Easter

We took the train to Preston and happily got home before the gales. It was a good trip but not without triggering moments for me. We enjoyed shopping, having a pizza and a walk in one of parks, but it was somewhat spoilt by religious zealots amplified and hectoring on Fishergate (the main shopping street). I fully respect everyone’s right to their own beliefs and religion but they were very intrusuve, dogmatic, intolerant and in our faces so to speak. Others in the street were arguing with them and situation was very tense. They are sure Im heading to hell apparently.  Anyway the journey home was really pleasant on a Pendo with cheerful Avanti staff. 

AnA

I wonder what street preachers who rant at people get out of it?

I wonder what street preachers who rant at people get out of it?

Not so much deliberate martrydom but familiarlty with being in abusive situations. Given kindness, these people will test it to the limit, which 'proves' to them that they are unloveable. It's very difficult to break these cycles of misery.

I felt that I was moderate, not disagreeing outright with evangelising as in my faith it is one thing that Jesus asked people to do. I wrote I didn't think that ranting or being absuive to people was the way to go, by writing not to force it on people. They should not be vitrolic when preaching about hell.  I explained where their basis in their argument comes from to do this. You have to try and think though those doing this to try and fit in where you are. I don't do this myself but I know people who do on another forum and it seems to be one of their motivators for life and they do this in a more compassionate way. The church I go to an Anglican church as a non denominational are not as extreme as you mentioned and they sing at Christmas and probably hand out cards at Easter.  You cannot I think label everyone together. I myself having anorexia in the past had some people always seeing my condition as not pyschological and I have had abuse of my own, but have met some good people and some do not have the true faith right may be in their hearts and I think the values that the faith is truly about is not understood spiritually by them. 

Your post is very triggering for me. I have been a victim of financial and emotional abuse by chistrians, over many years, part of which was actually a cult living off the respectable Methodist church. You cannot imagine the mental harm they did to me, this was multiple people, several different churches leaching me of money, self respect and hope. They made it clear that if I didn’t agree with their rules and every word of their bible I was heading straight for hell. 

I was subsequently diagnosed with C-PTSD and the the biggest aspects of abuse stemmed from christians and their churches. Your (as a group) hypocrisy is utterly appalling, god isn’t love, he is abuse.

Ranting at people is not good and if people are not interested in listening to you should not try and force them, but in the Christian faith the New Testament says that people have different roles which is appointed by Jesus. This is in (Ephesians s 4:11)  !"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers”

Some people are evangelists and it is their role to bring the message of the Bible to people. There are different ways of doing this and not everybody operates in the same way. I don’t like to criticise those who feel called to do this as Jesus said people should witness to the nations.  I have come across some modest evangelists and I met some when I was about 16/17 who I will never forget and they told me this young group no more than 20 years old that they were going to walk on water that day, one of Jesus miracles. That encouraged me to start praying for a miracle myself which I never got, but I got something for free and richer instead during that time.

Why do they do this? I think some are committed in sharing the word of God with others and feel called to do this in this way.. Some may want to do this by fear that they haven’t done enough to receive eternal life through Jesus.  It is best to do it from your heart and freely.   

There is all different types of evangelising, there are more louder Christianese types or more one 2 one types as well who are quieter and you will find them more likely in the Anglican/Catholic church’s.

There is evangelising and witnessing and using your spiritual talents is encouraged to do by Jesus to help the church and its members.

I think sometimes it is fear that drives them. Protestantism may talk up salvation by faith, but it can be really hard to shake the idea that one is somehow not good enough (particularly if your view of God has been shaped by experience of a disapproving or abusive fathers). It is a small step from there to (at some level) imagining that you can win God's approval by making converts.

Do you think so? I guess it could be that, or they're driven by a need to be rejected, sworn at etc, maybe it just feeds a martyr complex?

power games. Getting angry at others hives off stress for some people.