Members of Warriors for Christ — which is based in Milwaukee — set up a table at Library Mall Wednesday with a sign reading “homosexuality destroys the family” and encouraged University of Wisconsin students to discuss with them, drawing a large crowd and police presence.
Though debate was heated according to UW student William Boyd, UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said it was a peaceful demonstration and police didn’t intervene.
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Tabling at Library Mall served as a kick-off for the Madison chapter of Warriors for Christ, which seeks to spread Christianity into every aspect of society, Milwaukee chapter member Marcus Schroeder said.
Boyd said the setup resembled the viral “Change my Mind” trend popularized by conservative comedian Steven Crowder.
Several members of Warriors for Christ held signs voicing conservative viewpoints on homosexuality, abortion and more, Boyd said. Members also read from the Bible into a microphone to counter the arguments made by students passing by.
“I don’t remember how it got to this point, but he then ended up saying — verbatim — ‘Hitler would go to heaven if he repented for his sins,’” Boyd said. “There’s a lot of people just yelling at them because…they’re not going to budge in any way shape or form and are gonna say things to make people in the crowd even more angry.”
Schroeder denied that any members of Warriors for Christ made antisemitic comments in a message statement to the Badger Herald.
Though he didn’t plan on having his own mind changed on any of the topics discussed, Schroeder said he had meaningful conversations with many UW students throughout the course of the event.
The goal wasn’t to change the minds of any students, but to “plant the seeds” of change and eventually make Madison a Christian city, Schroeder said.
Boyd said it felt like the Warriors for Christ were trying to upset students and that debating with them felt like talking to a brick wall.
“I felt angry just at these people,” Boyd said. “It’s hard because I’m a part of the LGBT community, so it kind of hurt to hear all the stuff that goes against me as a person and their whole stance of not wanting to change at all.”
Schroeder also denied that Warriors for Christ holds any homophobic beliefs in a message statement to the Badger Herald.
Warriors for Christ also addressed protestors outside of the Matt Walsh event hosted by Wisconsin Young Americans for Freedom last week, where one member’s Bible was eaten, Schroeder said.
YAF President Harrison Wells said in an email statement to The Badger Herald that YAF had no part in planning or executing the Nov. 2 protest.
Though it was difficult to hear the homophobic and anti semitic ideology of the Warriors in Christ, Boyd said he was proud to see UW students standing up for underserved communities.
“They [Warriors in Christ] were in the minority there,” Boyd said. “The rallying of the crowd going against them was nice to see. They weren’t gonna let this slide.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include Schroeder’s response to the claim that Warriors in Christ made homophobic and antisemitic statements at the counterprotest.
