Welcome back, Old Paths

This very well could've been another pessimistic column had I not seen the light the other day. And that light I'm referring to is that of the evangelists outside of Woodburn Hall.\nThe pictures of aborted fetuses and signs clearly explaining how Muhammad and Buddha are burning in hell brought pure joy to my heart. \nAfter all, their rhetoric does more to unite students of all lifestyles and beliefs than any other speaker on campus: Jewish and Muslim students, compassionate Christians, atheists, gays, hippies and everyone in between, all standing together under the flag of "Bloomington United in Diversity." Although it was a relatively small group, it was a beautiful thing -- real America in action. \nSome students come to class shaken and scared after an encounter with the evangelists. I, on the other hand, smile. Evangelists aren't intimidating or threatening simply because they are so outrageous that the only thing they're capable of is turning people away from Christianity. I'm always pleased when they're around because it's nice to get a good laugh.\nOf course, if I were a Christian, I'd probably be offended. \nI liken it to hearing a liberal politician or spokesperson saying something stupid. For example, Sen. Rick Santorum can say, "If the Supreme Court says you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest (and) you have the right to adultery."\nWhile Santorum was trying to defend sodomy laws, he basically made an argument for a police state á la "1984." And I know that's just moronic, and I am not offended because in my opinion, Santorum usually is a moron.\nOn the other hand, when someone like Bill Clinton talks about how he "didn't inhale," I'm a little offended. How dumb did he think his voters were? I hold my politicians to higher standards than a 14-year-old lying to his parents.\nTangent aside, I have nothing against Christianity. Whatever helps people get through life. It may be the opiate of the masses, but I also have nothing against opiates.\nBut I am against fear and intimidation, and whether some of the so-called evangelists admit it or not, those kinds of tactics are what many of them use to get people to join their side. \nI knew someone once whose church told her she'd be able to see her friends suffering in hell while she's in heaven. I firmly believe that provocation needs no explanation to illuminate its ignorance.\nBut it does prove that not only do many (not all) churches intimidate people into believing, but they also intimidate people into intimidating people into believing. The Bible is the main weapon of their intimidation.\nBut the Bible can be used for anything. Hosea 13:16 tells me God is pro-abortion, but only mandatory abortion. In Samaria, "their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up." \nSo, as Jesus said in Matthew 7:5, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." \nThat might be the passage most relevant to the state of our nation, as well as campus. Unfortunately, all too often it seems to work better in theory than in practice.\nWe manipulate words nearly every day to prove points, but usually it's all talk. This goes for evangelists, tenfold.\nMeanwhile, the warmer weather signifies the return of the Old Paths and the forging of stronger bonds on campus. Apparently, they care more about our souls in the spring than winter.\nI say, bring it on. The warmer the weather, the more fodder I have for future columns.