Equality Riders facing new and different challenges

[MCstudent]

I was informed I should go check out Safelove.org to see what they're doing, and its pretty much a load of crap, honestly. Students Against False Equality (thus the name SAFE) is targeting the schools being visited on the ride this year... I'm not sure what to say about them, other than you should look at the website yourself.

I know the Riders are more than ready to deal with this type of hate propaganda and feel confident that the majority of students, especially on my campus, would be more interested in dialogue, rather than 'combatting' SF with messages of hate. The fact that safelove calls themselves a christian organization, yet their message is so far from that of Christ, one of Love, make me sick. Its people like those that make up safelove that give Christians a bad image. The way I see it, they feel that the ER's past efforts have actually made a difference, and that scares them. It will be interesting to see what role, if any, safelove plays in the visit to MC. They have a daily blog, by the way... you should see the ridiculous entries already been made...

And by the way, they're watching the SF forums (they took a direct quote from the 'why historically black colleges?' thread and used it to name Jarett Lucas by name in yesterdays blog)... so be sure you say hello.

[Gennee]

Thanks for the news, MC. The south is a very difficult region to break through because many folks there are so entrenched in their ways. It'll take much prayer and God's intervention to make inroads on these campuses-and I believe that he will.

Gennee

[u-dog]

The bigger the contrast between the Equality Riders and their loving and respectful presence and the hatefulness of so-called Christians the better. The difference will not be lost on any intelligent, truly compassionate and truly Christian young person.

Perhaps its like when Jesus released the legion of demons from the Garazene man and allowed them to go into the herd of pigs. The demons drove the pigs crazy and they all flung themselves off a cliff into the water and drown. I've always understood this to mean that if you give evil enough rope it will inevitably hang itself. I will continue to pray for the Riders but I have no doubt but that their quiet determined love will win the day when all is said and done. The haters' hate will almost certainly end up serving the cause of love in the end.

[u-dog]

Good thing I'm not running for president.

I did NOT mean to suggest that those who oppose SF are demonically possessed. When Mark tells the (very funny) story of the Garazene demoniac he recounts how the group of demons that inhabit the man recognize Jesus as divine and then beg him not to destroy them but rather to send them into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus agrees and as soon as they enter the pigs they go nuts and run off the cliff and into the water.

The reader is left to wonder why, if they were just going to destroy themselves anyway, did they beg to be allowed to live in the pigs. One also wonders, why Jesus didn't destroy these evil beings in the first place rather than sending them into the herd of pigs. I think the reason is that Jesus knows that evil carries within itself the seeds of its own destruction and will inevitably destroy itself if left to its own devices.

My point was that these opponents of the Soul Force riders ... who seem filled with lies and hate likewise carry within themselves the seeds of their own destruction. The more outrageously and hatefully they behave the more positive and reasonable the Equality Riders will appear to those persons of good will and true Christian spirit who reside on the campuses that are visited. Those who hate will end up furthering the ends of the Equality ride... thereby, in a metaphorical sense ... hurling themselves over the cliff and into the water ... wearing lipstick.

[Daniel]

I apologize for interrupting the through-line of this thread: After giving the matter some thought, I have deleted three of my posts, considering them ill-considered.

[Gregory_de_Bois]

Originally Posted by Daniel

The seeds of their own destruction? Filled with lies and hate? That's a very interesting statement to make. And one I would question.

I ask you David: how does this thinking stand up to the tenents of nonviolence as proposed by Gandhi and King? Did they encourage one to think of the opposition as fill with hate and evil?

I sincerely hope you will reconsider matters.

Aren't opponents of justice filled with, in some sense, hate and evil? When someone strives against love is that not hate? Their hate may be founded upon ignorance, and ignorance may be its cause, but it is hate nonetheless. It could be hate against LGBT, or homosexuality, it could be wrath at some event in their life that is related, it could be hate of what they perceive as "immoral". However, when it comes down to it it is still hate. MLK Jr. said that we have two options, we can be extremists of hate or extremists for love.

Our duty is not to just swipe them away as ignorant silly children. Our job is to love them. To try and show them the error of their ways, and continually to examine ourselves for our own error (God knows we have them). Ultimately we are defined by our love, or rather God's love in us, through us, and practiced by us.

[u-dog]

Originally Posted by Gregory_de_Bois

Aren't opponents of justice filled with, in some sense, hate and evil? When someone strives against love is that not hate? Their hate may be founded upon ignorance, and ignorance may be its cause, but it is hate nonetheless. It could be hate against LGBT, or homosexuality, it could be wrath at some event in their life that is related, it could be hate of what they perceive as "immoral". However, when it comes down to it it is still hate. MLK Jr. said that we have two options, we can be extremists of hate or extremists for love.

Our duty is not to just swipe them away as ignorant silly children. Our job is to love them. To try and show them the error of their ways, and continually to examine ourselves for our own error (God knows we have them). Ultimately we are defined by our love, or rather God's love in us, through us, and practiced by us.

To paraphrase a cultural icon: "hate-filled is as hate-filled does" Thank you Gregory, this is very articulate.

[RedneckDyke]

Hey we must be doing something right. These groups wouldn't exist if the Equality Rides haven't made an impression on people.

Oh, just in case they are hanging out here....

I don't live near any of the schools that the Ride is going to this year. But I'd be happy to hang with any of y'all. We can roast a pig and have some beers gay christian redenck style!

[MCstudent]

Originally Posted by RedneckDyke

Hey we must be doing something right. These groups wouldn't exist if the Equality Rides haven't made an impression on people.

I'm one of the reasons SAFE came about, lol... I mean, it was the Equality Ride visit in '07 that made me start thinking and realize that this is a civil rights issues, despite what the southern baptist convention and my school's administration would like students here to believe.... And thats apparently a dangerous train of thought haha.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by MCstudent

I'm one of the reasons SAFE came about, lol... I mean, it was the Equality Ride visit in '07 that made me start thinking and realize that this is a civil rights issues, despite what the southern baptist convention and my school's administration would like students here to believe.... And thats apparently a dangerous train of thought haha.

And if you don't mind me saying so, this train of thought reveals a mind that is thinking for itself, and not just regurgitating the party line. I admire that, especially when I remember those at my own school who spoke out and bucked the system. I can remember at least two cases where teachers who questioned things- they were in the bibilcal studies department- were shown the door.

One simply didn't question.

Hopefully, matters have changed somewhat, though frankly, I have my doubts about that. I guess it depends on the school. And some schools, I would think, are - as it were- trapped in amber.

Now. I'm mixing my metaphors, but trains are hard to stop once they get going. And there is some hope in that, right?

Lastly, you inadvertently point out something which I consider profound. And that is this: once you take belief out of the picture, it really is about civil rights. Religious belief, it seems to me, is rather beside the point: either we all have human and civil rights, or the terms mean nothing.

As it is, criminals have more rights than most living gay persons. And what does that say? That we are treated as worse than criminals. And when did it become a crime to love someone of the same sex?

[MamimiFista]

OMG when I read what they wrote about Jarrett my stomach literally hurt! I was a Rider with him in 2006 and what they said just disgusted me. For real I wanted to yell at them but I know I should just calm down. It's hard enough when people target an organization you support, but it's much worse when it's an org that you are a member of! *sigh* Anyone else just mad? Cuz I am.