It’s tough to be an evangelist. On campus at SacramentoState, it is nearly impossible.

A few days before the Thanksgiving break, a man wearing asandwich board emblazoned with the phrase, “Jesus orHell,” was preaching to students on the Quad.

He felt he was spreading the word of God.

From the look of things, students disagreed.

Students ringed around, not daring to get within 25 feet of him.They shouted back when he screamed to the crowd that Satancontrolled their actions and they were destined for Hell.

Passers tried in vain to explain their own faith.

He wasn’t really sticking to the “talkingpoints’ laid down by Jesus. This preacher didn’t seemto understand how to live like Christ.

The Gospel of Matthew says not to judge or you too will bejudged

The words of one of the Apostles, someone who learned directlyfrom Jesus, are more important than a rant from a guy more adept atoffending people than convincing them to be more like Jesus.

It is tough to dismiss people like him, though. He has strongconvictions. He is devoting his life to God and evangelism.

But many Christians don’t relish this kind ofproselytizing.

Kathleen Ross, a sophomore criminal justice major and member ofthe Newman Center, a Catholic student group, chooses to walk pastthese fire and brimstone preachers.

“They do bother me,” said Ross. “Theirpreaching gives us a bad reputation for forcing our beliefs onothers.”

Several students watching the “revival meeting”expressed concern that preachers misunderstand and convolute thescripture to fit their own goals.

Recently, I saw a bumper sticker reminiscent of thepreacher’s sign. It claimed to quote the Bible, but was farfrom the words at the chapter and verse it quoted.

It read,”Got Christ? It’s Hell withoutHim!”

I doubt the apostle John was coordinating his writing inRevelation to echo the marketing campaign of the Milk AdvisoryBoard. This kind of re-interpretation makes me question almosteverything street preachers say.

“In the past, I wanted to talk with these people andexplain my own ideas,” said Dennis Kim, President of theInter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. “Now, I like to talk withthe crowd. Our conversations seem more productive. When I used totry and talk with preachers it only seemed to make us bothupset.”

The open dialogue is more in line with Christian principles. Itgives everyone an opportunity to learn from each other.

Didn’t Jesus tell us to love our enemies? How do peoplewho claim to have read the Bible many times end up thisspiteful?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presented eight Beatitudes.These are the most important guides he set down for living as aChristian. The seventh blesses people who make peace.

Most Christians work to bring peace to the whole world and tryto encourage it in their daily life as well. This preacher missedthat important lesson.

I hope average students, especially those from other faiths,recognize that angry campus preachers are not averageChristians.

Jesus taught his followers to love and accept everyone. If thesepreachers make you feel like an outsider, take some time and lookin the Gospel of Luke for the parable of the Good Samaritan. TheGod described here holds good people, of all creeds, in highesteem.

No one in a sandwich board could change that basic foundation ofthe Christian message.

Will God smote Andrew for blasphemy?

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