Michael Venyah, the loquacious and inciting preacher, has made a return to campus, and I have never heard such a wide range of reactions about anything: from anger and calls for protest to humor and jocularity.Either way, though, he is a nuisance who serves few purposes other than invading students’ peaceful daydreams as they stroll across the Drill Field … right?
Well, I am not one to wake up every morning just itching to be screamed at with extreme prejudice and condemned to hell, but Venyah is having an unusual but desirable effect on campus: He is prompting discussion and getting students excited (not like that: take your mind out of the gutter or you will go to hell!). But seriously, just like anyone would have a difficult time finding someone who has not heard of Venyah, he or she would have an even harder time finding someone who has heard him and is indifferent to his statements.
Of course, I agree with almost everyone that Venyah is misguided or at least misrepresenting the Christian faith he claims to preach. However, Venyah’s words are causing students to talk about what they believe. More importantly, he is getting students to defend their belief system if they have one, or force them to form one, lest they be left out of the innumerable lunch table conversations Venyah has been the impetus for.
So, I challenge you to consider exactly why Venyah’s opinions are ridiculous and unreasonable. Especially if you call yourself a Christian, go read your Bible. Figure out what that esteemed book actually says and how it applies to you. And no matter what faith you choose to affiliate yourself with, be sure your opinions can withstand assault, as the next person who attacks them might not be so easily discounted as crazy.
Andy Lindeman
Junior
Computer Science
So the “Crazy Preacher Man” is back. Michael Venyah made himself quite visible as he was traipsing around the Drill Field and proclaiming his ignorance.
I am not going to sit here and try to argue that homosexuality is or is not a sin according to the Bible because I can look up a specific verse and tell you where that is stated.
However, show me in the Bible where it says one sin is weighed as being more severe or less severe according to God. You won’t find it. It is stated very clearly that God doesn’t see a specific sin. He just sees sin and doesn’t measure one as being worse than the other. That measurement is the vision and the opinion of man.
So how about those who claim to practice a Christian lifestyle, yet they have hate in their heart and they judge? How about those who show up to church on Sunday morning and talk a good game but, at the same time, feel the sting of a hangover as a result from a hard Saturday night of drinking? What about people who claim to be Christians but turn around and murder someone? Am I a worse person in God’s eyes because I happen to be in love with another woman? Show me in the Bible where there is a scale of “how bad” sins are.
Also, show me in the Bible where God presents the condition that your heart has to be in a specific condition to open yourself up to his love? It doesn’t. God says come as you are with whatever sin you have in your life, and he will love you and claim you as his own, and he will never turn away from you.
Can you show me where it is stated in the Bible that Christians will have a sinless life? Well, you can’t, but you can show me where God forgives you – even if you mess up, and that is not just concerning certain sins. Everyone lives with some sort of sin in his or her life. Everyone. Even Michael Venyah. Clearly, he is so full of hate – no wonder so many don’t trust the word of evangelists. How can you promote a message of love through words of hate? My mama didn’t scare me into loving her when I was little, so why do some find if effective to scare a nonbeliever into loving God? Call me crazy.
I am a proud homosexual woman. I am also a Christian. I am not perfect nor do I claim to be, but I know I am forgiven by God. When God looks at me he doesn’t see a big ole “Gay Sticker” on my forehead – he sees a heart who loves him and cannot go a day without seeking him. I have a wonderful life partner who is also a Christian. We don’t go around trying to seduce 12-year-olds, murder people or drive under the influence of alcohol. We are upstanding members of our community, and our sexuality is a very small part of who we are.
Neither Michael Venyah nor anyone else walking this earth can know my heart. No one has the right to question my faith. No one.
Liz Tullos
Senior
Music Education
As a Christian, I am appalled and angered by Michael Venyah, the man who has decided to “represent” the Christian faith. I am not angry because he confronts me with my sins; I know I am a sinner. Every human sins; anyone who says they do not sin is either a liar or an ignorant fool. It is only through making poor decisions that you learn to turn to God for help, repent and give him your sins and learn and grow from them. Temptations and tests are how you are molded into the person God has inteded you to be.
This man angers me because he is driving nonbelievers from God faster than anyone else can drive them into God’s hands. For the believers who hear him, we know his rantings do not account for much and simply ignore him. For the nonbelievers, I can imagine them thinking “there goes another crazy, high-and-mighty Christian, and I want nothing to do with that.”
We are not here to judge other people, as Mr. Venyah thinks. To those nonbelievers: Please do not judge us Christians as that man has judged you. Our job as Christians is to spread the word of God to nonbelievers – word of his love, mercy and saving grace.
Renee LaBruyere
Graduate
Business Administration