In Tuesday’s paper, Michonne L. Omo stated in her column that the students who had altered existing Campus Crusade for Christ sidewalk messages were inconsiderate and disrespectful by changing statements like “Jesus loves you” to “Jesus wants you” (“Message shouldn’t have been tampered with,” SN 4/17).

However, the original CCC messages were as offensive to non-Christians as the altered ones were to Christians. The CCC messages seemed almost entirely offensive - not to merely hype an event. The majority of the CCC messages were not connected to any sort of event or meeting. Most contained evangelistic statements implying non-Christians are wrong in their beliefs.

For instance, two types of messages that carried no mention of a CCC event, yet strongly preached Christian views, were an entire Bible verse quoted in chalk, and the words “Jesus loves you,” which appeared in many places. Quite clearly the CCC tried to use its meeting as a front for propaganda that belittled the beliefs of non-Christians.

Yet despite earlier acknowledgment of their offensiveness, Omo later declares the CCC messages to be “on the harmless side of things.” She then calls the actions of those who tampered with the CCC’s messages “malicious.”

Yet the writers of the “offending” statements did no more than challenge Christians’ beliefs in a sometimes “obscene” manner. In her column, Omo hypocritically presents a double standard, in which those holding the minority view are not allowed to act in the same fashion as the Christian majority.

This double standard is unacceptable. If Christians insist on trying to evangelize through passive propaganda, regardless of the effects, then people should continue to resist by defacing, altering, erasing and adding to anything they find on the sidewalks.

Anthony Kendall
mechanical engineering and
astrophysics junior