Live and let live, or?

[Sanguvixen]

Hand them a Bible and tell them to read it?

This question keeps buggering my mind. Oh, let me explain. This is getting close to being my second year in College. Recently these people, evangelicals I think, started showing up at my campus. They protest the concert hall that many local college kids and teenagers like to go to.

For the last three Fridays, this one person shows up with a sign and stands over near the courtyard. It has a list of kinds of people who are "Going to hell" including "rebellious women" "non-believers" and "atheists".

For the most part people ignore them. Sometimes they laugh. I keep wanting to do something. Half of me wants to dress up with my friends in costume and go over there and protest their presence...but protesting them could incite violence. I don't know how well they would take it.

So, I want to do something else. I want to buy a bible, and tack a list copied from this image:



I want to tell the person that they should read it, and then walk on. I wonder though, would the guy even get the point? Or is it just best to live and let live and allow those people to make fools of themselves?

For those who also go to college, what kind of high jinks do the local religous zealots in your areas do? What do other people do in reaction to those high jinks?

 

[Teoka]

In this instance, I say go for it. They want to be assholes, so you've got to strike back at their precious story book.

If they want to exercise their free speech, you do the same.  

[Le Pere Duchesne]

It is unfortunate that atheists feel the need to be smart arses when it comes to fanatics. What is needed is not a funny (because it's true) sticker on a bible, dressing up for street theatre, or anything like that. This needs to be taken seriously.
There are fanatics on campus and they should be made to feel unwelcome. Have a counter demonstration with as many people as you can find, preferably females, homosexuals and minorities. In opposition to the fanatic placards detailing who is going to hell, you should have equally serious placards: "Bigots Off Campus!" "For Free Abortion On Demand!" "For The Seperation of Church and State!" and the like.

This will cause conflict with the fanatics, and if the s**t hits the fan, it will be the fanatics who are defended by the cops. But this is more important than that.  

[Kiyrugoji]

Gracchvs

This will cause conflict with the fanatics, and if the s**t hits the fan, it will be the fanatics who are defended by the cops.

Why would they be defended by the cops?

See, this is another thing I don't like. Maybe for religious minorities, Christians, agnostics, whatever group. Statements like that seem to be saying "our struggle is hard but righteous!", in an effort to get the persecution card going. Gracchvs, if you show some examples of fanatics having the police on their side, I will gladly take back what I said, but that effort to raise morale stank. :/

To the OP: Do as you feel necessary. Put on the stickers if you want. Acting like the mature ones, to this day, has done absolute s**t. Don't listen to anybody that tells you not to protest back, and have a blast. I'll be rooting for 'ya.  

[Sanguvixen]

Gracchvs

It is unfortunate that atheists feel the need to be smart arses when it comes to fanatics. What is needed is not a funny (because it's true) sticker on a bible, dressing up for street theatre, or anything like that. This needs to be taken seriously.
There are fanatics on campus and they should be made to feel unwelcome. Have a counter demonstration with as many people as you can find, preferably females, homosexuals and minorities. In opposition to the fanatic placards detailing who is going to hell, you should have equally serious placards: "Bigots Off Campus!" "For Free Abortion On Demand!" "For The Seperation of Church and State!" and the like.

This will cause conflict with the fanatics, and if the s**t hits the fan, it will be the fanatics who are defended by the cops. But this is more important than that.

I don't want to be a smart a** about it. I just want to do something, but I don't know what yet.

The thing is, that the campus isn't a real campus. It is a smatter of buildings in a down-town area right near a big mall. Because so many different kinds of people are down there I want to be careful what I do if anything.

Oh...and I doubt the cops will defend them. The one time the group showed up in numbers to protest a concert at the bigger theater, the cops stood, drank coffee, and laughed at the protesters.

I do think that it would be good to get females, and people who represent the minority if a counter protest is staged. But...it is only a few people, usually just one. So I don't want to make it look as though we are over-reacting.

Which is why I've gone from thinking about a counter-protest, to a simple gesture. I don't know...it raises my hackles every time I see that person with that sign, and I know that if something major is going on down-town...there will be more than one.

Maybe I will just watch, and see if they move on, or if they start growing in the amount of numbers that show up. If the numbers begin to grow, it might be worth a counter-protest without it being viewed as an over-reaction.  

[Le Pere Duchesne]

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but that effort to raise morale stank. :/

It was meant, not to raise morale, but to explain the seriousness [and show the class character] of the situation. The following bit["But this is more important than that.
"], which you neglected to quote was meant to raise morale.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide an example of such anyway, but one needs only look at the anti-Klan mobilisations where the anti-Klan demonstration in thousands strong, and the Klan only hundereds. The Klan gets escorted out, inside the police cars.

However, the question as to why they would be defended is a lot easier to answer: The police are among the most backward elements in the community, and their sympathies will most likely lie with the fanatics.
It all comes down to the class character of the state. The state is the executive arm of the ruling class, that is, the capitalists. It is in their interests to maintain a religious world view in the working class, so all attempts must come up against the state, which is at its core, the courts, cops, gaols and the army.

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The thing is, that the campus isn't a real campus. It is a smatter of buildings in a down-town area right near a big mall. Because so many different kinds of people are down there I want to be careful what I do if anything.

What it comes down to is this: Do you want what is right, that is, do you want this/these anti-women, anti-homosexual, anti-sex, and anti-science bigots gone or do you not want to offend anyone?
That is your choice. They see the choice they have: Get rid of the non-believers or not offend anyone and decide to take action. So must we.

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Oh...and I doubt the cops will defend them. The one time the group showed up in numbers to protest a concert at the bigger theater, the cops stood, drank coffee, and laughed at the protesters.

While it is certainly encouraging to hear that the relationship of forces may favour 'us,' I would not assume that they would hold the same attitude once they saw 'principled christians' fighting 'the unbeliever,' whether or not they lose. In anycase, if you decide to go ahead with a counter-demonstration, remember to not let your group be the tricked into throwing the first punch... That is pretty much all it comes down to.

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I do think that it would be good to get females, and people who represent the minority if a counter protest is staged. But...it is only a few people, usually just one. So I don't want to make it look as though we are over-reacting.

An over-reaction is better than no reaction. If they see that there are way more of 'us' than them, they will think twice before coming back. If they start something and it gets violent and they get their arses kicked, they will think more than twice before coming back.

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Which is why I've gone from thinking about a counter-protest, to a simple gesture. I don't know...it raises my hackles every time I see that person with that sign,

You could just make up a simple flyer to hand out to people whenever that person is there. If it is only one of them, make it so that you have two friends with you. It will be a nice simple message that you exist, that you can handle their existence, and that you can get more people than they can.

However, the problem with that, is that they will most likely come back next week with 5 or so (maybe no, you would know their numbers better than me, I am just opperating from my own experiences here) and so you will have to suddenly get more than 5 people together or look like fools when they come back with a superior force.

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and I know that if something major is going on down-town...there will be more than one

Could you explain this a bit?  

[Sanguvixen]

Of course I want what is right. I want for people like this to keep their biased, bigoted opinions to themselves. At the same time, I have a lot to take into consideration.

I live in an evangelical backyard. I don't want to start something that will rile the whole community up...and I don't know how it will all go. I don't want to offend anyone, but at the same time you are dealing with people who are offensive in what they are perpetuating. I suppose you cannot get rid of one without running the risk of offending another.

It is true that their attitude might be different. However, that little area depends upon the college students. If it is a case of College Students wanting these bigots out of their area, there might be sympathy. It is all about how the protest is staged.

I don't want it to be an us vs them, so much as a we don't want you, so just leave, and keep your thoughts to your church. Oh...and I know that one would have to not let any of us throw the first first punch. Better it is if we throw no punch at all regardless of what they do. That would show us the better people lest something happen.

I might look into the different clubs, since I am vice of one, at the campus and see if we can't get people to pull together and figure out a way to make it a group effort to go out, and protest these people. I would not want to be passing out flyers because I know they will end up on the ground everywhere.

Well, on Fridays there is at least one. Sometimes there are 2 or three...but lately there has been one. That changes if a big event goes on down in that area. For example if the small concert hall has a popular group playing one night, or if a big name musician shows up at the bigger theatre...usually that is when a larger number of people, from this hate group, show up. That is what I meant by that bit.

 

[Le Pere Duchesne]

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At the same time, I have a lot to take into consideration.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you there, as I have neither the information you have, nor the world-view.

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I live in an evangelical backyard. I don't want to start something that will rile the whole community up...and I don't know how it will all go.

This may pose a bit of a problem, but if you can get a disciplined group of protesters together with an agreed set of demands beforehand (I would suggest requiring everyone to agree to the demands I gave earlier as it shows you are principled, and that the whole group agrees, so there is less infighting).

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I don't want to offend anyone, but at the same time you are dealing with people who are offensive in what they are perpetuating. I suppose you cannot get rid of one without running the risk of offending another.

You do not stand the risk, you will actually do so. That is why it is so serious. If you go in halfhearted, you will lose. In that case, it is better to find a different avenue of struggle:
On the 'Mountain' in 1848:
If the Montagne wished to triumph in parliament it should not have called to arms. If it called to arms in parliament it should not have acted in parliamentary fashion in the streets. If the peaceful demonstration was meant seriously, then it was folly not to foresee that it would be given a warlike reception. If a real struggle was intended, then it was a queer idea to lay down the weapons with which it would have to be waged.
If you wish to stand up for what you believe, be prepared to offend. If you do not wish to offend, you must back down from the struggle.

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I don't want it to be an us vs them, so much as a we don't want you, so just leave, and keep your thoughts to your church.

How is that not 'us vs them'?

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Better it is if we throw no punch at all regardless of what they do. That would show us the better people lest something happen.

No, if they start violence, then you must be prepared to meet that with violence. See the bit in red above. If they get violent against you, you must be prepared to defend yourselves. Do not let them win, but at the same time, allow them every possible means of escape, and do not bash them beyond the point of defence. If they start bashing your people in a demonstration, and you do not fight back, they will become emboldened and will continue to use violence. Better to let them know that you can kick their collective arses now, and after you have already suffered a public black eye.

Oh, and don't let your guys bash their females, and make sure to point out in post event propaganda any instances of where their males attacked your females: It is awesome in showing their anti-woman side to all the soft-liners.

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I might look into the different clubs, since I am vice of one, at the campus and see if we can't get people to pull together and figure out a way to make it a group effort to go out, and protest these people.

That is probably the best way. If there are any left wing(read: self proclaimed 'revolutionaries') groups on campus, it would be a good idea to get them as well.

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I would not want to be passing out flyers because I know they will end up on the ground everywhere.

With flyers, the point is not just to hand them out, but to start conversations, and in those conversations, make it very clear, and in a rather loud voice, why you are doing it. The point is not to become popular, but to show them that you are more popular than they are.

To the last para: That sucks.
Depending on the event, it might be better to have a counter demo then, rather on some random friday. If you find an act that is attracting these fanatics for a reason beyond the young people (ex: the group is known for its feminist views/anti-war stance/whatever) then you might be able to make something more specific.