Jews for Jesus uses ‘uniquely deceptive approach’ to proselytize
In Friday’s issue of Student Life, Bum Young Kim, a leader of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, commented that Jews for Jesus will “hopefully lift the level of spirituality on campus.” Ironically, for me, a Jew for Judaism, they have done just that. After participating in over 10 hours of private dialogue with friends involved with the Jews for Jesus effort this past week, I have become more passionate about Judaism, more spiritually inspired, and more energized to continue my journey on a path to becoming a more committed Jew.
I do, however, continue to believe that Jews for Jesus’s uniquely deceptive approach to proselytizing on campus grounds is offensive and inappropriate. For example, I was particularly repulsed by the sign posted in the student center proclaiming that “Jesus made me kosher” because it suggests that Jewish people that do abide by strict Jewish dietary standards are not kosher. Furthermore, I was completely disgusted by their advertisement in Student Life that used the Holocaust to advance their own religious ends.
Although my friends involved with the evangelizing campaign claim that there is only one way to God, through acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, I do not believe anyone has the right to tell me if I do or do not have a relationship with God. This kind of thinking leads to intolerance. Denying my relationship with God is denying who I am as a person. No one has the right to judge me, to judge what I believe, or to judge my relationship with God. Ultimately the only judge is God.
Jocelyn Segal
Class of 2003
Arts and Sciences
Jews for Jesus’s problem is not its strategy, but its disrespect for students
To the editor:
I am greatly concerned that Brian Eufinger’s sole reason for disagreeing with Jews for Jesus’s message seems that they will turn people off from Christianity permanently or give Christianity a bad name. He states that “the problem with hyperactive proselytization is that for every one (if even one) Jewish person that might be ‘saved’ by this campaign, dozens will be permanently turned off Christianity, and therefore ‘sent to hell.'” Shouldn’t we be more concerned about the lack of respect inherent in bringing a group to campus with the sole purpose of converting one’s peers? InterVarsity Christian Fellowship ought to be ashamed of itself. The group’s lack of respect for their fellow classmates is astounding and saddening. Here’s a tip: if you want to keep your friends, don’t proselytize to them.
Andrew Ross
Class of 2005
Arts and Sciences
WU offers many opportunites for learning English as a second language
To the editor:
Thank you for publicizing the student-initiated volunteer ESL tutoring project. This project is a great addition to WU community service programs and is just one example of the services available for non-native English speakers on campus. I am writing to make prospective students as well as prospective volunteers aware of these other initiatives.
For advanced non-native English speakers such as those among WU students, faculty, and staff, WU’s English Language Programs offer a wide variety of courses. These courses, available through University College, are designed to help non-native English speakers fine-tune their English skills to meet the high language demands of WU’s academic programs and/or a professional workplace. They are taught by full- and part-time WU staff with graduate degrees in teaching English as a Second Language. More information is available at http://artsci.wustl.edu/~esl/index.html.
Prospective volunteers who wish to work with non-native English speaking WU students can participate in programs such as Speak English With Us, a weekly conversation program, and the Host Family Program, a monthly community activity program. Anyone interested may contact the Office for International Students and Scholars at 935-5910.
Last but not least, any student volunteer who really enjoys this type of work might consider making a career out of it. The education department offers a teacher education/certification program in teaching ESL and will soon offer an undergraduate minor in it.
Best of luck to the student volunteers working with the immigrant workers on campus. These students are making WU’s services for non-native English speakers more complete.
Karen Schwelle
Instructor
English Language Program