Where is the love?

Every year it never ceases to amaze me that evangelists come to our campus and proceed to yell about how immoral we are and how our immortal souls will be damned. I cannot express to you how disgusted I become by the fact that these individuals, who are supposedly trying to save us, do nothing more than turn more people away from Christianity by preaching the torture of which you will be subjected if you do not change. Have they forgotten the old saying, "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"

Do not think for a second that I am trying to insinuate that evangelists should not be able to come to college campuses or other public places and teach others about Christianity. I just feel that it is blatantly obvious that these individuals would be much more successful at meeting their goals if they would use a better approach.

Theology is a very interesting topic that many people are willing to discuss, if they feel that the person with whom they are speaking is actually listening to them. When speaking to an evangelist and that person begins to yell over you about how you're doomed, what I do is become angry and begin to argue or tune them out. As a result, everything that the evangelist is saying falls upon deaf ears.

We learn through communicating with others that most people tend to stop listening when they feel like someone is attacking them. Therefore, if you're walking on campus and someone yells that you're going to burn in Hell because you're a fornicator, more than likely you will think "yes I am and proud of it," and continue walking.

I'm also not saying that evangelists should not tell people that immorality is considered to be a one-way ticket to hell. I feel that there is a more tactful manner to do so without evoking fear or potentially turning people away from the religion. Instead of directly saying, "you deserve hell" (and yes, I actually saw a little girl holding a sign which read that), calmly explain that you could go to hell if you don't lead the Christian lifestyle.

I have been to many Christian events where we were spoken to about the love that God has for us, and I never left one of those places feeling angry or turned off by the thought of religion. Because of the good messages that I was receiving, I wanted to go to more of these events. However, every time I hear evangelists screaming about hell's fire and the spot that is reserved for me there, I feel compelled to tell them to go to the same place!

Why not teach the love of God? I feel that more people would be more inclined to actually listen to what these people have to say, if they delivered their messages in more amiable ways.

No one likes to be called a horrible person, especially if that statement is followed up by a 12-point lesson explaining that your sins will find you in cahoots with Satan.

Perhaps if the fire-and-brimstone evangelists would explain the love and forgiveness that God has for his children, then people would care about what was being said, instead of forming a negative opinion towards the evangelist himself, as well as Christianity in general.

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.