Very Bad Evangelist Problem

[Ahh!]

The last couple of months, I've noticed some very aggressive evangelists operating in my area. I can't tell if they're all from the same church but they all seem to be revivalists/Pentecostal type charismatics and they all appear to be from poorer areas of town (they generally look very poorly kept, except for the preachers, and a few had on bleachers for the teams in inner city areas.) The one church I know that some of them are from is from a very bad part of town about ten miles away.

 

I suspect the recession might have something to do with it. Up until now, I haven't seen any problems of this sort in my area. I went to the website for their church and there were stories of the preacher "faith healing" a blind dog's eyes, a man who didn't get a speeding ticket because the reverend blessed him and all sorts of ridiculous crap like that. My basic impression is this is a total con man operation and now that the money's low because of the recession, they've spread out and they're harassing people in my section of town when usually they'd be happy to just take money away from people in their area.

 

A little over two months ago, I had my first, horrifying encounter with them. Long story short (I may set up another thread for the long story) a traveling faith healer who was visiting the church began harassing me. He told me I "better find Christ" or he would call the police and have them take me to jail. I was obviously rather perplexed how the hell that would work. Basically, he insinuated that he had a way to make that happen. He also kept waving his arms and stomping around in a way that was so scary I started crying. I said a little prayer just to get him to leave me alone and he went away.

 

When I got home, I looked up all the information I could on this nutjob. Unfortunately, he left town that night according to his schedule. I was pissed as fuck but I decided there probably wasn't much I could do. There was no way I could prove he did anything wrong, he lived on the other side of the country and it looked like the social structure would be against me since he's apparently a relatively well known minister (he's been on TBN and had pictures of himself with a head of the DEA on his website.)

 

I did some research on the church he was visiting and contacted the minister of it, who had been there when this occurred and I basically said, I think you guys are nuts, leave me the hell alone from now on. He dodged the issue and started preaching at me. At that point, I was ready to drop it because mad as I was, this was obviously going nowhere.

 

Then, I started noticing nutty evangelists everywhere! In the last two months, I've counted well over a dozen encounters with people who seem to have similar beliefs to this church or are members of it. Before this year, I think I've only had one previous encounter with a street preacher in six years of living in this area. Something is up.

 

They are targeting the elderly. They probably know they are easy targets and have money.

 

I live in a big retirement area. A lot of the people are very frail and cannot move around easily. About a month ago, I saw a couple of these evangelists cornering an old man in a store aisle. They didn't do anything overtly aggressive but one was standing on one side and the other the other way so that they blocked the ways out of the aisle. They preached nonstop so that the poor old man couldn't get a word in or get away. I watched them do this for ten minutes. I was so angry I wanted to just start yelling at them right there to leave him alone. Instead, I finally decided there was nothing I could do without causing a scene and left.

 

I've seen them do things like this with old people a few times. Each time, a ball rolls up in my stomach. I want to do something, anything to make them leave them alone.

 

Yesterday, while I was on my break at work, a bunch of them were trying to push raffle tickets. They were literally getting in people's faces and yelling. This was inside a mall and the mall appeared to be allowing or even sponsoring this because they were allowed to set up a table in there. One of them got within six inches of my face, so close I could smell his breath (and this fellow looked and smelled like a bum) and yells, "HEY BUDDY WANT TO BUY A RAFFLE TICKET?" I just screamed back, "BACK OFF! NO!"

 

This is getting ridiculous. Clearly, a few different problems need to be addressed here but I want to know what I can do to convince someone, anyone to crack down on this problem or what to do about it. I want my sense of security back. I want those who can't defend themselves to be safe.

 

The one thing I'm going to start doing to begin is if I see them harass another old person, I'm going to walk up to them and ask, "Are these people bothering you?" And if they say yes, I'll give them a warning to back off and then I'll start looking for a manager or security or something. I'm not sure what to do beyond that.

[Ahh!]

Oh yeah, the pastor of the one church says he was involved in something called "the Lakeland Outpouring." I've been trying to figure out what that is. Everything I've found says it was pretty controversial?

[Loren]

I want those who can't defend themselves to be safe.

 

The one thing I'm going to start doing to begin is if I see them harass another old person, I'm going to walk up to them and ask, "Are these people bothering you?" And if they say yes, I'll give them a warning to back off and then I'll start looking for a manager or security or something. I'm not sure what to do beyond that.

This is excellent. I want to strongly encourage you in this. I loath and detest bullies and think that it's the responsibility of all of us to stand up for the vulnerable.

 

Here are a couple of suggestions:

 

Write a letter to the editor and send it to the two or three widest circulation newspapers in your area in order to alert the locals.

 

Call the DA's office and get what ever information you can regarding harassment laws. If appropriate, include that information in your letter to the editor.

[defygravity]

Oh yeah, the pastor of the one church says he was involved in something called "the Lakeland Outpouring." I've been trying to figure out what that is. Everything I've found says it was pretty controversial?

 

I read about it on Wikipedia... It sounds like quite the old time revivals. However, one of the controversy was that Tom Bentley kicked some elderly woman in the face claiming the Holy Spirit prompted him to do such actions... :wtf: Sounds too much like the defense of "the devil made me do it!"

 

I wish I knew what to tell you what do when it comes to overbearing evangelicals. I grew up in that shit so I know how to fake the fire of the lord to get them to leave me alone. These yahoos sound pretty damn extreme, almost Fred Phelps extreme but not exactly like him. Fred Phelps doesn't believe in converting people, he believes in condemning those who are not in his church and saying "God hates fags" bullshit.

[DarthOkkata]

You know, as bad as it sounds. I actually enjoy coming onto a scene like this sometimes.

 

I'm a great deal more aggressive, and I've forcibly moved people cornering others to preach at them before.

 

I would love to encounter any preacher who would 'have me arrested' for not finding Jesus, as I would immediately call his bluff.

 

I'm not the type to bother a passive or non confrontational preacher anywhere. As long as they let people go about their business and ignore them if they wish. The cornering bully type, well, I don't put up with that shit.

 

"Stand aside, or I'll make you."

 

People do not get in my face that way more than once.

 

When dealing with raffle or religious charities, I always respond to the query with. "I don't support religious organizations."

 

If asked "Why?"

 

"None of your business. Move." Because they always get in front of you at that point.

 

Evangelicalism is annoying, but tolerable. Aggressive Evangelicalism is shit I don't put up with. Bullies need to be put in their place and that kind of crap is just plain illegal.

 

Know your rights, and your limits, and you'll do fine.

 

Know your enemy, know yourself, and you need not fear the outcome of a thousand such confrontations.

 

Mormons are the worst offenders around these parts. I've had to break up a few groups cornering people in the area before. The JW do it too, just not as often. They like to use groups of three or four to box people in against walls and in corners. The Mormons also use their bikes to bar escape routes. Losers.

 

They actually train these jerks to do it too. It's like watching pack animals hunting in a creepy kind of way. I've had conversations with a few of them about the invasive and cowardly tactics they use.

 

It's fun to watch them scurry off looking wounded and chastised after bitching them out for it. They know what they're doing, and it's intentional.

 

You want to talk about your love of Jesus fine. That's your right. You start being an obstruction and barring people's way. Then we've got a problem, and the cops will be glad to make sure you're out of the way. That's illegal.

[oddbird1963]

Get a small vid camera with a mic and record this stuff if you can. At least write down everything you see as soon as you can.

 

These people are just as bad as some door to door siding salespeople that once worked the town where I grew up. They would harass and intimidate elderly folks into buying siding for their houses.

 

And just tell as many people as you think can get something done about it.

[chefranden]

I'm sorry this made you cry.

 

But I'm jealous that I never get any opportunities like this. I'd of told that dumb fuck to call the cops so they'd be there to witness me shoving Jesus up his ass. Then I'd say that the HS told me to.

[Dagan]

I'm sorry this made you cry.

 

But I'm jealous that I never get any opportunities like this. I'd of told that dumb fuck to call the cops so they'd be there to witness me shoving Jesus up his ass. Then I'd say that the HS told me to.

 

 

And Loren's suggestion to contact the media is a very good one, but I would take it one step further. Don't just write letters to the editor. Call the newspapers up and try and talk to a reporter in person, tell them what you've experienced, and offer to help them track down these crazies. If I lived anywhere near you I would do it, this would make a hell of a great story for Newsweek!

 

"Bogus revival: Con artists use God to target seniors" or something like that.

[Ahh!]

I'm sorry this made you cry.

 

But I'm jealous that I never get any opportunities like this. I'd of told that dumb fuck to call the cops so they'd be there to witness me shoving Jesus up his ass. Then I'd say that the HS told me to.

 

He seemed pretty edgy and I was worried he might be dangerous. I was almost tempted to do that but I was worried he might act in some way that would threaten my safety if I called his bluff.

 

I wasn't surprised when I visited his website and learned that before he found Jesus he was a crackhead. He had that look to him. Wide eyed. Shit crazy. He even brags Christ told him to stop doing drugs and "prepare the way for the Second Coming" after a night of LSD!

 

Is it just me or are 90% of these morons either druggies or professional criminals before they find Christ? It doesn't even catch me off guard anymore. When I watched one of his videos where he talks about it I just thought, "uh-huh, business as usual."

[pitchu]

Yes to oddbird's suggestion about a vid camera. Or just hold up any old non-working cell phone and pretend you're capturing the scene while saying something like, "The police may be interested in how you're bullying this person."

[OpheliaGinger]

A little over two months ago, I had my first, horrifying encounter with them. Long story short (I may set up another thread for the long story) a traveling faith healer who was visiting the church began harassing me. He told me I "better find Christ" or he would call the police and have them take me to jail. I was obviously rather perplexed how the hell that would work. Basically, he insinuated that he had a way to make that happen.

 

I would have laughed in his face and dared him to do it. It would be the police hauling his ass off to jail for making a bogus call.

 

If the people they are targeting look distressed, then I would encourage you to step up. If the fundies continue to harass them, you can call the police.