“˜Free’ doughnuts really filled with Christian commitment

Ahlering is a fourth-year political science student.

By Andrew Ahlering

It never is easy to wake up at an early hour, especially on
Fridays, but that’s part of being a student. For me, the only
thing that used to mitigate the torment of Friday morning classes
was the solitude of a quiet stroll up Bruin Walk.

But like the days of free tuition, these days are long gone.
Friday morning solitude disappeared around two an a half years ago.
Rising in place of this solitude is the harassment via pleading and
yelling to take some “free coffee, free doughnuts!”
““ thanks, but no thanks.

Contrary to what the Doughnut Keepers contend, these doughnuts
are not free. Doughnut Keeper/Alpha Gamma Omega member Andrew
Taylor even concedes part of this in his submission,
“Doughnuts
prove Christian love still exists,” (Viewpoint, Feb. 5).
In strict monetary terms the doughnuts and coffee are free; but
philosophically they are as loaded as a dirty diaper.

The loss of Friday morning serenity has been paired with the
expounding of traditional Christian dogma. Two costs rolled into
one ““ yippee! Taylor plainly states that those offering you
something for free “(are) out to manipulate you somehow, to
put you in their debt.” The true costs of taking one of these
doughnuts are thus not as benign as Taylor or the AGO fraternity
make them out to be.

The Free Doughnuts Program is in actuality Friday Morning
Evangelism. The thinly veiled attempt behind giving
“free” doughnuts is to open a dialogue in order to
convert students to the Christian faith ““ plain and
simple.

If AGO desires to proselytize the campus population (and they
do) they should at least be forthcoming about it. They have,
however, chosen to go the route analogous to that of the drug
dealer. Give you something for free, and then in Taylor’s
words “manipulate you somehow to put you in their
debt.” Doughnuts and coffee are just the hook.

Taylor’s submission reeks of traditional Christian dogma.
The very acts of AGO ““ hovering about their “free
gift” to the campus, and writing to the Daily Bruin to
explain their actions ““ demonstrate the flaw in
Taylor’s argument.

If AGO wants to proselytize, as freedom of speech and religion
allows, they have the right to do so. They should, however, have
the decency to be totally forthcoming about their actions. If the
doughnuts and coffee are truly a “free gift,” then AGO
should leave them anonymously and return Friday morning serenity to
Bruin Walk ““ though it is now likely too late to make the act
anonymous.

But until then, if you chose to take a “free
doughnut,” be prepared with something to wash away the sour
taste of the AGO fraternity and their traditional Christian
dogma.