Holy Harassment
posted by Trey Nemec | September 18, 2023 | In OpinionI pushed my earbuds a little further in my ears and pointed my eyes straight ahead as I weaved through the quickly-forming crowd outside the Rudolph Jones Student Center at Fayetteville State University. Over the upbeat music pulsing in my ears, I could hear muffled shouts, but ignored them because I was on a mission: get to the dining hall.
I was only stopped when a flier, which had been pushed in the face of the student walking in front of me, was abruptly snatched away from my line of sight. Knowing myself, I probably made a face reminiscent of the words “screw you,” and then kept walking.
As I approached the seal adorning the ground in front of RJSC, I whipped my head around and pulled out my AirPod to see what the problem was. Standing in sets flanking the brick walkway stood a religious group in matching purple t-shirts, with arms full of the fliers that evaded me, shouting at the group of students that had gathered.
The students were shouting back.
The preacher’s tone was anything but polite and inspirational, and students were caught off-guard. It was a spiritual ambush.
I am by no means a religious person, but I happily support the free and open practice of your chosen faith, as long as you aren’t harming anyone. I watched as the students and the religious group catapulted sharp words toward one another, and wondered: At what point does this cross a line? When enough students complain? When they convert us all to whichever religion was being shouted across campus?
Where does it go from here?
For many students at FSU, this campus is our home. We live, work, eat, and sleep within these gates. Home is supposed to feel safe. Home is supposed to provide us a refuge from the constant barrage of choices and problems that greet us every time we step out our front doors. Home is certainly not a place where we should be accosted and provoked simply because our ideas don’t align with someone else’s.
I believe that every person has a right to their own beliefs, and a right to voice them. I also believe that we don’t get to decide that our belief systems are unilaterally ‘right’ just because they are right for us. Preaching to a group of willing audience members is one thing, but playing sneak-attack-savior to anyone who walks by is just ‘holy harassment.’
Photo Courtesy of Mac McCreery.
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