Religious group protests abortion

The beauty of IU's fall leaves mixed with the recent sunshine was interrupted Tuesday by chanting students and enlarged photographs of aborted fetuses.\nA group of 35 protesters displayed graphic posters and preached to students to spread their religious and anti-abortion messages Tuesday afternoon in front of the Sample Gates, on the corner of Kirkwood and Indiana Avenues. \nThe protest, organized by Old Paths Baptist Church of Campellsburg, Ind., is part of an "old-fashioned camp meeting," in which people from all over the country come to hear preachers and protest.\nThe protesters displayed posters with photographs of dead, bloody fetus heads clenched by forceps. Some protesters held signs with messages such as "God Hates Women Priests," "Amerika must repent or Amerika will perish," and "Jesus vomits lukewarm Christians." One member with a megaphone spoke with messages such as "You're a murderer and you're going to hell," and "Jesus Christ is Lord, Allah is in Hell."\nMolly White, a member of the church, said it was no coincidence her group chose IU as its protest venue.\n"We're trying to tell people this is a real baby and it's murdered," White said. "We go to college campuses because that's where the young girls are."\nWhite said their message was met with opposition from students and Bloomington residents.\n"People walking by gave us the finger. They egged our bus, spit on us and tell us to go home," White said. "It makes me feel like we're doing something."\nJohn Lewis, pastor of Old Paths Baptist Church, said this year the protesters were met with less opposition than in the past.\n"Last year, students and citizens had been physically confrontational," Lewis said.\nLewis said his group chose to come on a Tuesday because an undisclosed faculty member advised him it was a good day to come.\n"We're here to be obedient to God and lift up our voices like a trumpet to show people their transgressions," Lewis said.\nAmong the protesters were children, including 12-year-old Ruthie Carpenter.\n"A lot of these people need to be saved by trusting in the Lord Jesus as their savior," Carpenter said.\nLewis said the Church home-schools its children.\n"This is part of their education," Lewis said. "They get much more education here seeing how pagan America is than they would in government schools."\nSophomore Mike Cortese said he thinks it's wrong the church subjects young children to such an environment.\n"I think the kids are brainwashed to be here," Cortese said. "They have been brought into this. They are victims."\nCortese said he and many others saw the protest as being so radical it was almost a joke.\n"These people are out to muddy the waters," he said. "They're very far right. It won't do anything for their cause; it's worthless."\nCortese said the most offensive aspect of the protest was the degrading comments protesters made to individual people walking by.\n"They're telling people they're demons," Cortese said. "I had one tell me I was going to hell and to enjoy it because I wouldn't listen to him."\nWhile Cortese disagrees with the messages, he said it was the group's right to express its opinions.\n"I think it is their right to do this, but they shouldn't put up signs of dismembered babies," Cortese said.\nJunior Isaac Kinsey said while he understands the group's intentions, its tactic is counterproductive.\n"I understand what they're trying to do, but its funny and ironic," Kinsey said. "If these people are so religious, they wouldn't judge."\nKinsey pointed out a Confederate flag on the belt of one of the protesters. Kinsey, an African American, said the group members would not talk to him but were eager to talk to white people.\n"They wouldn't talk to me, but they talked to everyone else," Kinsey said. "Everything is a mockery of their movement. I'll pray for them."\n-- Contact staff writer Alli Stolper at astolper@indiana.edu.