Choose Love
A Christian Response to the Westboro Baptist Church's Visit to Harvard
On March 20, 2009, members of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to stage a protest at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For several years, the Westboro Baptist Church's anti-homosexual and anti-America protests at military funerals and elsewhere have received significant attention from around the world.The Westboro Baptist Church claims to derive its beliefs from Christian and biblical principles. As such, its practices potentially reflect upon all Christians and even upon Christianity itself.We, the Christian community at Harvard - Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox, liberal, moderate, and conservative - believe it is our responsibility to address the activities of the Westboro Baptist Church, especially those directed against the gay community.Our opinions concerning LGBT issues vary along theological, doctrinal, and political grounds. Nevertheless, we are united in our commitment to love and respect LGBT people as much as we love and respect anyone else. Any word or deed which does not reflect this commitment is fundamentally un-Christian.The Scriptures teach that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans iii.23). This message is one of human brokenness, but it is also one of profound equality. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. We all need God's mercy - and God's mercy is graciously offered to every person.Accordingly, Christians are called to love all people - regardless of sexual orientation - because we see that what connects us to every human being inevitably transcends that which divides us.Though we cannot support the beliefs and practices of the Westboro Baptist Church, it is our duty to love and to forgive its members, just as we were once loved and forgiven.G.K. Chesterton said, "Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all." As the Harvard Christian community prepares for the arrival of the Westboro Baptist Church's members, we shall seek always to respond to hatred with love and to "overcome evil with good" (Romans xii.21). This is the example Jesus has given us.While we do not agree with the message of the protests of the Westboro Baptist Church, we hope and pray that God will use even these protests to manifest His great glory to the world.
To co-sign this statement as an individual, please follow the instructions at the bottom of this page. To co-sign as an organization, please write to ichthus [at] hcs [dot] harvard [dot] edu.The Harvard IchthusHarvard College Alpha OmegaHarvard-Radcliffe Asian-American Christian FellowshipHarvard-Radcliffe Christian FellowshipLCMS Lutherans at Harvard CollegeRev. Jonathan C. Page, Epps Fellow of The Memorial ChurchRev. Benjamin King, Episcopal ChaplainFr. Bill Murphy, Catholic Chaplain to UndergraduatesRev. Russell J. Schlecht, Foursquare Chaplain to Harvard UniversityAdrian Tam, InterVarsity Chaplain, 2006Rev. Rob Mark, McDonald Fellow of the Memorial ChurchDaniel Cho, Asian Baptist Student Koinonia Staff, 1996Carson Weitnauer, InterVarsity staffEsther Eng, InterVarsity StaffSamir Paul, 2010, Ichthus Editor-in-ChiefJ. Joseph Porter, 2012, Ichthus Features EditorKC Moore, 2010Richard Kelley, 2010Collin Jones, 2012Horatio Thomas, 2011Caroline Kovaleski, 2010Katie Coulson, 2011Helen Tsim, 2010Penelope Smith, 2011Victoria Mendoza, 2011Judith Huang, 2009, Ichthus Fiction/Poetry EditorDouglas Duquette, 2009James Watts, 2010Danny Kim, 2010Amanda Klimczuk, 2010Dany Thorpe, 2011Andrés Castro Samayoa, 2010Julia Fifer, 2011Monique Wilson, 2009Tzu-Ying Chuang, 2010Katie Grosteffon, 2009Cortni Nucklos, 2011Jacob Buchholz, 2009Daniel Rogers, 2012Matt Gibbons, Harvard Community Member, 2012Kevin O'Herin, 2009Natalie So, 2012, Ichthus Asst. Fiction/Poetry EditorNico Kirk-Giannini, 2011, Ichthus Managing EditorDanielle Kim, 2012Hannah Horowitz, 2011Michael Silvestri, 2010Will Ramsey, 2012Rachel Hawkins, 2012Kylee Clyatt, 2012Jason Sandler, 2012Carl Pillot, 2012Beñat Idoyaga, 2012Kevin Mechenbier, 2012Chris Higgins, 2011Fanny Chen, 2009Roger Mercado, 2009, QSA Co-ChairJason McCoy, 2008, Harvard StaffYijing Sun, 2011David Orama, 2012Harker Rhodes, 2009Heidi Liu, 2011Kristin Unruh, 2010Eric Lang, 2009Amos Tai, GSAS 2012Kelly McPherson, 2012Anne Goetz, 2011, Ichthus Books/Arts EditorAmanda Gable, 2009-11Jonathan Roberts, 2009Phil Mongiovi, 2009Paula Bu, 2012Brian Na, 2009Ann Chao, 2009Isaiah Peterson, 2012Rachel Esplin, LDS Association President, 2009/2010Alice Chung, 2011Katherine Han, 2009Won Hee Park, 2009Michael Johnson, 2009Chris Jensen, 2012Nicholas Tabor, 2009Eva Lam, 2010Victoria Lo, 2011Emily Mott, 2007Jordan Hylden, Ichthus Founding Editor, 2006Elena Chit, 2012Tae-Eun Kim, 2011Monica Jun, 2010Debra Chang, 2012Patrick Liu, GSAS 2009Conrad Zhuang, 2009Tiana Williams, 2007Phoebe Kuo, 2011Hyo-Jung Hong, 2012Jennifer Wolahan, 2007Elizabeth Spira, 2011George Thampy, 2010Caleb Weatherl, 2010Morgan Pope, LDS Association VP, 2011Kathleen Benitez, 2007Jacintha Tagal, 2011Grace Yeh, 2009Tim Reckart, 2009Derek Lietz, 2009Antonia Fraker, 2009Matt Cavedon, 2011Marlena Smith, 2012Ann Chi, 2008Meghan Cleary, 2011Lisa Ackerman, 2011Nathan Nakatsuka, 2012Tracy Meng, 2010Ivy Wu, 2009Jessamin Birdsall, 2010, HRCF Executive TeamJessica Luna, 2010Rachel Flynn, 2009Jon Staff, 2010James Fuller, 2010Ali Ahmed, 2009Shana Caro, 2011Jennifer Delurey, 2012Janet Li, 2009Annie Wang, 2011, Ichthus Design EditorGena Haugen, 2009Blessing Oyeniyi, 2010, Girlspot Co-ChairNico Lewine, 2010, Vice-President for Social Justice, H-R Catholic Student AssociationChristina Giordano, 2010Florence On, 2011Lauren Schwartze, 2009Anna Pritt, 2011Allan Hernandez, 2012Miles Canaday, 2010Rusty Mason, 2010Allison Frost, 2008, Ichthus alumnaeRachel Wilson, 2012Will Quinn, 2010Patricia Gnazzo Pepper, Currier House AdministratorJordan Monge, 2012John Frame, 2009Genesis Vergara, 2012Seth Bannon, 2010Patric Spence, 2012Michelle Sirois, 2012Richard Alt II, 2012Hannah Wallace, 2010Sarah Littlehale, 2011Roisin Duffy-Gideon, 2012Stephanie Woo, 2012