“Jesus hates sin,” read the phrase emblazoned in bright red lettering on the shirt of a street preacher outside of Maucker Union Monday afternoon.

Using a small, stone pillar as a lectern of sorts, Brother Matthias engaged in a heated discussion with students for more than four hours. More than 20 students at a given time congregated around Matthias, responding to his controversial comments, playing loud music or even blocking him from view with a large sign that read: “Cats are awesome.”

Charlie Grove, a UNI student, had been holding the sign for more than an hour after having stood around Matthias for two hours prior.

“It’s about creating a distraction to distract attention away from [Matthias],” Grove said.

Alexander Fox, freshman computer science major, along with Oliverio Covarrubias, sophomore psychology major, were playing rap and hip-hop music from a computer through an audio speaker.

“He said if you listen to rap or hip-hop, you’re going to hell,” Fox said. “So, naturally, we’re blaring rap music.”

Two campus police officers were looking on at a distance from the group.

“We wish students would just continue walking by,” said an officer who preferred to remain anonymous. “It just gives what they want when you give them attention.”

The two officers said they expect this particular religious group every fall and spring, but they don’t have any specific protocol in place.

“We’d just step in if something happened,” the unnamed officer said.

Zach Wright, junior interactive digital studies major that had only recently joined the group of students around Matthias, said Matthias had been citing Bible verses that consaid Matthias had been citing Bible verses that condemned lascivious behavior and correlated pre-marital sex with the influence of Satan.

“It’s hard to know exactly what he is saying at times,” Wright said, referring to the loud music and vocal students that often drowned out Matthias’s preaching. 

Fox said Matthias also said survivors of sexual assault are condemned to hell.

Matthias was said to have cited the Biblical verse written on his shirt, John 3:18, which reads: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Street preaching is permitted under chapter 13 of the UNI Policies and Procedures, which upholds the First Amendment protecting freedom of expression. Signs and announcements are permitted under chapter eight of the Policies and Procedures, given that street preaching of this kind is not solicitation.