Post by Jesse Morrell on Jan 31, 2007 14:47:18 GMT -5
Here are some articles that were printed recently about our North East tour.
(Please remember, often the writers of these stories are liberal as well as unbelievers, and often times do not give accurate quotes or accurately describe the outreach we had on the campus.)
THE BEACON of Wilkes University:
Last week representatives from Open Air Outreach preached to Wilkes students from the sidewalk challenging passersby to repent of their sinful ways.
Street corner evangelists target Wilkes community
Open Air Outreach calls on students to repent in public forum
Stop sinning! Repent and believe in Jesus!
Those were Jesse Morrell's and Jeffrey Olver's messages last week as they exercised their freedom of speech rights across the street from the Henry Student Center building. Members of a sect of the Protestant-based Open Air Outreach (OOA) program, Olver worked a digital camera as Morrell preached, often screaming to a crowd of about 40 Wilkes students who braved the cold weather to hear what the duo had to say on pre-marital sex, homosexuality and the use of alcohol.
"You have to laugh at it," said junior Stephanie McMahon. "You have to take it as a joke just because of how blinded they are."
According to the website www.openairoutreach.com, OOA's mission is "to work through biblical methods of evangelism to bring the message of eternal life to a dying world." Traveling full-time, the duo goes from campus to campus nationwide calling on students to repent of their sins and restore their faith in Christ. The duo has proclaimed the "good word" in ten states, three countries and 25 campuses in the past semester alone, including George Mason University, the University of Toronto and the University of Arkansas. They have also been featured on a local ABC affiliate in Texas and made appearances on various radio shows.
While some students made a mockery out of the group's efforts, others were downright offended. English Professor Phyllis Weliver was making her way across the cross-walk when Morrell shouted to a student, "Only Jesus Christ can save the drunken Wilkes student," before screaming "Only Jesus Christ can save the promiscuous sorority girl."
"I felt that it was wrong that he characterized our university in these terms and that he was offensive to students," she said. "Stating a creed or a personal belief in a respectful way is one thing, I believe, but it's another thing to infringe on others' liberties through insulting comments and harassment. Moreover, the preacher's assumptions were in both cases completely erroneous: the student was not drunk and I am a faculty member."
Public Safety officials and a representative of the Wilkes-Barre police department requested that the duo leave; however, they also acknowledged that as long as the evangelists stayed off school property they were within their First Amendment rights. The OOA representatives obeyed.
Upon leaving for Virginia State University, Olver said, "It's our prayer that Wilkes University students would hear the message of the gospel and that they would be tolerant enough to hear the word of God and really examine their hearts and their world views to see if it really logically works and that they repent from their sins and trust in Jesus for salvation."
"Especially all of the lesbians on campus," Morrell added.
Open Air Outreach's campus visit is featured at www.openairoutreach.com. Olver's video footage will also be placed on YouTube this week, tag line Open Air Outreach campus preaching.
THE DAILY CAMPUS of UConn:
Over 40 students braved the cold Tuesday to partake in a heated religious discussion-turned-lifestyle debate initiated by two Christian preachers in the center of Fairfield Way.
The two preachers, outspoken Brother Jesse Morrell and the quieter Jeff Olver, had ventured from Texas to UConn to "glorify God and to preach the gospel."
Morrell stood on a ledge outside Homer Babbidge Library and shouted his beliefs, grabbing the attention of most passing students.
He talked about the immorality of masturbation, the sins of homosexuals, as well as abortion, rape, courtship, marriage, love, sex and death in general.
"Homosexuals will get it in the end," Morrell said. "Homosexuality is a threat to national security!"
After hearing this, passing students loudly questioned his logic and shouted obscenities.
"If you get smashed on alcohol," Morrell continued, "on Judgment Day you will get smashed by the wrath of God ... turn or burn!"
Students' anger became increasingly apparent as Morrell talked about his disgust with abortion, even in the case of rape victims, as well as his belief that wives should solely answer to their husbands.
Morrell preached about why the participating students' lifestyles were leading them to hell. He singled out and ridiculed students, including a girl who argued for women's equality.
Many onlookers found themselves unable to hold back and responded explosively with opposing arguments. Eventually disgust overwhelmed many, causing them to storm off.
Olver did not take part in the ranting but instead looked on approvingly and handed out flyers and information.
"We usually talk about things that are relevant to students on campuses across America," Olver said. "We typically go to the free-speech areas ... we just preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope to engage students in open dialogue and debate."
Students in the crowd seemed to disapprove of the preachers. "I really don't approve of this guy's messages at all," said Greg Horbal, a 2nd-semester engineering major. "This is the second day I've seen him. I stood around and watched for a while yesterday and I really didn't say too much, but this is just the kind of thing that I think is holding back a lot of Americans - this ideal ... he's just trying to enforce his ways down on everyone else's and you just can't do that."
On the other hand, some students were aggravated by those who disrespectfully voiced opposition to Morrell.
"It's interesting [to see] how hostile Atheist people are to a Christian preacher in today's world," said Owen McLaughlin, an 8th-semester history major.
Some students upset by the visitors questioned the legality of them speaking on campus.
According to UConn Spokesperson Richard Veilleux, "It's a public university, and an educational university, and we embrace the policy of free speech."
According to Olver, he and Morrell have preached at over 30 campuses this year including The University of Texas, Arizona State University and Yale University.
Olver said he and Morrell are planning to open a school of ministry so they "can teach other individuals to preach on college campuses and teach them effective evangelism."
LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY CAMPUS of UConn
Morrel and Olver Misrepresent Christian Views
I was one of many who was appalled at the yelling that was coming from Jesse Morrell and Jeff Olver, the preachers on Fairfield Way, during the past few days. I walked by Monday as Olver pointed to a young man he did not know, and yelled, "I know you got drunk last night! You need to repent!" The truth of it, going by rough percentages of this campus, he may have been correct about this young man's behavior. However, he did not know the student he was pointing at.
As a non-denominational Christian, I was dismayed at his approach to preaching. So much so, I engaged in a conversation with Morrell. As it turns out, he and I do believe in some of the same doctrine - we just happen to come from very different schools of thought. I even told him, "After people listen to someone like you, and after hearing that I am a Christian, they don't want anything to do with me." I did not say it to personally attack him, unlike their approach outside the library. There are some things televangelists stand firmly upon that I would disagree with, despite their quotes of the same Bible I follow. A lot of people view the Christian God as someone waiting for you to mess up, someone who toys with you like using a voodoo doll or puts you in bad situations for entertainment. This is not my view of God. Though I am a Christian, I am a sinner, just like all the rest of us. Though I am a sinner, I recognize that God still loves me. I see God as love.
I directly asked Morrell, "Since you've become a Christian, you don't sin?" He responded, "When I accepted Jesus, I repented and turned away from all my sin." So I asked again, "So you've never sinned since you became a Christian?" At that, he looked down at his feet, and admitted he had, "shamefully," and continued to quote a verse from the Bible about his preaching. Here is where I believe we are all on the same level. A sin is a sin, big or small in God's eyes. Morrell sins, I sin, we are all sinners. Yet God loves us despite our sins.
Yes, God has the ability to judge us, and he will. However, I remarked to Morrell, "Jesus ate with tax collectors (some of the most "sinful" people of those times), he conversed with women in public (practically unheard of and seen as unacceptable) and he touched lepers (the "untouchables")." His response was, "Oh sometimes we take students out to lunch." No, it is not about the food. It is about meeting people where they are. The point is, Jesus "loved" the "unloved".
On top of all that, I guess I wished they'd be more light-hearted. Jesus does call people to preach the gospel, but they surely weren't preaching what's typically called "the good news." That being the idea that we are all sinners, Christ died on a cross for our sins, which gives us the ability to have a personal relationship with God and ultimately, eternal life. The only way I can end this is to say, these are my beliefs, my understanding, and my lifestyle. Though I may not agree with the approach of these two men, none of us can deny the fact that more people have been engaged in spiritual conversations because of it, and I see nothing wrong with that. What scares me is the fact that because people were hearing them in passing, they only heard half of the story. The other half is about love - an undeserving, totally accepting, welcoming love from God.
-Ginger Owens
(Please remember, often the writers of these stories are liberal as well as unbelievers, and often times do not give accurate quotes or accurately describe the outreach we had on the campus.)
THE BEACON of Wilkes University:
Last week representatives from Open Air Outreach preached to Wilkes students from the sidewalk challenging passersby to repent of their sinful ways.
Street corner evangelists target Wilkes community
Open Air Outreach calls on students to repent in public forum
Stop sinning! Repent and believe in Jesus!
Those were Jesse Morrell's and Jeffrey Olver's messages last week as they exercised their freedom of speech rights across the street from the Henry Student Center building. Members of a sect of the Protestant-based Open Air Outreach (OOA) program, Olver worked a digital camera as Morrell preached, often screaming to a crowd of about 40 Wilkes students who braved the cold weather to hear what the duo had to say on pre-marital sex, homosexuality and the use of alcohol.
"You have to laugh at it," said junior Stephanie McMahon. "You have to take it as a joke just because of how blinded they are."
According to the website www.openairoutreach.com, OOA's mission is "to work through biblical methods of evangelism to bring the message of eternal life to a dying world." Traveling full-time, the duo goes from campus to campus nationwide calling on students to repent of their sins and restore their faith in Christ. The duo has proclaimed the "good word" in ten states, three countries and 25 campuses in the past semester alone, including George Mason University, the University of Toronto and the University of Arkansas. They have also been featured on a local ABC affiliate in Texas and made appearances on various radio shows.
While some students made a mockery out of the group's efforts, others were downright offended. English Professor Phyllis Weliver was making her way across the cross-walk when Morrell shouted to a student, "Only Jesus Christ can save the drunken Wilkes student," before screaming "Only Jesus Christ can save the promiscuous sorority girl."
"I felt that it was wrong that he characterized our university in these terms and that he was offensive to students," she said. "Stating a creed or a personal belief in a respectful way is one thing, I believe, but it's another thing to infringe on others' liberties through insulting comments and harassment. Moreover, the preacher's assumptions were in both cases completely erroneous: the student was not drunk and I am a faculty member."
Public Safety officials and a representative of the Wilkes-Barre police department requested that the duo leave; however, they also acknowledged that as long as the evangelists stayed off school property they were within their First Amendment rights. The OOA representatives obeyed.
Upon leaving for Virginia State University, Olver said, "It's our prayer that Wilkes University students would hear the message of the gospel and that they would be tolerant enough to hear the word of God and really examine their hearts and their world views to see if it really logically works and that they repent from their sins and trust in Jesus for salvation."
"Especially all of the lesbians on campus," Morrell added.
Open Air Outreach's campus visit is featured at www.openairoutreach.com. Olver's video footage will also be placed on YouTube this week, tag line Open Air Outreach campus preaching.
THE DAILY CAMPUS of UConn:
Over 40 students braved the cold Tuesday to partake in a heated religious discussion-turned-lifestyle debate initiated by two Christian preachers in the center of Fairfield Way.
The two preachers, outspoken Brother Jesse Morrell and the quieter Jeff Olver, had ventured from Texas to UConn to "glorify God and to preach the gospel."
Morrell stood on a ledge outside Homer Babbidge Library and shouted his beliefs, grabbing the attention of most passing students.
He talked about the immorality of masturbation, the sins of homosexuals, as well as abortion, rape, courtship, marriage, love, sex and death in general.
"Homosexuals will get it in the end," Morrell said. "Homosexuality is a threat to national security!"
After hearing this, passing students loudly questioned his logic and shouted obscenities.
"If you get smashed on alcohol," Morrell continued, "on Judgment Day you will get smashed by the wrath of God ... turn or burn!"
Students' anger became increasingly apparent as Morrell talked about his disgust with abortion, even in the case of rape victims, as well as his belief that wives should solely answer to their husbands.
Morrell preached about why the participating students' lifestyles were leading them to hell. He singled out and ridiculed students, including a girl who argued for women's equality.
Many onlookers found themselves unable to hold back and responded explosively with opposing arguments. Eventually disgust overwhelmed many, causing them to storm off.
Olver did not take part in the ranting but instead looked on approvingly and handed out flyers and information.
"We usually talk about things that are relevant to students on campuses across America," Olver said. "We typically go to the free-speech areas ... we just preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope to engage students in open dialogue and debate."
Students in the crowd seemed to disapprove of the preachers. "I really don't approve of this guy's messages at all," said Greg Horbal, a 2nd-semester engineering major. "This is the second day I've seen him. I stood around and watched for a while yesterday and I really didn't say too much, but this is just the kind of thing that I think is holding back a lot of Americans - this ideal ... he's just trying to enforce his ways down on everyone else's and you just can't do that."
On the other hand, some students were aggravated by those who disrespectfully voiced opposition to Morrell.
"It's interesting [to see] how hostile Atheist people are to a Christian preacher in today's world," said Owen McLaughlin, an 8th-semester history major.
Some students upset by the visitors questioned the legality of them speaking on campus.
According to UConn Spokesperson Richard Veilleux, "It's a public university, and an educational university, and we embrace the policy of free speech."
According to Olver, he and Morrell have preached at over 30 campuses this year including The University of Texas, Arizona State University and Yale University.
Olver said he and Morrell are planning to open a school of ministry so they "can teach other individuals to preach on college campuses and teach them effective evangelism."
LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY CAMPUS of UConn
Morrel and Olver Misrepresent Christian Views
I was one of many who was appalled at the yelling that was coming from Jesse Morrell and Jeff Olver, the preachers on Fairfield Way, during the past few days. I walked by Monday as Olver pointed to a young man he did not know, and yelled, "I know you got drunk last night! You need to repent!" The truth of it, going by rough percentages of this campus, he may have been correct about this young man's behavior. However, he did not know the student he was pointing at.
As a non-denominational Christian, I was dismayed at his approach to preaching. So much so, I engaged in a conversation with Morrell. As it turns out, he and I do believe in some of the same doctrine - we just happen to come from very different schools of thought. I even told him, "After people listen to someone like you, and after hearing that I am a Christian, they don't want anything to do with me." I did not say it to personally attack him, unlike their approach outside the library. There are some things televangelists stand firmly upon that I would disagree with, despite their quotes of the same Bible I follow. A lot of people view the Christian God as someone waiting for you to mess up, someone who toys with you like using a voodoo doll or puts you in bad situations for entertainment. This is not my view of God. Though I am a Christian, I am a sinner, just like all the rest of us. Though I am a sinner, I recognize that God still loves me. I see God as love.
I directly asked Morrell, "Since you've become a Christian, you don't sin?" He responded, "When I accepted Jesus, I repented and turned away from all my sin." So I asked again, "So you've never sinned since you became a Christian?" At that, he looked down at his feet, and admitted he had, "shamefully," and continued to quote a verse from the Bible about his preaching. Here is where I believe we are all on the same level. A sin is a sin, big or small in God's eyes. Morrell sins, I sin, we are all sinners. Yet God loves us despite our sins.
Yes, God has the ability to judge us, and he will. However, I remarked to Morrell, "Jesus ate with tax collectors (some of the most "sinful" people of those times), he conversed with women in public (practically unheard of and seen as unacceptable) and he touched lepers (the "untouchables")." His response was, "Oh sometimes we take students out to lunch." No, it is not about the food. It is about meeting people where they are. The point is, Jesus "loved" the "unloved".
On top of all that, I guess I wished they'd be more light-hearted. Jesus does call people to preach the gospel, but they surely weren't preaching what's typically called "the good news." That being the idea that we are all sinners, Christ died on a cross for our sins, which gives us the ability to have a personal relationship with God and ultimately, eternal life. The only way I can end this is to say, these are my beliefs, my understanding, and my lifestyle. Though I may not agree with the approach of these two men, none of us can deny the fact that more people have been engaged in spiritual conversations because of it, and I see nothing wrong with that. What scares me is the fact that because people were hearing them in passing, they only heard half of the story. The other half is about love - an undeserving, totally accepting, welcoming love from God.
-Ginger Owens