Over-advertisement

While I fully believe in both the right to free speech and the right to freedom of religion, I also believe there is definitely a problem with over-advertising on VCU’s campus. Recently while trying to get from the Life Sciences building to the Honors building, my path was blocked by a group of what I can only call “religious fanatics.” Normally I wouldn’t use the word “fanatic,” but in this case it applies.

Both in front of the Commons and in between the library and Shafer Court were herds of people, one side arguing with the other over what God believes in. This doesn’t usually surprise me since there always has been, and probably always will be, a constant debate over just what makes God mad. This protest was different because I can normally walk through these crowds without being harassed over what I do or do not believe; that was not the case on this day.

My adventure began when I simply refused to take a pamphlet from someone with a polite “No, thank you.” At this point I was requested to take the paper again – I can only assume he had selective hearing – to which I responded with another “No, thank you.” While it would seem to any rational human being that the words “No, thank you” translate into exactly that, he apparently took my not wanting to take a piece of paper from him as some show of support for not believing in a higher power. Fortunately for him, I had a class and did not have time to engage him in a battle of the wits, since he was obviously unarmed.

After a little thought I had to wonder why someone would need to go to such lengths to advertise for religion. Considering that more than 90 percent of the world’s population believes in some form of a higher power, is it really necessary to cut off the flow of traffic on a university campus to spread the word? Someone please show where, in the Bible, it says to harass someone if they won’t take a pamphlet from you. What really disappointed me is the fact that through their actions, or should I say intention to create a diversion in front of the Commons, these people took away from the attention VCU AID was trying to garner.

Has God lost such an extreme amount of voting power that it is necessary to scream his so-called platform as if he were up for reelection, while organizations like VCU AID have to sit by and have attention taken away from them on some very important matters? Has the world come to a point where even religious organizations believe this kind of negative attention is the only way to be heard and that it is also the only thing to listen to? This apparent escalation on the campus can’t be a good thing, and I think VCU needs to monitor the groups it allows on campus so students are not being harassed in the course of others’ freedom of speech.