Campus News

Preaching pastor assaulted on campus

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A visitor assaulted a pastor who came to UH to voice his opinions on students’ decisions. The pastor warned students of the dangers of “baby killers, sports nuts and rebellious women.” | Justin Cross/The Cougar

A UH visitor assaulted another UH visitor Thursday afternoon at Butler Plaza.

Matt Bourgault, a pastor from Consuming Fire Campus Ministries, was peacefully promoting his own religious and personal beliefs to students, despite a growing crowd that was obviously upset.

“Students at UH need to sober up and repent, or perish in hellfire,” Bourgault said. “Follow Jesus, stop doing these things, and you will be okay.”

The visitor began to counter-protest Bourgault, and when he finished his speech, Bourgault pointed to the visitor and said “this is what masturbation does to you.” Shortly thereafter, the visitor placed his arm around Bourgault and pulled him to the ground.

Bourgault has come to UH before and is allowed to say whatever he wants because freedom of expression is allowed throughout campus, UHPD Sgt. Richard Brenner said.

“Students can react however they want, and they will,” Brenner said.

Bourgault declined to pursue charges.

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14 Comments

  • Yea, that guy had no right to touch him, and Baurgault’s being the bigger man by not pressing charges.
    People need to not let messages of hate get to them. All this guy did was add fuel to this pastor’s fire with a hot, “See? they’re trying to keep me down,” to add to his hate speech.

      • Mmm saying that all muslims are evil, women are tools, and gays are godless termites qualifies as hate speech to most.
        But yea, I guess I don’t agree with the idea that I’m be going to perish in flame just because I wore a My Chemical Romance shirt and crossed his field of vision.

              • Subjective or not, that’s how the vast majority of people and I see it. Since you seem to dissent to that, let’s hear your take on hate speech.

                • I am not dissenting. Just asking questions. Don’t assume asking questions equates to dissention. Assumptions can lead you astray from the truth, as it has in this particular case.

                  • Pardon the assumption, but you could spare me the condescension and merely answer the question. And if you’re not dissenting then it begs the question why bring it up at all?

                    • You already answered the question.

                      Why bring it up? This is a place of learning, last I checked.

          • There’s more to getting a formal education than sitting around and “pondering” life’s mysteries. Much more. And disjointed, toxic religious rantings which targets protected classes is considered hate speech by most legal definitions and is punishable. Denigrating people is not protected by the 1st Amendment any more than using a bomb as a form of protest is considered a protected right to civil disobedience. If you had an actual education, you would know this. And contrary to the DC’s patronizing claim that, “Bourgault…was peacefully promoting his own religious and personal beliefs,” he was doing no such thing, “peacefully.” He was doing it in such a way to spew venom at everyone within earshot and got what he deserved. There’s a limit to how much intolerance, and bigotry society (of which students are a part,) will tolerate. Bourgault discovered that threshold the hard way. Sadly, violence is probably the only language he understands. But then what can you expect for a man you thinks humans should be pilloried and set on fire in the name of religion? What a sicko.

            • Pondering means thinking, studying, asking questions. That’s how you learn things in life.

              Hate speech is subjective. It means one thing to one person, another thing to someone else. Even in the eyes of the law it is subjective. It’s not a life mystery, my Internet friend.

            • You are assuming way, way too much. Just asked a question. Your response? To assume I actually agree with the pastor (I don’t) and to toss insults. Just asking a question to get people to think about a subject and that’s your response? Seems like you have a lot more to learn about life, my friend.

  • The student has a right to be on campus because he pays for tuition and is there to study. The ayatollah who comes here is not a student and should be the one kicked out. How is that not trespassing?

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