Crazy Conservatives

There are often (at least once per week) soap box preachers who stand at the cross walk of campus. One man always comes on Thursday. He want's to tell the young people about salvation through Jesus Christ. He talks into space usually, hoping someone will respond. The students have grown accustom to his presence, and to his "John 3:16 says...", " You shall have no gods before me...", and "...Faith, Hope, and Love..." speeches and generally ignore him or even avoid him. Once in a while a person will confront him, standing there, for I believe this is what he wants to happen, and they argue their points, dissagree in the end, and fumble there way apart from eachother. I would really like to see two people who had stong opposing beliefs come away from an argument in agreement. I don't think its possible but I know some will disagree with me (I remind you, the point is mute because I will not waver, obviously).

Another day, a man was handing out pocket size new testiments to passers-by. He didn't tell you what was in it, he didn't tell you to believe it, he jsut wanted you to have it. "Would you like a testiment?" he asked. I took the book, more as a gesture than anything else; I certainly don't need another New Testiment sitting on my shelf. But, he pleased me in his passiveness. To some he may show a lack of passion, or even laziness. But I saw an understanding that he was not going to change anyone's heart, only God, and his Word, can do that.

Today there was a group of people with flyers and a sign. A sign of a chopped up baby. Along with the adults, a little girl was standing amid a crowd of college students asking them, as they scurried off to class, if they would like a flyer. As you all know, I am not on the side of abortion, clearly. But, I don't think these shock tactics are what is needed to change the minds (no need to change their hearts, I believe everyone knows killing is wrong) of pro-choice people. People don't need to see a dead baby to understand that it is wrong; they need to first understand that it is a baby, a life, a person that is being killed. Bloody body parts do not help create this understanding.

These are some of the ways conservative values are displayed on my campus. I don't like to see people with my belief system making it seem rediculous. Passion is not a bad thing, but neither is self-control. I think that for concervatives to be seen in a better light we need to behave in a more respectable manner. Sinking to "secular" (I hate that word but I will use it anyways) tactics of creating catch-phrases, carrying out arguments instead of discussions, using images for their shock value, and sending out little girls to a mob of adults with only her flyers and cuteness to rely on are not how I think conservatives should get their message across.