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Thursday,September 29, 2022 Vol. 76 No. 5
Preacher’s return to protest brings protest, discussion of free speech GABRIEL BRADY managing editor
Local religious figure and preacher Tom Rayborn returned to campus last week after being barred from the area due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, Rayborn’s presence sparked controversy, including an SIUE community town hall meeting addressing the campus’ concerns about alleged hate speech in Rayborn’s preaching and multiple protests against his presence on campus. Rayborn’s comments spurred calls in 2019 for him to be barred from the campus for hate speech, as Rayborn condemned the LGBTQ+ community, called students “demons” and declared they were going to hell. Students counter-protested wearing demon horns, but the university’s stance at the time was that Rayborn’s comments did not cross the line protected by the First Amendment and thus they were legally unable to ban him from campus.
RAYBORN DESCRIBES OWN VIEWS AS ‘GOSPEL-ORIENTED,’ ‘BIBLE-PREACHING’
Rayborn said, despite the claims of hateful speech, he loves every student at SIUE and was happy to return. “I love that campus. I love the students. It’s always a joy to visit,” Rayborn said. “That morning, while I was having breakfast with my lovely wife, she said to me, ‘What are you smiling so much for?’ and I told her, ‘I’m going back to SIUE today.’” In Rayborn’s own words, he said his views are Christian, but he would not summarize his views with any one denomination. “I’ve attended a Baptist style of church before, so that may put me into some kind of a box, but I don’t know,” Rayborn said. “I like to say I come from a Gospel-oriented church, a Bible preaching and believing church.” While preaching, Rayborn said he teaches about repentance rather than other religious concepts, like forgiveness or penance. “If somebody says, ‘Oh, I’ll go get baptized,’ … Or if somebody says, ‘I’m going to go do penance,’ or ‘Oh, I’m going to go to Mecca,’ they think that is going to cure everything,” Rayborn said while on the quad on Tuesday. “You need to realize that the problem that we have is sin. Your own good works can’t cure your sin problem.” Rayborn said although there are many reliable versions and translations of the Bible, he uses a version of the New American Standard edition when preaching. While on campus Tuesday, a student asked Rayborn to tell them exactly what his copy of the Bible had to say about gay people. “This is God’s word. In the book of first Corinthians, chapter 6, verses 9 through 10, it says, in verse 9, ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.’ Listen to his words,” Rayborn said on Tuesday. “‘Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor homosexuals.’” During Rayborn’s preaching on the quad on Tuesday, a large group of students — some in protest of Rayborn, some in support — stood around him as he spoke. The group reached about 80 students at its peak.
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STUDENTS EXPRESS OPINIONS ON RAYBORN’S VIEWS
Junior Abigail Cothran, a psychology major, said she is Catholic and her views on what sends a person to salvation and heaven are vastly different from Rayborn’s. “Honestly, as long as you’re a good person, you’ll end up going to heaven. That’s my kind of belief. I personally choose to be Catholic, but you can choose to be any religion,” Cothran said. “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, and you’re being respectful, I think you’ll end up in a good place.” Undeclared freshman Sophia Boone said she knows that everyone has the freedom of speech, but she also said it is not freedom from criticism. “I’m completely for people having and celebrating their own religion. I’m not against that. But when it comes to saying hateful things about things people can’t control, like being gay, your identity, things that you can’t change, I can’t let someone Protesters gathered around Rayborn on Sept. 27 with SIUE Police observing. just say those things, and not say anything | Emily Sterzinger / The Alestle back,” Boone said. “Because that’s not right, and you won’t change any minds. I anity. However, she also said the version of not hateful. He said he disagrees with the don’t think anyone here is going to change Christianity promoted by Rayborn is nothstudents who make claims about him ustheir minds over what this man is saying.” ing like her own perception of it. ing hateful speech and that he will preach Nathaniel Brewster, an undeclared “God calls us to love everyone and to despite this. major freshman, walked up to Rayborn treat them as we want others to treat our“What they say is they feel threatened, during his speech Tuesday, and, while at selves, and [Rayborn] is changing that, they feel it’s hate speech, they feel that I am the center of attention, unfurled a fan with and tell them that they’re going to hell for mean, so they use those terms. But in our the LGBTQ+ pride flag on it. Brewster something God designed for them. That’s society today, quite honestly, they are welsaid everyone has the freedom to express not right …God made everyone the way come to use those words and feel that way. themselves, including Rayborn, himself they’re supposed to be, whether that’s gay It does not bother me in the slightest that and all the students on campus. or straight. God wanted some people to be they say that,” Rayborn said. “It seems that “You can say what you say, but so can gay. He put them here, and made them that something has happened in our society that everybody else, so I can walk up to him and way,” Cothran said. “You deserve to be able says anything that is not agreement needs to do what I want, and have my fan, because to live your life the way that you want it to be met with insults and anger, instead of an just as much as it’s a public campus for him, be, the way you want to.” honest discussion.” it’s a campus for me as well,” Brewster said. Adriana Elliot, a sophomore biochem“A lot of people just agree with the first half istry major, said, although she is a Chrstian of that, which is you can say and do what herself, Rayborn’s views are not reflective RAYBORN SAYS HE WILL RETURN WEEKLY, STUDENTS PLAN PROTESTS you want. But, the other, flipped side is ev- of her own. After Rayborn left campus on Tueseryone else can say and do whatever they “The Bible does day, a smaller group of students remained want back. So, say, ‘Spread the and discussed what they felt was the best there’s two sides word of God.’ In course of action in response to Rayborn. to it.” his defense, he is Benjamin Wells, a senior in mass commuKaz Isibue, spreading the word nications, said he is a member of the Socialfreshman geogof God, but not the ist Student Association on campus. Wells In his defense, he is raphy major, said full word,” Elliot said he approached the group of students Rayborn’s views said. “I feel like his and helped calm the energy and organize spreading the word of focus on what is views are not of the groups’ varying views on Rayborn and and isn’t sinful, God, but not the full word. their time. Maybe his speech. and not on love. 50 or 60 years ago Wells said he personally believes that “The whole I feel like his views are that was Christiani- Rayborn’s rhetoric is not unique, and alpoint, with relity, but today, things though it is harmful, it is unfortunately not of their time. gion, is to treat have changed.” common at colleges today. others how you Freshman busiMaybe 50 or 60 years “Usually it always ends the same way. want to be treatness major Joyce The pastor who comes to campus does ed, like love thy ago that was Christianity, Tawdros said she something wrong and gets themselves reneighbor, but then also arrived at Ray- moved from campus because they did somebut today, things have he sits here and born’s speech later, thing stupid, like spitting on a student or he preaches about but, as a Christian, hitting someone, that kind of thing. I don’t changed.” how you should she would not agree mean to trivialize it, but this is certainly hate thy neighAdriana Elliot, sophomore biochemistry major with Rayborn — or not new,” Wells said. “[Rayborn] probably bor,” Izibue said. anyone — preach- feels like a broken record. He just keeps Junior busiing hateful views. coming back and saying the same things. ness major Sam Thomspon said, from “I didn’t get to hear all of what he said, He’ll talk about the same few verses, or what he had heard, Rayborn’s views were but from what I’ve heard so far, from peomaybe mix stuff up just a bit each week.” not hateful. ple here, is that he was hating on people, While the group of remaining stu“I don’t think it’s hatred. I believe he and that’s not okay. It’s not fair, and it’s not has an opinion, just like I have, and they in my definition of Christianity,” Tawdros dents discussed their opinions, senior crimcan have theirs. He’s not forcing anyone to said. “That’s just him as a person, if he truly inal justice major Holley Hentz spoke up listen,” Thompson said. “Everyone’s enti- did say those things, that’s not it. He does and took the crowd’s attention. She said the tled to their own opinion. He’s not forcing not represent Chrsitianity, and I hate that best course of action would be to organize this onto them. They’re here to listen, on he even spoke about Christianity in such a the student response. “He’s going to be here again, and we their own behalfs.” hateful way. If I could go up to every single Cothran also said she believes there one of the people upset and apologize on should protest peacefully. We should just stand in front of him, just block his way, so are similarities between traditional Cathol- behalf of Christians to them, I would.” icism and other parts of traditional ChristiRayborn said he believes his speech is
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