Evangelists took a stand outside of the Zebra Cafe at the Cerritos College campus holding enormous signs that encouraged students to turn their lives over to God.
For many people it wasn’t the message they were spreading as much as the extremity of the statements.
Evangelist Isidro Mendoza said, “It’s not a scare tactic, it’s a fair warning.”
In addition to the signs, Mendoza stood just to the left of a giant Holy Bible that had to be wheeled on a dolly.
Mendoza called the bible pocket-sized.
The situation escalated when Sociology instructor Dianne Pirtle argued with Mendoza after he questioned the sexuality of a student who entered the religious debate, based on how he was dressed.
Pirtle, who had a class in half an hour, stood outside with her own personal sign that read, “What hate looks like.” with an arrow pointed at Mendoza and thus began to counter-argue.
The two were face to face as Pirtle began to tell Mendoza “You don’t belong here,”to which Mendoza responded, “Don’t spit on me you might have AIDS.”
Pirtle stated, “They are very hateful people. I have run into this people for 30 years. They are anti-gay and anti-choice they’re just really hateful people and my God teaches about love.”
In regards to if people on campus would be offended by this showing of religion Mendoza said, “I have no control as to how the campus are perceiving it, that’s on them. If it brings conviction and it brings fear. Good, the better.”
A comment that left anthropology major Amy Perez disgruntled as she called it imposing and intimidating.
Homosexuality was a topic touched upon by the Evangelists and people on campus.
“He was trying to point out spots in the Bible where it says homosexuality is wrong. He just kept telling me that God is saying that its wrong and [homosexuals] should be killed,” she said.
Mendoza clarified his killing of homosexuals comment.
“In the New Testament because we are under grace now we don’t kill lesbians, we don’t kill homosexuals, we don’t kill sorcerers, we don’t kill adulterers. We tell them about the hope that is in Jesus,” he said.
That was not the only Evangelist/student conflict as Williams exchanged words with a student who didn’t believe in the concept of God.
When presented with confrontation the Evangelists responded with confrontation, even going as far as calling the student ignorant and atheist.
Williams claimed to have been told by “many students” that they are being told by professors that they will be atheist by the end of the semester.
As a result of the backlash Williams called campus police, who quickly defused the situation.
Armando Martinez, business major admitted to practicing Satanism but claimed to be redeemed and saved by God.
He was in support of the Evangelists but was not present for the earlier confrontations.
“That is wrong. [Christians] are supposed to show mercy and get them to realize what they are doing wrong but we are not supposed to be condemning people, forgive them,” he said.
