Post by Miles Lewis on Sept 26, 2008 9:45:08 GMT -7
Brayley returns to WSU campus
Gina Barker
Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: News
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Media Credit: Jessica Schreifels
Eli Brayley discusses religous views with WSU students on campus Thursday afternoon. He was on campus Wednesday and Thursday, part of his third visit.
Students began to gather outside the Social Sciences Building Wednesday and Thursday in what has become a semi-tradition among students to watch an unfolding debate between themselves and the born-again preacher Eli Brayley. Brayley has come to Weber State University in each of the three past semesters i, preaching to students about damnation to those who had not accepted Christ as a savior.
"It's interesting," said Ted Grosgebauer, a WSU freshman. "You don't see this every day. I go to school each day and I don't normally walk past a guy that's preaching to a crowd of people."
Some members of the crowd were furious with Brayley, defending their own religious beliefs in response to his. Students yelled back and forth, throwing out questions and probing for weaknesses. One student, Chris Volk, a WSU sophomore, kept questioning Brayley, demanding answers.
"He wouldn't answer any questions," Volk said. "He would just keep reverting to the bible and saying you are a sinner. There is no interpretation."
"He would point to everyone here and say we're all going to hell and we're all doing wrong. Repentance doesn't matter. 'Good works' doesn't matter, and helping people doesn't matter. If I'm helping out an individual he says it doesn't matter to God, but I know that it matters to that individual."
Brayley, the evangelical from New Brunswick, Canada, came to WSU with friend and fellow preacher Miles Lewis. The two have traveled the country, stopping at campuses around the nation to spread their message. The two were at the University of Utah on Tuesday and plan on continuing their tour of Utah colleges.
"The academic atmosphere lends itself to nice open dialogue and discussion," Lewis said. "Its easy to draw a big crowd."
Students still vented frustration over the discussion that was taking place. When Eli would begin preaching from the bible, many students would laugh and mock his message.
"This guy is ignorant," public relations major Chase Saxton said, "and won't listen to anyone. He's not answering anyone's questions."
Four WSU police officers watched from a distance as students and preachers argued back and forth. Officer Wagner said the police were there for peace-keeping, but noted there had never been problems with any previous visits Brayley made to WSU.
"No one is condemning anyone," said Brayley. "The fact and the reality is that everyone is condemned without Christ. People don't realize they need saving from condemnation, they don't realize they are condemned."
Brayley explained his beliefs; that good works could not be good without accepting Christ because, without Christ, a person is still tainted with sin. Through Christ a person's sins will be absolved, carried by Christ, and only then can any work be truly good. While students may not have agreed with the message Brayley and Lewis were sending, they believed the pair had a right to express it.
"He's brave for coming out and preaching his beliefs," Becca Eskridge, an English major, said, "and while I agree with some of what he says, I'm not sure he's going about saying it the right way. He's preaching damnation not salvation."
Brayley's beliefs and background will be further explained next Monday in a profile.
media.www.wsusignpost.com/media/storage/paper985/news/2008/09/26/News/Brayley.Returns.To.Wsu.Campus-3454341.shtml
Gina Barker
Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: News
[/img]
media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper985/stills/q6cv5038.jpg
Media Credit: Jessica Schreifels
Eli Brayley discusses religous views with WSU students on campus Thursday afternoon. He was on campus Wednesday and Thursday, part of his third visit.
Students began to gather outside the Social Sciences Building Wednesday and Thursday in what has become a semi-tradition among students to watch an unfolding debate between themselves and the born-again preacher Eli Brayley. Brayley has come to Weber State University in each of the three past semesters i, preaching to students about damnation to those who had not accepted Christ as a savior.
"It's interesting," said Ted Grosgebauer, a WSU freshman. "You don't see this every day. I go to school each day and I don't normally walk past a guy that's preaching to a crowd of people."
Some members of the crowd were furious with Brayley, defending their own religious beliefs in response to his. Students yelled back and forth, throwing out questions and probing for weaknesses. One student, Chris Volk, a WSU sophomore, kept questioning Brayley, demanding answers.
"He wouldn't answer any questions," Volk said. "He would just keep reverting to the bible and saying you are a sinner. There is no interpretation."
"He would point to everyone here and say we're all going to hell and we're all doing wrong. Repentance doesn't matter. 'Good works' doesn't matter, and helping people doesn't matter. If I'm helping out an individual he says it doesn't matter to God, but I know that it matters to that individual."
Brayley, the evangelical from New Brunswick, Canada, came to WSU with friend and fellow preacher Miles Lewis. The two have traveled the country, stopping at campuses around the nation to spread their message. The two were at the University of Utah on Tuesday and plan on continuing their tour of Utah colleges.
"The academic atmosphere lends itself to nice open dialogue and discussion," Lewis said. "Its easy to draw a big crowd."
Students still vented frustration over the discussion that was taking place. When Eli would begin preaching from the bible, many students would laugh and mock his message.
"This guy is ignorant," public relations major Chase Saxton said, "and won't listen to anyone. He's not answering anyone's questions."
Four WSU police officers watched from a distance as students and preachers argued back and forth. Officer Wagner said the police were there for peace-keeping, but noted there had never been problems with any previous visits Brayley made to WSU.
"No one is condemning anyone," said Brayley. "The fact and the reality is that everyone is condemned without Christ. People don't realize they need saving from condemnation, they don't realize they are condemned."
Brayley explained his beliefs; that good works could not be good without accepting Christ because, without Christ, a person is still tainted with sin. Through Christ a person's sins will be absolved, carried by Christ, and only then can any work be truly good. While students may not have agreed with the message Brayley and Lewis were sending, they believed the pair had a right to express it.
"He's brave for coming out and preaching his beliefs," Becca Eskridge, an English major, said, "and while I agree with some of what he says, I'm not sure he's going about saying it the right way. He's preaching damnation not salvation."
Brayley's beliefs and background will be further explained next Monday in a profile.
media.www.wsusignpost.com/media/storage/paper985/news/2008/09/26/News/Brayley.Returns.To.Wsu.Campus-3454341.shtml
