In your Friday article titled “Craigslist can be an effective way to find housing” (ODE May 12), the author advised students on how to shop for accommodation online, but also fired an insult to those who hold a Christian worldview.
I quote the columnist: “I knew that when I e-mailed the owner of the room I wanted, who was asking for a renter who was progressive, laid-back, animal-friendly and affable, that I was those things. I wouldn’t have expected to be ‘on the top of the list’ if I were allergic to cats and a born again Christian.”
How are the Christian students, staff and faculty who read the Emerald expected to take this comment? Is it hate-speech, free speech or careless speech?
Furthermore, the columnist showed ignorance about Christianity when he indirectly called the vast movement non-progressive. Oxford Dictionary defines progressive as “favoring progress or reform.” Not all Christians hold the same view when it comes to social, political, and cultural issues. Are all Democrats pro-choice? Do all churches favor deportation of immigrants? I would disagree. By the facts, it is ill-informed at best to categorize Christians as not favoring progress or reform.
The obvious error in castigating all born-again Christians as not “laid-back” and “affable” needs no refutation. I urge the ODE editorial board to protect its professionalism by correcting inaccurate and unjustifiably spiteful remarks by its columnists.
I am a reformer, a gentleman and a pleasure to know. I am also a born again Christian.
John Marshal
University graduate student