Posted by Jed Smock on [30 Nov 2009 09:16PM]
brojed@aol.com  Notify me about Responses? (yes)

SHOUTING OBSCENITIES?

University of Oklahoma, November 30, 2009,

Bro Cope and I drove about nine hours from Columbia to Norman, OK., on Sunday afternoon. The traffic was heavy; and we had an hour or more delay in a slow moving bottle neck on I-35 in Northern Oklahoma.

The weather today was sunny and in the high 50's. I took my normal station on the mall in front of Dale Hall. The Delta Upsilon fraternity, which was my fraternity at Indiana University, was raising money for the Salvation Army. I haled them as fraternity brothers and razzed them a little; they took it good naturedly. A tall fellow in an elf's outfit ringing a bell came up and wanted to hug me. I feigned fear that he might be a homosexual. Soon he was in front of me loudly ringing the bell. I did not want to compete with the bell, so I stopped preaching; but I made some remarks from time to time to keep the small crowd interested. Soon a policeman arrived, then another and another. He said he had complaints that someone was shouting obscenities. I explained that I had used terms like Hell and Damnation. Most people when they use these words are using them in a profane matter. Perhaps some students have never heard these words except when used in a vain. I fear multitudes of people go to churches where Hell and Damnation are never mentioned. The policeman suggested I not use flammable rhetoric so as to avoid calls to the police. After checking my ID, he concluded that there was not a problem.

The presence of the police drew more students. After the policeman let me continue, I explained the nature of the complaint to the students. I proclaimed that Jesus came so that we would not be D-A-M-N-E-D to H-E-L-L. As I spelled out these words, the students understood the absurdity of the complaint. I also moved down the Mall a little way to get away from the bell ringer.

As I was speaking two Calvinists had gathered around Bro to argue theology. When I turned the meeting over to him, the Calvinists began to question me, especially concerning my governmental view of the atonement. One of these men, Grant K., has publically confronted me in past visits on issues of the atonement, original sin, and open theism. By having Bro with me, we were able to talk these differences over privately. However, I was tired and wasn't really up to par in the discussion after yesterdays long drive. I explained it takes a lot of thought and concentration to discuss these issues, especially the atonement.

I understood these fellows to be saying that if one does not hold to the penal substitution view of atonement then one is not a Christian. I strongly objected to that point. One needs to accept the fact that somehow through the work of Christ that we may have our sins forgiven. But few Christians could begin to explain the different theories of atonement or even know the issues. I finally said, 'I may not know or understand the rationale of the atonement; but this one thing I do know, that whereas once I was blind, now I see. And seeing Jesus on the Cross is what made the difference.'

Bro addressed about 25 at the end of the day; earlier the crowd at times was 60-70. I had about 6 serious inquirers around me for an hour. Two of whom (one an atheist) thanked me very much for coming to campus.

At the beginning of the day an attractive girl came out of the crowd, shook my hand and said, 'You are a brave man confronting these students. I am an atheist.' She walked away; but I sensed that she was sincere in her compliment. I think that few students have seen a Christian who will take the offensive in defending the faith. Most will only defend the faith if they are cornered, and often times not even then. We left campus at 5:30. I said to Bro, 'This one day made the long drive worth our time and effort to get here.' He agreed.

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