Jake Naman, an 18-year-old Christian from Redlands, California, was in the crowd before Savage’s words turned ugly. In an interview with FOX News, he described the lewd and inappropriate commentary Savage presented to the students. But while Naman was becoming more and more uncomfortable throughout the speech, there was a specific point at which he knew that the rhetoric would come flowing — when Savage mentioned “the Bible.”
“The very second he said the Bible and paused, I knew it was going to get ugly,” Naman said in an interview with Fox News. “It was about to be a bashing.”
In a show of courage, Naman, who says he felt bullied (ironic, considering the catalyst’s “It Gets Better” efforts), stood up and walked out of the event.
“I felt like in my heart I couldn’t just stay there at all. It was a really weird feeling I just had to get out,” he said. “I didn’t want to cause a scene but I really could not stand to be in that room anymore.”
In retrospect, the teen has plenty to say about Savage and the appropriateness of his words, specifically when it comes to the standards that Christians are held to.
While Naman thought he was alone in walking out of the event, when he got to the lobby he realized that others had joined him. Among them was 17-year-old Haley Mulder.
“I never felt more hurt, felt persecuted,” Mulder explained. “For me, my faith is what I want to be defined by. For someone to say it was B.S. is really hurtful. I felt put down and bullied because of my faith.”
According to Naman, some of the girls were crying as a result of Savage’s comments. So far, the advocate has done little more than apologize for using the term “pansy assed.” Additionally, he is standing by his characterization of the Bible.
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