People preaching on the streets

angry_fox

Walking down red square today and was approached by this american girl who gave me a leaflet about god and other mumbo jumbo. Then just below bpm there was an american guy painting on a big canvas and saying how god is painting through him. Just above bpm there was another american with a microphone qouting from the bible and talkin more stuff about god and what is doing.
Anyone else see them?

mike65

Nope but as I stay well clear of the City centre these days....and now I know why. Once I would always go into town on a saturday morning but these days almost never.

I wonder does this influx of God botherers mean we'll have to avoid the Jehovah's at the front door?

Mike.

Cabaal

When I tell them to STFU, god is talking through me

jmcc

Cabaal wrote:

When I tell them to STFU, god is talking through me

You should see the look of confusion on their faces when you say that you are God and never said anything like what is in their leaflets.

Or if you really want to be nasty, ask them what Jesus looked like.

Regards...jmcc

Marcopolo85

angry_fox wrote:

Walking down red square today and was approached by this american girl who gave me a leaflet about god and other mumbo jumbo. Then just below bpm there was an american guy painting on a big canvas and saying how god is painting through him. Just above bpm there was another american with a microphone qouting from the bible and talkin more stuff about god and what is doing.
Anyone else see them?

Well......what harm are they doing? We're no different to the disbelievers and hecklers of biblical times......we just have a few more gizmos than they did. And while it might seem cool to berate them in a public forum like this, I would quote the following passage from the bible. Just think in future before you're inclined to pass a smartass comment...we'll all have to explain ourselves someday. You just don't realise it now.

"Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you."

Matthew 5:3-12

angry_fox

Sorry if i offended you or any one else. Its just i found it interesting in what they were doing and what they are trying to achieve. I just sat in the middle of red square and watched them and also the reaction of people walking by. People walking by pretty much ignored them. But they kept talking away with smiles on there faces. I don’t think there idiots or fools for saying what they believe in.

Maybe Matthew said that to give people courage to go out and preach the word of god and what will await them in heaven is eternal bliss, divine rest and 10,000 dollars cash...

Eoghan-psych

They should be fed to the pigs.

mike65

No they should'nt. Eoghan-psych banned for a week.

Mike.

Cabaal

Ok they can keep doing what they want to but only if people can preach the devils teachings

angry_fox

Cabaal wrote:

Ok they can keep doing what they want to but only if people can preach the devils teachings

Dont think the devil has any teachings. All she done was take my money and make me endure unpleasent visits to her parents. Thankfully i saw the light and broke away from her evil strangle hold over me. Still have fond memories of my ex though. :rolleyes:

jmcc

Marcopolo85 wrote:

Well......what harm are they doing?

As long as they don't scare the horses eh? I'm sure that there are public order issues if they get out of hand.

We're no different to the disbelievers and hecklers of biblical times......we just have a few more gizmos than they did.

Speak for yourself.

Most of them just seem to be susceptible people who are looking for something to believe in. Often, they are not that highly educated and their knowledge of early Christianity, especially the emergence of liberation cults and anti-Roman activity in 0 AD Judea and Palestine is non-existent. When you bring up the facts that Saint Paul never actually met Jesus Christ and Pauline Christianity was effectively against the (real and original) Jerusalem Christianity that was effectively a branch of the extremist Jewish Nasorean sect, you tend to see that they really don't know much about religion or Christianity. I regard all religions as being mental viruses that ultimately end up killing large numbers of those who believe in them. Looking at thousands of years of Human history has made me somewhat cynical when it comes to religion.

There is even some scientific evidence for the existence of a "God spot" in the brain and it ties in nicely with a very important book about the evolution of the Human mind [1]. The impulse to believe in God and that God is speaking or acting through one could have its basis in biology since there would be different levels of evolution in any species. Thus there are the extremes of the less evolved, and more susceptible religious types (typified by these godbotherers and other assorted people who hear voices etc) and the more evolved rational types in any society.

As long as they don't bother people, they are ok. But if they cause problems, they will be dealt with by the laws of this world.

Regards...jmcc

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Consciousness_in_the_Breakdown_of_the_Bicameral_Mind

Marcopolo85

jmcc wrote:

I regard all religions as being mental viruses that ultimately end up killing large numbers of those who believe in them.

Thus there are the extremes of the less evolved, and more susceptible religious types (typified by these godbotherers and other assorted people who hear voices etc) and the more evolved rational types in any society.

As long as they don't bother people, they are ok. But if they cause problems, they will be dealt with by the laws of this world.

QUOTE]

It's a shame you have so much hatred and mistrust so very obviously built up in you towards religion. I genuinely feel sorry for you.

You will, ultimatley, have to face up to what you class as fantasy eventually, and no amount of eloquent posturing (as, I presume, an 'evolved rational type') can prevent this. And the laws of THIS world will certainly not come into play.

I wish you well in your life and hope that, one day, God will enlighten you......for your own sake.

Cabaal

Marcopolo85 when you die everything goes black and thats it,
Its only a shame that at the end of it all you won't have enough time to realize how diluted you have been all your life.

jmcc

Marcopolo85 wrote:

I wish you well in your life and hope that, one day, God will enlighten you......for your own sake.

Thank you for your kind words but please see my previous post. Illumination, rather than enlightenment allows me to see what religions and cults really are. And before anyone asks, it is not me holding a torch over my head.

Regards...jmcc

Marcopolo85

Cabaal wrote:

Marcopolo85 when you die everything goes black and thats it,
Its only a shame that at the end of it all you won't have enough time to realize how diluted you have been all your life.

Well, my friend, that's what we'll have to wait and see. I, for one, and like many others, deeply beleive that a better life is to come, just as you believe that nothing only blackness exists beyond the limited confines of this realm.
And I feel fulfilled, rather than diluted.........it's an extremely warming feeling. You should try it sometime.

If you don't beileve in God, religion, etc you must agree that some over-riding force is driving all around us. Simple (or should that be complex) things like the air that we breathe, sunrise, sunset, seasons, etc are unlikely to be the result of something developing, by itself, from nothing.

I think it's a shame in your case that you have such a pessimistic outlook. Like jmcc, I hope that eventually you may see the error of your ways. It's not all darkness you know - life (and what lies beyond) are good things, granted by a higher power, whatever you choose to call it.

And no, jmcc, I don't think you're holding a torch over yourself.....rather that, for all your dulcet tones and opinions, you're like the rest of us have been for thousands of years.......just trying to puzzle things out. And if that's how you choose to do it......good luck to you. But, going back to the thread starter, give those choosing a different path just a little break, rather than trying to belittle them in public.

As I've already said.....it may appear cool, when in fact all you're doing is trying to heap embarassment on people who mean you no harm at all. Why noit try a polite 'no thanks' next time like the rest of us?

Cabaal

Marcopolo85 wrote:

And no, jmcc, I don't think you're holding a torch over yourself.....rather that, for all your dulcet tones and opinions, you're like the rest of us have been for thousands of years.......just trying to puzzle things out. And if that's how you choose to do it......good luck to you.

"puzzle things out"
So by that logic surely believeing that their is some all powerfull being that created everything is taking the easy way out instead of trying to find the real answer to things.

I guess it makes people (like yourself) feel comfortable not knowing what the real truth is...Everything can be explained away to "gods actions/wishes".

angry_fox

When i started this thread i wanted to know if people thought it strange that americans were here in waterford preaching their version of the word of god. What had they hoped to achieve? they seem to be wasting there time beacuse is there room for god in the 21st century?

Marcopolo85

angry_fox wrote:

When i started this thread i wanted to know if people thought it strange that americans were here in waterford preaching their version of the word of god. What had they hoped to achieve? they seem to be wasting there time beacuse is there room for god in the 21st century?

There willalways be room for God..........there's no avoiding Him.

Marcopolo85

Cabaal wrote:

"puzzle things out"
So by that logic surely believeing that their is some all powerfull being that created everything is taking the easy way out instead of trying to find the real answer to things.

I guess it makes people (like yourself) feel comfortable not knowing what the real truth is...Everything can be explained away to "gods actions/wishes".

Actually - no! It depends on what the 'real truth', as you call it, actually is. Your version (or opinion) to which you are quite entitled would be the complete opposite of mine. And that's no harm....it is good to question. I myself have done it at times. You may not believe it, but people with my outlook do actually do this, and it is healthy. It does not, however, diminish in any way my belief in the Almighty.

dogs

Marcopolo85 wrote:

There willalways be room for God..........there's no avoiding Him.

I think what actually bothers people is the incessant preaching.

jmcc wrote:

Thus there are the extremes of the less evolved, and more susceptible religious types (typified by these godbotherers and other assorted people who hear voices etc) and the more evolved rational types in any society.

You're not helping.


I guess what annoys me is the assumed hypocrisy. Would you be offended if someone were to stand in the middle of town, preaching that Jesus wasn't special and that statistically abortion reduces the crime rate ? I'd appreciate your honest answer

I don't like being hassled in town either, but I'm happier we're free to do it.

Marcopolo85

dogs wrote:

I think what actually bothers people is the incessant preaching.



You're not helping.


I guess what annoys me is the assumed hypocrisy. Would you be offended if someone were to stand in the middle of town, preaching that Jesus wasn't special and that statistically abortion reduces the crime rate ? I'd appreciate your honest answer

I don't like being hassled in town either, but I'm happier we're free to do it.

Well said.

mike65

I'm seriously thinking of moving this to Humanities board!

Mike.

angry_fox

In Waterford today its imposable to get from red square or applemarket to the city centre with some one coming up to you asking you to support a worthy cause or been handed small book bout some new form of christianity. Outside the entrance to the city centre you will see people with buckets and a poor guy in a wheel chair positioned in the middle of the entrance. He looked very uncomfortable and he honestly looked as if he didint want to be there. Do people have to get a license to this thing?
The americans who were preaching appeared to have left.

Sully

I dont believe they even preach the true word. I believe its in "edited" form. I always tell em to shut up and go away if they begin to hassle me and refuse there leaflets. Its bloody annoying if you ask me.

sjs1967

I was wondering in today's society if there are any circumstances where someone coming up to us on the streets is tolerated by us. Do we all get a bit suspicious?
Also, if someone were to tell you about their religion, what way would you prefer they use?