traveller2 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 i was walking to where I get my bus after uni when I passed a street evangelist preaching.aside from his boring message:i switched off straightaway when I heard him say 'sin', what I noticed most was the little group of individuals standing infront of him listening.i was suprised for a moment but then realised what was going on.It was an old trick;you get some of your christian friends to stand around looking like regular folk on the street listening in a bid to attract more folk. I edited out an original unkind comment I made about them.I think i cringed so much when I saw the joyless lot was because i did a bit of this kind of thing.i never preached as was too damn embarrassed bout it all but I handed out tracts and i recall this tactic being taught to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeCoastie Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Its funny how they'll use the same deceptive tricks as the old snake oil salesman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'm just shaking my head. Ugh. I just don't have the time of day for these shenanigans! I was part of a street ministry that gave out food to homeless people. While they did that, they blasted the speakers with the Old Testament on tape. Some boring old goat driveling on about God wiping out thousands and how to build a tabernacle. Even then I rolled my eyes and found it annoying. When I asked the leader of our group, he said, "For most people here, this is the only Bible they'll ever read." I recall being highly conflicted working with this group, but I stuffed it all down for "the will of the Lord". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I've seen something similar. Some guy was yelling at some other guy across the street about how people don't believe in God and that it takes more faith to not believe. Then the other guy responded with some other apologetic tripe and it became clear that they knew each other and were working together to "spread the news". The one guy even offered me a tract. I politely declined and to his credit, he had the decency to leave me alone after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 ...realised what was going on. It was an old trick; you get some of your christian friends to stand around looking like regular folk on the street listening in a bid to attract more folk. ...it became clear that they knew each other and were working together to "spread the news". This makes me sick and would have back then, too. Why do they need trickery to get people to listen or show interest? (Rhetorical question.) Go ye into all the world and trick all men! I will make you trickers of men! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The one guy even offered me a tract. I politely declined and to his credit, he had the decency to leave me alone after that. I always take these things from the xians who hand them out but never talk with them. If I can get more to "share" with my friends I will. It costs them money to make or buy these things. So I just throw them away in a trash can out of their sight. It may not be much of a dent in their budget but I do anything I can to cost them $$$$. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The street preacher thing reminded me of the pancake mix trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ok, and just for fun, let's hear the remix. The next time you walk by a street preacher I am sure this song will start playing in your head. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will02 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The only type of street evangelism I see on a regular basis are some guys who have 20+ big wooden signs covered in bible verses clumsily bolted on their car/van. They park by the freeway exit ramp on a certain street and stay there all day most days, I can only wonder how they make a living. (is their church supporting them?) What they're doing is dangerous because if just one of those signs broke loose on the freeway or crowded road, it could cause a major accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Just HAD to share this, sex education by a street preacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The only type of street evangelism I see on a regular basis are some guys who have 20+ big wooden signs covered in bible verses clumsily bolted on their car/van. I can only wonder how they make a living. (is their church supporting them?) I don't think in general these Special ProphetsTM of the End TimesTM are supported by their churches. I think they are more likely supported by the state (welfare, social assistance, etc.). I doubt they are even affiliated with a church. These weirdos often perceived themselves as "too good" or "too right" for the established church that they feel has been led astray. There is often a mental health issue going on as well........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spherr Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Street Evangelists are so obnoxious. I remember my Junior year in college, a group of them came to campus and decided to share with us how abortions are evil and a horrible sin. I dont think anybody actually talked to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConureDelSol Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I've actually never run into a street preacher, which is weird considering the fact I go to anime and video game conventions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephie Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I've seen a couple around one of the local college campuses. They have a place on campus called Free Speech Alley and preachers go there as well as other people. It's been a while though. However, the tactic that you described is despicable. It reminds me of this experiement that I read about somewhere where this guy stood outside a door to see if people lined up behind him....they did and they had no clue why they were lining up...sounds about right don't you think.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Ok, and just for fun, let's hear the remix. The next time you walk by a street preacher I am sure this song will start playing in your head. OMG! That is great! Yes, that will go through my head next time I walk past one of these nutters! Thanks for the laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I lived in a college town for most of my adult life, and the local university would occasionally have street preachers there who had gone through official channels to reserve an area from which they could preach for a few days. I just now checked and found that the one I remember coming annually is still active fifteen years later. I can't say street preachers really bother me that much. They think they're saving lives and I can just move on and ignore them. It works both ways. I feel like I'm saving lives from the bondage of superstition when I promote atheism, and uninterested theists can just move on and ignore me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 This guy is interesting. He is in Idaho. Some of his other vids are good, some weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I had one jump out of a car and run at me to give me a "roadmap to heaven". He's lucky I didn't have mace on me at the time, because he'd need a roadmap of a different sort. Why resort to such tactics if you have the one true truth? Wouldn't it be obvious enough that you'd just need to have your book. But I guess the book isn't enough. Talking snakes and snakes being used to part entire seas just isn't convincing enough I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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