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![“I’m not God, but I’m like [Him],” preached Brother Micah on March 3 on the Free Speech Lawn.](javascript:Site.openWin('/polopoly_fs/1.2192768!/image/3148825909.JPG', 1656, 2464) "Photo: Todd Roller")
OPINIONS
I was standing in front of the barricades where Brother Micah was blocked off on the Free Speech Lawn of the Boca campus when he pointed to the student to the left of me, calling him a homosexual, then the student to the right, damning her to hell. Afterward, a pink condom filled with water flew over the crowd, almost hitting Micah.
His preaching didn’t bother me, but the way students were acting did.
According to Micah, anyone who is a “homosexual, masturbator, gangster rapper [and/or] Obama supporter” is going to hell.
“If you’re committing sin, you’re serving the devil,” said Micah on March 3.
Students treated Micah like some animal at a zoo. It was the first time in my two years at FAU that I was ashamed to be a student.
They also yelled vulgar comments, and one of Micah’s followers, an FAU student referred to as “Brother Mark,” was punched in the face.
Micah’s wife, Sister Elizabeth, recorded everything.
“I would like to take pictures or videos and send them to their parents, because I know they’ve taught them better. They [have] manners, but they’re not practicing them,” said Elizabeth. “They would never do such a thing to their pastor, rabbi or priest — or even their instructors. They just say pitiful things.”
Come on, FAU. Didn’t the Dalai Lama teach you anything about compassion?
The whole purpose of the Free Speech Lawn is to express different opinions. If something someone says makes you angry, walk away. If students have faith in what they believe in, they shouldn’t let Micah get under their skin, making them act unholy.
College isn’t only about reading textbooks until your corneas glaze over; it’s also about exposing yourself to different opinions and learning from them. Even if you don’t agree with someone, you should be open toward their ideas.
Students like Sam Shiff didn’t scream at the top of their lungs; instead, they argued with Micah logically.
“It’s very hypocritical [because] he admits he’s a sinner,” said Shiff, a junior philosophy major. “I can respect his opinion. I think he’s radical, but what upsets me is people’s reactions — shut up and kill him with kindness.”
Corrin Iglehart chose to “kill him” with love.
“No homos love each other,” preached Brother Micah, and some students took offense to that statement, calling him a “fag who probably gets it every night,” but Iglehart didn’t.
Instead of punching him in the face, she turned to her girlfriend and gave her a passionate kiss.
“It’s a little radical and such to say that I don’t love someone when I do,” said Iglehart, a freshman theater major.
We are not only students; we are adults, and it’s time to start acting like it.
I voted for Obama, I have friends who are gay, and I like listening to “gangster rap” music, but I know I’m not going to hell.
Brother Micah visits FAU and other colleges in the Southeast at least once a semester. He finds schools with free speech areas to speak his word, and every time he finds a way to burst students’ bubbles. Next time he’s at FAU, do what Shiff did — kill him with kindness.
2 comments
Do you realize that, by defending that dude, you completely contradicted yourself when you wrote this? Do you think Brothar Micah is doing what's state below, written by you??"College isn’t only about reading textbooks until your corneas glaze over; it’s also about exposing yourself to different opinions and learning from them. Even if you don’t agree with someone, you should be open toward their ideas."Wow, your statements are exceedingly opiniated! What kind of journalist are you??