A confrontational evangelist preacher stirred student anger in the Library Quad last week as he yelled insults toward students while proclaiming to be “a man of God.”

But his message was not welcomed by students, who shouted back at him for insulting them with derogatory remarks.

George “Jed” Smock uses a “Saturday Night Live” approach to his preaching method, he said. The preaching session turned into a debate of philosophy, politics and religious issues with students. Smock used sarcasm and scriptures from the Bible to make points about college students and sin.

“Bush is Christ-like,” he said, while he advocated war on Iraq and demeaned the Muslim faith with a Bible in one hand and the Koran in the other. Students from the Muslim community on campus asked Smock to leave at one point, but he returned the request with offensive gestures and loud remarks about how absurd the Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu faiths are. –

He proceeded to condemn gays and feminists, along with anyone not in favor of war in Iraq or Christianity.

“You should be shot!” one student in the crowd yelled to Smock after taking offense to his lack of acceptance of other views.Smock spent Wednesday through Friday afternoons in the Library Quad. He provided students with mild entertainment–at least enough to keep their interest and eyes on him.

“AIDS is punishment for homosexuality. God said so,” Smock said.

He also accused college women of being loose.

“They’re sluts; it’s no wonder all you guys like school,” he yelled.

One student in the crowd yelled back to Smock that he was scaring people away from religion, but Smock ignored her and kept on preaching.Despite students’ anger at Smock’s remarks, nothing could stop him. He compared himself to Jesus Christ and claimed his inspiration comes from the love of God.

“And I know I’m right in what I teach,” Smock said.Though Sac State students had some brutal words of retaliation for Smock, they hardly moved him from his stance. He has been physically attacked at other campuses, including Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin, where he formerly taught. After he was attacked, he returned and spoke with crutches under each arm.

Smock’s views of women, homosexuals, sex and religions other than Christianity were the least favorable among students. He also talked about being a hippie in the 1960s who converted to Christianity in 1972, but still has “flashbacks” of the heyday.

“I’m encouraged when they’re insulted because down deep I think they know it’s true,” Smock said.

He said that his mission is “to preach the Word of God,” but very few students agree.

“I’d say he’s well-versed, but I don’t think he knows much of anything else he claims to know,” said philosophy student Robert Boughton. “He just wants the attention; he wants a crowd.”

Smock singled out a couple in the crowd and said he used to be just like them.

“I had a loose woman like her too. A girl I used to screw,” Smock said, referring to a student with long brown hair, a long skirt and a lit cigarette who listened to him in humiliation.

The campus police were called out to observe the situation after numerous complaints, but could not do anything about it, due to freedom of speech, they said.

Smock travels to college campuses across the country with his wife Cindy, or “The Little Woman,” who also insults to preach her message to students. The couple has five daughters, to whom they teach their methods of evangelism and bring along on some crusades, according to Smock’s book, which he gave to the State Hornet.

Smock is a former history professor from the University of Wisconsin and did some collegiate work in social sciences, psychology and philosophy, his book noted. He said he converted to his faith after spending years on the wrong path as a hippie who lived in a commune.

Smock supports his family financially through church donations, where he speaks in the evenings during his travels. He has preached at over 700 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad, according to his Web site statistics.

Despite his ill mannerisms toward college students, Smock’s approach seems to work very well in drawing a crowd.

“It’s actually just a way to subjugate people listening to him,” said criminal justice major Chris Stoots, referring to Smock’s insulting nature.

Students may not like Smock’s proclamation of truth or offensive tactics in drawing a crowd’s attention, but he succeeds at his work and loves what he does, he said. He doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon, but has moved on to other campuses this week.

Students have a while to prepare before Smock returns to campus, but he will probably be back, he said.

Click here to view The Campus Preacher Slide Show

Click here to send private feedback about this article to the State Hornet’s News staff.