As a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, reading the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" once spoken by Jonathon Edwards reminds me of my own encounters with extreme preachers. Preacher Gary Birdsong, among other campus-crawling evangelists, voices his radical interpretation of the Bible to all who would listen in the "free-speech zone" of our campus. It is not uncommon for Preacher Gary to accuse students of being sinful and wrong in the eyes of God.
I would like for you to respond to this article using the prompts below to guide you. Note that, although I would like for you to respond to each question completely, you are not restricted to them. Feel free to voice your opinion on the concept of campus preachers and/or the fear tactics they use.
- Can fear be used as a motivator? How and why?
- University of Florida's Daniel Morgan stated that these preachers were often
much different in private. What might be some benefits to such radical
performances in front of large crowds?
- How would you react to these preachers?
- How do you think Puritan society would have reacted to these tactics?
Link to the article:
http://www.nineronline.com/2.5290/you-re-going-to-hell-say-campus-preachers-1.545778
If you find that you finished before your peers, please read the following interview of Sarah Vowell, a historian who recently published her research on Puritan culture. Link is below:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/163471
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I dont think that anyone should be able to tell people that they are all going to hell.
ReplyDeletei think that you should be able to tell anything ythat you want because of the ammendment that says you have the freadom of speech. if you want to tell them that u are going to hell then you should be able to tell them
ReplyDeleteI believe fear can be used as a motivator but only in some circumstances. When it comes to this preacher, I think he is allowed to voice his opinion but the word of God shouldn't be instilled with fear. If this man thinks he is doing right by God, that is his right but I believe that God should be perceived as our Father, not our punisher. The more attention these men attract, the more adrenalin runs through their system which makes them more excited about their sermons. I would listen to these preachers and respond in a positive way because their intentions are good but I don't believe in the way they're giving these sermons. I think the Puritan society would react negatively for the simple fact that these people are so bold about their beliefs and how they really feel about our Father
ReplyDeleteI believe fear....Ashley Warshaw
ReplyDeletei think that Gary is wrong, and he is sinning for telling people they are going to "hell" if you sin. Because people sin everyday including "preacher Gary". Yes, fear can be used as a motivator. If you fear something, your fear will motivate you to overcome the thing you fear. Preachers might sometimes get stage fright if they are preaching infront of a big crowd, because they may not be used to the big crowd. I would probably not like these preachers if they tell me im going to hell fir making a cuple sins. I think that the puritans would have change their ways deffinately and they would not sin anymore.
ReplyDelete-Cullen Perry
I think that it matters the person of whom you are doing this against. It is harder to scare some ppl over others.
ReplyDeleteIt gets there attention to were they probabaly will listen.
I wouldn't let it get to me i would just go the other way.
They would have badmouthed them and tell them they were wrong .
Justin Goodson
fear can be a motivator but i think it depends on the situation. some benefits to the large crowds is exposure and trying to spread the word of his beliefs. my reaction to the preachers would be to just walk away if i dont believe in what they are saying. since puritans are very religious people and since it came from the bible they would believe it.
ReplyDeleteivy
I think that the benifits of preaching the way he did was not nessisarily fearful just differnt. I thik that if he wanted to get his message across he did so with his ways of preaching. If the puritans were to see this they would look in the bible to see if the way he preached was the right way. They would agree to what he was saying.
ReplyDelete-erikka berns
The benefits of such radical performences can be that they get more attention and get more people to listen to them.I would just ignor these preachers if i ever seem them.Puritans would most likely use it themselves to get people to belive what they do.
ReplyDeleteJoElL PimPeNel
1) Yes, because having fear and then conquering it, gives you something to look forward to and helps you to be motivated towards the goal that your reaching when the fear is holding you back.
ReplyDelete2)Benefits to such radical performances in front of large crowds would be the fact that the people get to experience it hands on and I think people learn more when they see it physically rather then being scolded about the concern or fear.
3)I would react in full effect because they learn from their past and because of their fears and I think that's a good way to learn from your mistakes. I don't have anything against it.
4)I think Puritans would react differently because not only are they very strict but they don't like change. But they do teach others to put fear in you and they believe that once you have fear, it will motivate you to do better. So in a way, they might like the teach ethic but then again, then might not just because of what the preachers have done in their past.
Karli Brooke Baker.
I guess fear could be used as a motivator because sometimes people have different ways to conquer fear. I would really have no reaction to these preachers because I don't always listen to what other people think. Preachers might sometimes get stage fright if they are preaching infront of a big crowd, because they may not be used to the big crowd. . The Puritan society would have reacted to these tactics in different kind of manners and they would have all had mixed emotions and feeling towards these preachers beliefs.
ReplyDeleteGarrett Ray
Yes, it can if you're talking to the right people. Everybody takes fear a different way...some people are intimidated by it others are empowered by it.
ReplyDeleteI don't see any advantages to being so radical when you aren't. It just shows bad for other christians who don't do stuff like that.
I wouldn't stop to listen to them...it is pointless.
They probably would have taken it pretty well. Accepted it and absorbed it willingly.
Christina Fulwider
Honestly i think fear can be used as a motivator . . if your scared of something happening your gonna do your best to avoid that .
ReplyDeleteThe benefit to such radical performanes in large crowds us that their using a public form of speech . They have the right to Freedom Of Speech so they can preach in any form they want .
If I seen preachers like this trying to talk to us i'd probably listen to them for 5 min. and then walk away . I dont think you have to listen to that garbage. As long as you pray on your own and ask God to forgive your sins.
I think the Puritans would have obeyed these tactics .
-Ryan
Fear is used as a movtivator because it can stop you from doing things.
ReplyDeleteSome benefits are being in front of a large crowd are having a lot more attention, and people actually listening.I would react by just walking away and be a better person then them.
The Puritan society would not have taken it well, they would be so mad and probably kick you out of the society.
-Brianna
Fear could be used as a motivator in countless wayz.I think its good to insue fear to get your point across if needed.
ReplyDeleteJ-DOG
-I think fear CAN be used as a motivator.If somebody is scared of what people think or scared they will get in trouble they will change what they would usually do to make sure they are ok. They don't want to be picked on so they're gonna change. They don't want to get in trouble so they don't do it. They are scared their family will get hurt or they may lose something so they try to do something to veer away from that.
ReplyDelete-The people may think that the preacher is always like this and may be scared to do anything wrong if the preacher is always there. The people might also be scared to be alone with the preacher because they think if they are like this with alot of people, just imagine how they are alone.
-I wouldn't appreciate somebody telling me everything I do is going to send me to hell. I have made my mistakes and I have learned from them. I am still a Christian no matter what. But if somebody was telling me that my clothes are very sinful and I am of the devil I would highly unappreciate it. I may do some things that are not as pure as I should be but I am still a Christian and I have faith that I am not going to hell. So I would be pretty livid if somebody told me I will go to hell because I'm not 100% pure.
-They would probably disagree with the scare tactics.
~Noel Allen
yes fear is a great motivator somtimes. the benift to radical preformacesit draws lagre crowds.i would tell him to buzz off. they would have belived him because it is what they believe
ReplyDeletebranden crotsley
yes fear can be used as a motivator because the more that someone fears someone else the more fears someone the more that they might fear for their own life. some benefits of using racial comments in front of large crowds are instilling fear to people and showing them their points of views. i would react by not listening. the puritans would probably have been very happy with these preachers because many of the Puritans were also harsh.
ReplyDelete-Nick Pfeiffer
I think it can be used to motivate because some people have answered to the preachers and believe what they said because they are afraid of what they said. Now i believe that they do such radical perforances because they want to get your attention and then scare you into believeing what they say. I would tellthem to shut up and to ruy read the bible and i doubt that is what the bible tells christians to do and if anything it would scare people off from being christians. I think tthat they would agree in the radical ways but i don't know about the screaming at people so i think they would agree in somr parts but not with others.
ReplyDeleteJT Tinker
-Fear is used as a motivator because it can stop you from making mistakes that you will regret.
ReplyDelete-I think the benefits of such radical performances in front of large crowds are that it get attention and it helps hold the attention.
-I'm not sure how i would react to these preachers.
-I think the puritans would probably appreciate these preachers and how they speak out for their religion.
Kellie Holder
This article was very well written and was extremely informative. Yes, i think fear can be used as a motivator because if im afraid i will be motivated to run away. well, such radical performances in front of large crowds would give the preachers much attention and the people he would be screaming at would be more motivated to listen. I would be motivated by fear and run away. The puritans would be motivated to listen to the gospels of god.
ReplyDeletejustin fox, and laura coley
Fear can be an motivator. Because of you not knowing and someone tells you about something your scared about the consequences. Fear can also play apart in the way of the preacher because every one else thinks he knows more than what they do about the situation. they get them angry and get more information about the people that they preform for.. I would not even waste my time with them. The puritan would have taking the information to heart and try to change there ways to fit into what the preachers were saying.
ReplyDeleteJeffery Sumter
I don't believe that they are right to instill fear in the students' eyes. By using that method, it will only make people hostile and not listen to what you have to say.It's also going against certain rights that people have.
ReplyDeleteJames McKee
1)Yes, fear CAN be used as a motivator.
ReplyDelete2)Being radcal might be the only ways to get your point across.
3) I would just walk away if a preacher came at me like that.
4)Puritans would have been used to it.
_Jhaquille
I don't think that people should be pushing their views on other people. If those preachers want to get rid of their sins then good for them. It took them a while and eventually they came around. Let people establish their own relationship with god and when they realize they've been leading a different life from their beliefs then they'll change. I don't think that fear in this way will motivate people. I believe that Puritans might be similar in a way to these preachers but different because they believe that no preacher can come in the way of a individuals relationship with god. I understand why the preachers are going to large college campuses. They want to effect large groups of people. If you can just change one person it can be beneficial.
ReplyDelete-Jasmine Irvin
-fear can be used as a motivator in certain situations but this has nothing to do with fear.
ReplyDelete-to get there attention but sometimes they take it to far in their practices.
-i wouldn't put up with these guys i would have to leave cause they would begin to get on my nervesss!
- i don't think the puritans would act to kindly to this type of preaching.
DF
fear can be used as a motivator because it can stop you from making a mistake
ReplyDeletei think that the benefits of such radical performances in large crowds is that it helps draw attention and keep the attention
JH
i think that fear can be a good motivator if we choose to conguer that fear instead of running from it. i wouldnt listen to the preacher if he came up to me saying i was going to hell i would probably just ignore him and walk away because i dont think its right for him to be telling people that there going to hell.
ReplyDeleteginna
yes fear can be used as a motivator because the more that someone fears someone else the more fears someone the more that they might fear for their own life. some benefits of using racial comments in front of large crowds are instilling fear to people and showing them their points of views. i would react by not listening. the puritans would probably have been very happy with these preachers because many of the Puritans were also harsh.
ReplyDeletejason
Fear can be used as a motivator because say you are being threatedned you are going to do whatever you are told to do all because you want to keep you life. The way the Preacher Gary is using it does nobody any good. He is only telling people what he beleives and that is the only way to keep yourself from going to hell. Nothing else will save you if you don't do what i am saying. It incredible how many people actually think he is right. I am sure that the preachers are much more different in private then when they are yelling at a group of people. Maybe there is one person who believes that what the preacher is saying is right and wants to know more. Say he said the wrong thing to a crowd of people. they could end up hurting themselves or the preacher. If I was doing work in the courtyard and all of the sudden a preacher came out to say what he thinks is right i would honestly just get up and walk away. I don't want to waste my time listening to things that i don't really care about. It does me no good. But if he said somthing like gay peopel should repent or burn in hell i think i would stand up and yell at him. It may be in the bible but in reality how many people go by the bible? I think that the puritans would be more motivated then we are becuase they woud think that anything they said is important and they would need to use it to make sure they weren't going to be shunned by the society. Its very scary how people would think that just one person says its going to effect their lives.
ReplyDelete-Maya Quinn