Equality Ride

For those of you who do not know what happened on the campus of Lee University last week, a group of activists on a freedom ride stopped by. They said that they were fighting for civil rights. They said that they were following in the tradition of the freedom rides of the 60's and the 70's. They were a group of gay and lesbian students traveling across the United States asking Christian colleges and military schools to remove the homosexual clause from their handouts and rules. If you want to know more about them, they have a pretty well organized website, www.equalityride.com.
I don't have a problem with what they are doing. I don't agree with them. But, I recognize their right to have their own point of view and to broadcast it all they want. However, I do have a problem with their attitude. According to Dr. Conn, when they first approached him, they asked for public forum. It has been my experience with Dr. Conn and the majority of the staff at Lee University that they take a pretty liberal view on most topics. They allow for varying opinions and will grant those varying platforms a soapbox, if they want it. He only asks that they maintain a public discourse, meaning that both sides of the argument are presented. ER did not wish to have a public discourse. They were not willing to discuss their beliefs with others who may not agree with them. So, as a result, Dr. Conn would not allow them any public forum. This is what the students were told from the start. (http://www.leeuniversity.edu/info/news/news-article.asp?newsid=3323)
From my point of view, it was a pretty boring two days. They weren't any public demonstrations. I actually was kind of hoping to talk to a member of ER, but they pretty much ignored me as I walked into chapel. They didn't come into any of my classes. The only real issue was that some close-minded resident of lovely Cleveland spraypainted "fags-mobile" in hot pink paint on the side of their bus. Fabulous.
Well, I thought it went off without a hitch, but today, I read the online journals about their visit to Lee. I found myself getting angrier and angrier. First, they have an article saying that on Wednesday night, Dr. Conn told them they were not allowed any public forum. This surprised them because he had previously said they would be allowed one. No, he didn't. He's been telling us from the beginning that they wouldn't be allowed a public forum. Then, they refer to those of us that do not agree with them as close minded and lacking the Love of Christ. Well, that just flat out pisses me off. I am far from close-minded. I accept their right to practice whatever way of life they choose. I do not agree with it. I'm not grossed out by LGBT's. I admit that I don't understand it, but that's why I was looking forward to ER's arrival. I wanted to hear what they had to say.
As for lacking in the Love of Christ, they are so wrong. Maybe I'm not the best example of Christ's Love, but I know plenty of people on this campus that personify it. I think a reexamination of Christ's Love may be in order. Jesus ate with sinners and publicans, but he did not agree with them. He did not accept them. He commanded that they rise above their sin. That's really what He's asking us all to do. He wants us to shed out dirtiness and become clean, become better, become useable.