Benjamin Collard Speaks out on the Webster Cook Eucharist Ordeal

On June 29th, 2008, University of Central Florida student and student officer Webster Cook was involved in the incident that has since become known as Crackergate. Mr. Cook, while trying to leave the premises of the the school’s Catholic Church with the un-swallowed bread that is believed by some Catholics to be Jesus Christ, was physically assaulted and restrained. Later, Cook filed charges against the Deacon of the church who had physically attacked him, and the Church, for hazing (the most relevant available campus regulation), which prohibits the forced consumption of food by a student. Cook also filed underage drinking charges because of the consumption of wine by the underage churchgoers.

But these charges were filed only after a series of charges were filed against Cook.

According to Benjamin Collard, Cook’s friend, “there were 3 charges filed against Webster Cook at the office of student conduct.

1-Disruptive conduct- this charge was very vague

2-Misconduct (this is very similar to disruptive conduct)

3-Providing false or misleading information to a university official (a member of CCM claimed that Webster lied about his identity. These charges were dismissed because members of CCM are not university officials, and cannot demand that a person reveal their identity).”

After being reported by PZ Myers on his blog, Pharyngula, this story developed legs of its own on the Internet, and in fact has probably had a long term effect on the debate, ever rising in prominence, between supporters and opponents of Religious Privilege.

Read the rest of this post at the Greg Laden Blog.