As a Christian what are your thoughts?

[Francis king]

... if you are "into God", and you sit next to me on the bus, and start banging on about it, without invite, you are invading my space. Not only are you invading my space, but you are freaking me out. I do not know you, nor you me, yet you presume to be so right that you feel obliged to inflict your insanity upon me. We are not in a church, where I may of course, tolerate such outpourings of zeal, we are not at a rally, we are not meeting to discuss such matters. Your behaviour, then, is inappropriate. Because your behaviour is inappropriate, and because we are in a public place, I will treat you as a threat. As you are a threat I will not listen to your words, as I will be too concerned about watching your hands, in case you reach inside your coat and pull out a big knife...

And yet... if you sit next to me on the bus with your bible, and catch me looking at what you're reading/carrying, and it sparks off a conversation, I will treat you differently. If we are sharing, debating, arguing, intellectualising, feeling, I will forever think fondly of you, the stranger on the bus who spoke to me about God, and I will offer the odd small prayer up to the Gods, so they may keep you safe and happy.

But if you approach me without invite, on the street, and especially if you knock at my door, I will shout at you. I will, sometimes, chase you down the street, away from my house, and I will berate you for being a parasite, hoping that some lost soul will open the door and "let jesus in" so you can suck the life out of them and give them some fake Jesus instead of the real deal.

We know what a church looks like. There the nice looking buildings with the big spires pointing towards the heavens. We know where God lives. We only have to go and knock at the door, and it will open.

The relationship between man and God should be something private, sacred, reverenced, not some vulgar public display of hatred/insanity sanitised by the name of Christ...

Witnessing in this horrid fashion is a part of christianity for a lot of christians, and most of those christians don't realise they're being sucked into something which will turn them into social outcasts deliberately so they will feel treasured in their churches, whose ministers have no qualification except to play the lost sheep...

[cyberpi]

Would a drunkard who stands up, or a prostitute, or a known sinner, or an idiot, or a Jew or Muslim (gasp), who equally has something to say about something he/she deems important... as a stranger... be regarded as beneath being heard? Would it be un-Christian to hear and hold a conversation? Can they not equally speak the Truth? I am offended by people who will not hear from the least of people, regardless of the discourse. It is they who I consider unChristian, per the Gospels and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Francis that was not directed to you... that sounded more like a phobia of strangers than an intolerance to hear someone who wants to start a conversation. I find that it is often easy to quiet someone with a few words when the words are not desired. I think whether or not there is eye flirtation or eves-dropping ahead of time is a personal choice... one that in some parts of the world is likely to get a man slapped or even a woman beaten. What I mean is it sounds like a cultural standard.

[Saltmeister]

Originally Posted by cyberpi

Would a drunkard who stands up, or a prostitute, or a known sinner, or an idiot, or a Jew or Muslim (gasp), who equally has something to say about something he/she deems important... as a stranger... be regarded as beneath being heard? Would it be un-Christian to hear and hold a conversation? Can they not equally speak the Truth? I am offended by people who will not hear from the least of people, regardless of the discourse. It is they who I consider unChristian, per the Gospels and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Francis that was not directed to you... that sounded more like a phobia of strangers than an intolerance to hear someone who wants to start a conversation. I find that it is often easy to quiet someone with a few words when the words are not desired. I think whether or not there is eye flirtation or eves-dropping ahead of time is a personal choice... one that in some parts of the world is likely to get a man slapped or even a woman beaten. What I mean is it sounds like a cultural standard.

Cyberpi!!!! Nice to hear from you again. Haven't seen you around for quite some time. I suppose I may have been looking in the wrong places . . . so let me express my greetings!!!

Francis King:
An emotionally charged response. Probably the same way that a lot of us would respond even if we're Christian too. The idea that this faith is supposed to be private, personal and to some extent for the individual is a common sentiment. We don't want it to just become a fad or pop culture concept.

. . . and yes, a lot of us dislike cliches.

the same old boring hum drum of . . . church?

Let's start (create) something new.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Manji2012

Today on the bus ride home, someone stood up and in a loud voice something to the effect of, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. To be saved you must be born again, accept Jesus Christ." He then sat down and some people on the bus commented with, "There he goes again, we know he is not through."

What are your thoughts on what this person did?

He broke up their mundane routine of life, and got them thinking. You said some commented about him going on again and not being through. But what about the rest? I'm surprised he didn't hear an "amen" or two among the crowd.

I wish I could have been on that bus when the announcement began. It would have been interesting to see the reactions of the faces of the people riding...

v/r

Q

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Francis king

... if you are "into God", and you sit next to me on the bus, and start banging on about it, without invite, you are invading my space. Not only are you invading my space, but you are freaking me out. I do not know you, nor you me, yet you presume to be so right that you feel obliged to inflict your insanity upon me. We are not in a church, where I may of course, tolerate such outpourings of zeal, we are not at a rally, we are not meeting to discuss such matters. Your behaviour, then, is inappropriate. Because your behaviour is inappropriate, and because we are in a public place, I will treat you as a threat. As you are a threat I will not listen to your words, as I will be too concerned about watching your hands, in case you reach inside your coat and pull out a big knife...

And yet... if you sit next to me on the bus with your bible, and catch me looking at what you're reading/carrying, and it sparks off a conversation, I will treat you differently. If we are sharing, debating, arguing, intellectualising, feeling, I will forever think fondly of you, the stranger on the bus who spoke to me about God, and I will offer the odd small prayer up to the Gods, so they may keep you safe and happy.

But if you approach me without invite, on the street, and especially if you knock at my door, I will shout at you. I will, sometimes, chase you down the street, away from my house, and I will berate you for being a parasite, hoping that some lost soul will open the door and "let jesus in" so you can suck the life out of them and give them some fake Jesus instead of the real deal.

We know what a church looks like. There the nice looking buildings with the big spires pointing towards the heavens. We know where God lives. We only have to go and knock at the door, and it will open.

The relationship between man and God should be something private, sacred, reverenced, not some vulgar public display of hatred/insanity sanitised by the name of Christ...

Witnessing in this horrid fashion is a part of christianity for a lot of christians, and most of those christians don't realise they're being sucked into something which will turn them into social outcasts deliberately so they will feel treasured in their churches, whose ministers have no qualification except to play the lost sheep...

What would have happend if someone suddenly said to you "nice weather we're having..."? or, "That's a nice jacket you're wearing, where do they sell that?"

v/r

Q

[madeinrussia89]

Originally Posted by wil

I believe he'd be better off being a shining example, offering his seat, helping folks on and off the bus, smiling and exuding the light and joy that Christ's teachings have to offer.

I totally agree. Acts of kindness always get the message across more effectively than spouting off on a bus like a maniac or door-to-door missionaries.

[17th Angel]

Originally Posted by Francis king

The relationship between man and God should be something private, sacred, reverenced, not some vulgar public display of hatred/insanity sanitised by the name of Christ..

Love isn't a private thing, love is all for one and one for all..... And hatred? lol.... Where was the guys hatred? He stood up and spoke his free mind... Using his free voice! You should be clapping hands and shaking as the holy spirit fills your body!£$$!£$ *nervously twitches* hallelujah!!!!!!!

[mee]

while I did not hold back from telling YOU any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching YOU publicly and from house to house ACTS 20;20
its good to know that some are sent out with profitable things to listen too, and also, because they are taught by the most high they teach rather than act like maniacs . and when they are doing this they meet many in opposition .
(Matthew 28:20) teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”



(Acts 20:27) for I have not held back from telling YOU all the counsel of God.



(2 Timothy 4:2) preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season, reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all long-suffering and [art of] teaching.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by madeinrussia89

I totally agree. Acts of kindness always get the message across more effectively than spouting off on a bus like a maniac or door-to-door missionaries.

Sometimes, you have to get people's attention first...

...a time and a place for everything, under the sun...

v/r

Q

[17th Angel]

For everything you say eh? Well I'll hold out on faith for a religion till the playboy mansion girls come around "promoting" the faith... I am sure then I'll become a believer.... *humms the tune to 'spirit in the sky' to himself.*

[AndrewX]

Francis, I've already commented on this thread, and been told to shut up in about as warm a fashion as I suppose one might expect (how dare I mention extraterrestrials, or the environment, to make a point) ... yet we are totally on the same page here! And I'm glad you spoke your mind, and your heart, on this one!

Yes, emotionally charged, but those are all excellent points which you've made!

No one is suggesting one should conceal one's zeal here, or be embarassed about one's faith/Faith. All that's being said is, could you please keep it down to a dull roar?

And as great a respect for the Vaishnavas as I might have, or as deep an interest in the Eastern traditions, I would regard (and do regard) the same kind of event from a Hare Krishna to be - pretty much - no different. Yes, the roving herds of them on a college campus do sometimes draw my attention for a bit, or at least, they did in the mid 90s when I was a student at UNC Chapel Hill. But a street preacher is a street preacher, and that's all there is to it. He's a fella, like you and me (well, ok, a fella, like me - a person, like any of us) ... self-ordained, most often ... yet I do not feel a need to judge, or to be terribly suspicious ... though for practical reasons, yes, I will keep my eye on him!

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by AndrewX

Francis, I've already commented on this thread, and been told to shut up in about as warm a fashion as I suppose one might expect (how dare I mention extraterrestrials, or the environment, to make a point) ... yet we are totally on the same page here! And I'm glad you spoke your mind, and your heart, on this one!

Yes, emotionally charged, but those are all excellent points which you've made!

No one is suggesting one should conceal one's zeal here, or be embarassed about one's faith/Faith. All that's being said is, could you please keep it down to a dull roar?

And as great a respect for the Vaishnavas as I might have, or as deep an interest in the Eastern traditions, I would regard (and do regard) the same kind of event from a Hare Krishna to be - pretty much - no different. Yes, the roving herds of them on a college campus do sometimes draw my attention for a bit, or at least, they did in the mid 90s when I was a student at UNC Chapel Hill. But a street preacher is a street preacher, and that's all there is to it. He's a fella, like you and me (well, ok, a fella, like me - a person, like any of us) ... self-ordained, most often ... yet I do not feel a need to judge, or to be terribly suspicious ... though for practical reasons, yes, I will keep my eye on him!

What do extraterrestrials and the environment have to do with the topic concerning Christian thoughts on a self announcing evangelist on board a bus?

[mee]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Sometimes, you have to get people's attention first...

...a time and a place for everything, under the sun...

v/r

Q

following Jesus example is the way to go .

JESUS CHRIST traveled “from city to city and from village to village, teaching and continuing on his journey to Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:22) To accomplish the ministry, Jesus and his disciples preached not only “from city to city” but also “from village to village.” Though it would have been easier to concentrate on the cities, they did not bypass the many villages in the countryside.
Jesus told his disciples to “search out” the deserving ones in each city or village. (Matthew 10:11)

[bob x]

What do extraterrestrials and the environment have to do with the topic concerning Christian thoughts on a self announcing evangelist on board a bus?

To those who don't believe in any of them, they are all the same.

[AndrewX]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

What do extraterrestrials and the environment have to do with the topic concerning Christian thoughts on a self announcing evangelist on board a bus?

Please read my first post on this thread. If you already have, then I hope you'll see ... that what I was encouraging folks to do is to try to see beyond content of a message, sermon, rant, etc. - and to consider context.

This has everything to do with whether that fella just stands up, in public, on the bus (regardless of any presumed, or actual `credentials') - and rattles on ... vs. a quiet, non-presumptuous interaction between two people sitting beside each other, as Francis mentioned.

I will even go so far as to say, in the first case, be it Jesus, ET, or the environment, I'm much less likely to be inspired and interested in what Bubba Joe has to offer ... than if we were just sitting next to each other, chit-chatting. However, if a college campus sponsored a lecture, an evening talk by a local preacher, and INVITED folks to attend, rather than forcing certain opinions on others ... then of course, of my own volition and choosing, I might go - and hear EXACTLY what the fella on the bus had to say - and it might move me, or I might receive it differently.

So too, it just might be, that folks who would otherwise judge, or comment negatively, or not take interest, would actually listen, under these different circumstances.

Content ...

Context ...