Christians egg on non-believers

Penelope Brewer says Student Life Auckland hopes to reach out to as many people as possible on the day with free Easter eggs.

It is an unorthodox Easter celebration but the chance to "egg a Christian" has created a stir at Auckland University - with a large crowd expected to take up the offer today.

Anybody who wants to can head to the University quad today and biff an egg at a member of the campus Christian group Student Life Auckland - but there is a catch.

"The meaning of the Easter story and Christ's resurrection will be explained to those wanting to throw eggs," explains a flyer.

"Egging will continue for as long as eggs last. One egg per person."

Organiser Penelope Brewer, 27, said flyers left in lecture theatres this week had people talking about the event and she fully expected some eggs to be thrown with feeling.

"For me I haven't always been a Christian. And before I was a Christian, I was thinking about what I would connect with, and if I got a chance to egg a Christian, I would be there.

"So we're hoping to reach students wherever they're at on campus - whether they're atheist, agnostic, Hindu - we're just keen to have some chats with people."

About 200 eggs would be bought, and depending on the crowd size an emergency dash to the supermarket for more could be made.

At least 10 people had volunteered to take an egg to the face for Jesus, but they would have a helmet of some sort and a poncho for protection.

"Logistics will be worked out on the day a little bit. Obviously [throwing distance] won't be hugely close. We'll probably crack the eggs beforehand so that nobody gets maimed.

"Basically Easter's a great opportunity to connect with students about the real meaning behind Easter - a relationship with God."

Co-organiser Jeremy Carroll, 31, said the public egging would have been more of a red flag in the 1990s.

"I've been involved at university for a while, and the amount of protests that there are at university now is just way fewer ... people are just a bit apathetic about these things now. If there are some atheists out there that get a bee in their bonnet about it, there's probably far less than there would have been going back 15 to 20 years."

Auckland University Atheists could not be reached for comment.

The egging will take place on the grass area of the AUSA Quad today from midday to 2pm.