Georgie de Mattos
[follow id = “georgiedemattos”]
“You can be a ho no mo!” is just one example of an exclamation you wouldn’t expect to hear on Cal Poly’s campus. But this past week, George Edward “Jed” Smock Jr. (also known as Brother Jed) preached these words to surprised listeners in the University Union Plaza (UU).
Brother Jed has no affiliation with Cal Poly but came to the center of campus to preach his controversial take on Christianity to anyone who’d listen.
Here are seven sayings you might have heard while passing by:
- “I don’t listen to women very well … that’s the fatal mistake of Adam, he listened to his wife.”
- “If there’s anything I’ve said these last two days that would appear to put women down, that’s not my intent.”
- “I’m just trying to keep them (women) in their proper place.”
- “The proper place of a woman is to be a wife and a mother and be in submission to her husband.”
- “That’s what’s wrong with most of you, you’re spiritually dead. You’re dead in your trespasses and sins.”
- “When I was in college at Indiana State — I was somewhat of a player, you might say — I was in a fraternity, and we used to get down and dirty with sorority girls.”
- “I ended up living on a hippy commune in Africa.”
Brother Jed preaches these ideas at universities across the nation, often upsetting students and garnering response on social media:
@GeorgeTakei totally posted this picture on Facebook of #BrotherJed. I know my #IowaCity people will love this. pic.twitter.com/HZ13lb0ZnY
— Megan Astell (@IA_Hawkeye_Life) July 2, 2014
Have you been called a sinner today?? #brotherjed pic.twitter.com/Uemf1l3a3o
— Makenzie Eckhardt (@Kenzie_Anne93) October 8, 2014
It’s not the same without you, Jed. We don’t have anyone to make fun of. #TBT #BrotherJed pic.twitter.com/KalSZeSQsG
— The Black Sheep Mizz (@BlackSheep_Mizz) January 29, 2015
During his stop at Cal Poly, some of the signs Brother Jed held up to passing students included “You’re going to hell” and “Whore, whore, whore,” according to Ryan Miller, kinesiology senior and outreach team leader for Cru, the Christian ministry.
Miller helped put together a response the day after Brother Jed left.
“What Brother Jed was saying were warped truths,” Miller said. “I think he started with the correct things but brought in his own attitudes and personal beliefs that distorted the gospel.”
In response to Brother Jed’s remarks, Christian students held up a sign that said, “We are Christians and we are sorry if you’ve been hurt this week.”
Sociology junior Austin McLaggan understands people were offended by his remarks.
“The main thing that we want people to know is that not all Christians believe that. Most of us don’t believe that in regards to gender and sexuality,” McLaggan said. “The way they were presenting it, we agree, was harmful and not kind.”
Psychology junior Gracey Pappas also explained her perspective.
“We wanted to acknowledge that people were hurt and that we care about those people and are sorry if they are offended or hurting,” Pappas said.