— Brown University junior Emma Hall
This event was no microaggression.
There was no chapel last night, so at 7:15 we had the option to go straight to bed, with or without taking a smoke break first.
Some of us stood in the smoke pit rehearsing the things we don’t like about chapel. This one newcomer said, “The Bible’s all bullshit. If you read that stuff and you can’t tell it’s all bullshit, you must be mentally retarded.”
This left me in a position to be seriously offended. The easiest response would have been, “The Bible is the foundation for how I live my life. I live by the Bible every moment I’m awake.” This, however, was not likely to get us anywhere.
Since I have no idea from what perspective this gentleman was speaking when he said that, it would have been more productive for me first to find out that perspective, before going further. Was he referring to inerrancy? fundamentalism? or basic principles of life ISO social harmony? I may yet seek to find some common ground with this guy, on the basis of which we can examine different views of the Bible together. His use of that pejorative, however, made it highly unlikely that any conversation will occur.
Safe spaces seem to be for only certain kinds of people.
I never anticipate a safe space for Bible believers.
Originally posted 2016-02-03.
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