Editor,
I am writing in response to the article on the Rev. Michael Venyah published in the Daily Lobo on April 21.
First of all, let me say how thoroughly disappointed I am that the Daily Lobo chose to portray Venyah as a martyr who is burned, punched and the like.
Anyone who actually stopped by to listen to the ideas Venyah preached would learn of a man who thinks the Africans deserved slavery.
In his twisted opinion, the enslavement of innumerable African men, women and children was actually a blessing in disguise, since it tore them away from their own culture and forced Christianity down their throats.
According to Venyah, the Jews deserved the Holocaust. In fact, anyone who is Jewish, Catholic, Muslim or even Buddhist is going to hell, despite the fact that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion.
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God is not a gentle grandfather, but rather a fickle, jealous and vengeful creature whom we must fear and obey.
It's really impossible to rebuke or question Venyah about his psychotic beliefs, since he vomits a consistent stream of fear and condemnation.
The very select few students who somehow managed to penetrate his dialogue were met with only another even more impermeable wall of Biblical quotes that, when taken out of context, could be used to say or prove anything.
As students effortlessly destroyed his arguments via science or logic, his final and ultimate defense was to demand, "Are you a homo?"
It wasn't surprising when he finally did encounter gay students. Venyah let the spittle fly as he screeched at us for nearly 10 nonstop minutes.
I'm almost disappointed that petty and xenophobic insults are the best 2,000 years of Christianity has to defend itself with.
A few remarkable students actually traversed the crowd to apologize for Venyah, explaining that he does not represent their beliefs.
I can appreciate that not all Christians are like him, but what Venyah preaches are artifacts lifted directly from the Bible. Things such as violence, xenophobia and blind obedience are fully endorsed not only by Christianity but also by the holy texts of nearly all religions.
Some may think I'm taking the verses out of context or that certain parts of the book are outdated. If you take that approach, the whole Bible falls apart.
Either the good book contradicts itself, its own flaws turning it useless, or we can pick and choose which parts of it we want to adhere to.
The whole thing is just ridiculous. As advances in science, technology and medicine help us understand and master the world around us, we find less and less use for a god who hides in the unknown.
Perhaps that is why fire-and-brimstone preachers find their way to college campuses. Universities have always been home to the light of reason, discovery and intelligence - common enemies to the darkness of the unknown.
Preachers such as Venyah feel their beliefs are threatened by academia and are simply trying to revert us back to the dark ages, when religion, along with poverty and war, were rampant.
I guess, that at least back then, things were easier to understand.
David Martinez
UNM student
