 "Photo:")
Miami University students had an unexpected guest Wednesday afternoon. A fundamentalist Christian identified only by the name of Brother Rick stood at the corner of Spring and Maple Streets, preaching his message to passersby.
The newcomer ruffled a lot of feathers, condemning not just shorts-wearers but also individuals with tattoos or piercings, drug users, participants in Greek life and all liberals.
"He's pretty much condemning everyone and making it seem like there's no hope for anyone out there," said sophomore Ashley Hake, a zoology major. "I'm Christian and I don't agree with anything he's saying."
Other Christians in the crowd disagreed with Brother Rick. One spoke up and told him, "You are embarrassing every Christian here."
Sophomore art major Shannon Powell was stunned.
"This is awful," was all she could say.
Reactions from the crowd varied-ranging from, "God bless xenophobia!" (in response to Brother Rick's fervent denial that Jesus was a race other than white) to "This is what homeless people in D.C. are like."
Brother Rick, originally from Dallas, Texas, has been delivering his message to more than 300 college campuses for 25 years.
"Miami University and most other public campuses are what I call public indoctrination for secular ideology," he said, when asked why he came to Miami. "They want to teach you how to be a good liberal and fight for the life of socialism."
It was statements like, "I am above human," "He loves me with a love that he doesn't love you with" and "God plays favorites," that upset onlookers - especially those who identify themselves as Christians.
According to Campus Crusade member Eric Bean, a junior double majoring in philosophy and comparative religion, Brother Rick was not fully preaching the message of Christianity.
"He's misquoting the Bible, first of all, but also he's not preaching the good news," Bean explained. "I wish he would identify himself as something other than Christian because he is not preaching Christianity."
Despite Brother Rick's comments, Bean did not feel the fundamentalist is in the wrong.
"It's all about freedom of speech," Bean said. "Anyone should be able to say whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want. It gets the students thinking and I think it's great."
Brother Rick has been all over Ohio, preaching at the University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, The Ohio State University, University of Toledo and more.
He graded Miami students' response to his message as an A+.
"I've got some listeners: some are wanting to make comments, others have questions, but overall it's been a good response," Brother Rick said.
