Saturday, May 26, 2007

Go into all the ... parks and shout at people

I came across an article that makes me sigh with mild frustration.

Frustration because of the offensive way many of us Christians have decided to shout "good news" (you're all in danger of hell!) at any body who doesn't want to listen.

Mild because I've been bothered by this since the 1980s, but when I've mentioned it to most of my brethren, they've looked at me like I was blaspheming. So some of the fire's gone out of my indignation.

But's it's obviously still alienating the people it's aimed to bring closer. So to me, it's just a dumb strategy.

Back to the article ... Read it here, come back and share your thoughts. Maybe you think it's ok and you have a sensible rationale: I'll listen.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny article.

The trouble with doing fire and brimstone preaching in public is that it can only possibly work where people already have a respect for God and for Christian ideas.

Otherwise it's just noise that makes no sense. And annoying noise, at best.

See also: doorknocking :)

Anonymous said...

Every village needs an idiot...

matjnewton said...

Hehe

It was funny

But the people who actually do that, how embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

the funniest thing was the "google inserted crazy christian" videos down the right hand side... a couple of them were PRICELESS (and only proved my point).

This sort of "evangelism" needs to go the way of the dodo. I don't like be shouted at at the best of times, let alone be shouted at and told I'm a sinner and going to hell!

Pete Aldin said...

Mm-hmm. And if WE hate it, how do non-bible-bashers feel?

I've actually removed those videos from the sidebar; it eventually hit me that it's not cool to make fun of these people and use them as entertainment.

Although I couldn't help chuckling at the video segement from "The Prophecy Club"... I wonder if Elijah, Jeremiah and Micah had their membership paid up? And where do I join?

Pete Aldin said...

"Every village needs an idiot" - that's funny. I can't remember the show I saw recently where the funniest line was "If all the idiots from all the villages in the world got together to make their own village, in that village, you'd be the village idiot".

Anonymous said...

Pete, I think that quote is from Seinfeld (the OTHER most-quotable TV show in the world)... I think...

"Behold, Costanza - KING of the idiots..."

Pete Aldin said...

It came to me, it may have been inspired by Senifeld's comment but it was actually Lano and Woodley.

Anonymous said...

Now that you say that - yep, Lano & Woodley are a cack. And rightly credited with your quote. Brilliant.

daviddouglas. said...

yeh. Rob Bell has a cool nooma thing similiar to this..

Yewtree said...

Well, there's a group on Facebook called "So apparently I'm going to Hell" in response to just that kind of evangelism.

If you want to get bums on pews, the way to do it is to convince people that they're going to have a spiritual experience which is fulfilling and meaningful. So churches need to get rid of those cheesy posters - and less of the Christian-specific language - no-one understands it.

Yewtree said...

Oh yes, and big up the message that the Deity loves everyone including gays and lesbians (and is quite happy for them to be in a sexual relationship), and doesn't mind what religion people are (see Gospel of John chapter 14 - the whole chapter, not just the bit that people always quote).

I like your blog a lot, by the way :)

Pete Aldin said...

I am so with you on those cheesy posters, Yvonne. I love the Simpsons episode where we have the exterior shot of Lovejoy's church on Sunday morning and the billboard says "If you were a Pastor, you'd be home now."
Mabe I'll join that group - not because I'm going to hell, but because I'm sick of that preaching too. Many of us Jesus-freaks these days DON'T want bums on pews. We want authentic community with people who are travelling the path Jesus laid out for us. Yeah, it's still full of cliches but at least it's active instead of passive.

Sitting on the pew listening bores me to tears and always has.

Thanks for your contribution!