by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A militant atheist student group at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has sparked a national controversy over a campaign offering students free pornography in exchange for their bibles and Korans.
The campaign known, as the “Smut for Smut” compaign, is launched every year by the student group, Atheist Agenda, and is based on the premise that the bible and other holy books are full of violence, genocide and misogyny making them just as offensive as porn. Therefore, the group is offering free porn magazines to any student over the age of 18 who turns in their holy books.
Even though a majority of UTSA students oppose the campaign, University spokesman David Gabler says it’s not breaking any laws.
“As long as students are not violating laws or violating the Constitution, they have the freedom of speech and assembly,” Gabler said.
But that hasn’t stopped Christian students from mounting their own campaigns against the hateful tone of the Atheist Agenda. Katlin Lewis, 23, a UTSA sophomore majoring in history, was so incensed about the campaign that she called into the Women of Grace Live radio show in an attempt to inform the public about the appalling attack on God that is taking place on her campus.
“Students are outraged,” she said in an e-mail statement. “Many students say it is disrespectful and it will start unnecessary conflict at school. Most students think it is completely pointless that the Atheist Agenda would offer porn for holy texts, and that most people will not trade in their scripture for porn.”
She also cites a glaring contradiction in the atheist club’s plan to donate the bibles and other holy books they collect to churches and book stores.
“If scripture is so violent, and the Atheist Agenda group is so against it, why are they sending it back out to the public?” Lewis asks. “Sounds to me like me they aren’t doing this because they disagree with the ‘violent nature’ of our holy texts. They simply don’t like people of faith and this is a way to attack them.”
If the Atheist Agenda is looking for respect on campus, Lewis suggests they “might try giving it first.”
The group plans to wrap up its campaign today, but the debate over their tactics will likely continue.
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