pinpoint believes Jews are going to Hell. It’s spiritual supremacist stuff like that, but it’s clearly no where near as vile and hateful as assault (or any criminal action against someone for their religious lifestyle choices) which is the focus of this post.
As a true Christian I agree with the message of these evangelists. These are the views of our Christian founding fathers and of most Americans until quite recently. Feel free to address God Himself after you view the videos. And read the Bible for yourself. If you are honest you will be forced by reason of logic to agree.
Glad to be of service. And I am also glad that our Christian civil rights law firms are changing the legal climate on college campii. It used to be that students and staff thought that religious free speech was unlawful. Our law firms won those battles big time at the Supreme Court level. It is the law of the land — Jesus Christ is protected free speech!