To feel angry about religious shouty people in city centre

[AliceKlar]

I can't understand why Christian/Evangelist 'preachers' (They are always in normal clothes so no idea if they are actually preachers or just random believers) are given permission by the council to stand on a busy street in the city centre and yell about being saved and letting Jesus into our lives etc.

I have nothing against anyone believing in whatever they choose, or even Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door, because you can say no and they go away. In the city centre though there's no escape, especially for the people working inside the shops nearby which often have open door policies. It really makes me annoyed for some reason. Does anyone else find this unreasonable? If people want to hear about Jesus and the Christian religion there are churches that will be only too pleased to help.

Ah this reminds me of, "Are you a winner or a sinner? Let's all be winners with Christ!"

Anyone else remember Phil, the Oxford Circus man? A shopping trip wasn't complete without his exhortation to find salvation.

anonymice Preaching at people in public is being rude and selfish.

It's not okay to shout at people in the street, regardless of subject.

It's the shops' open door policy that saddens me. "Yes, it's really important to burn that oil and heat the great outside and who cares about the environment because global warming and sea-level rise are myths and our customers are too stupid to open a door for themselves."

Agreed. Shouting is not on. Talking is however not illegal. I am not talking about what is desirable but what is legal. Not what is selfish but what is permissable.

anon "But how far do you take that ? "

I think it's fair to say it's a problem when it impacts people going about their daily lives. working in a shop and listening to someone shout repeatedly - about anything - is horrible.

Like I said, have a shop or stall, don't just wander about yelling. Then again I think the busker/street entertainer thing has gone way too far. Designated spots are one thing but this has gone to a whole new level.

Organised protest is another - there's a date, police agreement even at short notice and the protestors move, they don't stand in one spot yelling.

Protein Man - I only heard of him because there's a thing about him in the Museum of London. Made me lol!

I don't really mind, but I grew up in Northern Ireland where it so was ubiquitous as to be barely noticeable. When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to always take tracts and laugh over them later as we breathed in patchouli fumes and eyed up trays of cheap silver jewellery and patchwork skirts, because that was what passed for fun in Belfast in the late 80s/early 90s.

Our local city has a Christian hotdog seller who preaches and sings as he sells hotdogs 😂😂

This thread made me think about the "less passion from less protein" man who patrolled Oxford St for many years. He was a part of the scenery

For the Belfast people
Incidently I haven't seen the singing lady out and about recently. She was usually stationed outside Victoria Square or M&S.

And where I live now, there aren't really any shouty people. There are Baha'i, the ones with the magazines, Hare Krishnas, peace activists, Socialist Workers, supporters of Palestinians, occasional charity or political stalls, lots of buskers (mostly good) and lots of stuff aimed at tourists.

Ffs incidentally

I think you are being precious and silly.

My born again ex boyfriend has been known to engage in street preaching.

He’s definitely of the people-are-miserable-sinners school of thought.

But it seems like bad manners to preach such misanthropy on the street.

I wish he’d see the light and hold up a big placard saying, ‘No idea what it’s all about - your guess is as good as mine. Just keep on keeping on – you’re fine as you are!’

toomuchtvandsocialmedia Yes, that was what my link at 13:46:43 was about. :-)

Pretty sure in Bristol recently three preachers were prosecuted, as their "we are right and you're all damned" stuff was upsetting and offending a lot a passers-by. Not sure if it was a hate speak or public order offence though. I should Google...

Noeffingidea Why the assumption that I have any sort of religious belief? Just because I think having freedom of religion in the UK is a good thing, it doesn't mean that I subscribe to any of those religions. Better a person proselytizing in the street than gay men being thrown off buildings don't you think?

I find chuggers much more annoying and intrusive than street preachers. Street preachers just shout, chuggers obstruct me and try to rob me of my time, personal details and money.

scaryteacher I thought you said our referring to yourself.
As for your second point, I don't understand how you got from A to B there. Allowing noisy preachers to shout at people that don't want to hear, or throwing gay men off buildings. I think it's quite possible to not have either.

When they approach me or my children, I make sure to say to my kids "don't listen to these crazy people, they are religious. They believe in sky fairies and it is because of them we have all the wars in the world".

There's always a few shouty religious people in our town centre and the Hari krisna people clanging their things. Then there's the chuggers and buskers. It's all part of life. Although the guy who plays the bagpipes is a tad annoying.

Haha tell me about it OP

Last Summer I was sitting in the quiet of the garden, enjoying the sun an birds .. when suddenly there was BOOMING voice from a loudspeaker a good 5 minutes away . . Some religious group had set up. ironically outside the local pub !!

Nooooo don't take away the mad preachers!

Also a Belfast person - used to go and argue with them on a Saturday morning, before getting pissed in Botanic

It was a Goth/preacher stand off

My husband once heard a preacher in Cornmarket in Belfast preaching against the evils of going to the gym. And taking vitamin supplements.

I hate anybody who "works" in the street, preachers, chuggers, because it makes me so anxious and frightened when I have to go past, I am deaf and I get worried I come across rude if I ignore them so I look at their face to see if they're talking to me and they take that as an invitation, and the fun begins.

treacle going to the gym and vitamins! Not sure where they come into religion! Wow.

Generally if people have anything they want to tell the public about they have stalls. There are often anti-vivisectionists, anti-Palestinian occupationists, anti-fur, anti NHS cuts etc stalls in town but they don't shout at passers by. It's up to members of the public if they wish to go and find out more or sign a petition etc. It's the being able to stand on the main shopping thoroughfare in the city, sometimes with a megaphone and yell for ages that I think should be stopped. Poor people who can't just walk away because they're working in the shop they're stood outside of.