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.

It makes me annoyed because they're loud and annoying. But I also find it all quite odd ... can there be anyone who walks down the street, gets told via megaphone that the end is nigh or that Jesus loves them or something and then goes oh alright then, I've never heard that before - I'll join your religion? (For that matter, does anyone become a Jehovah's Witness after a knock on the door?) I find it baffling to be honest. I get that you can have a deep faith based on the things you have experienced in your life but I just can't comprehend the people who tell people "but Jesus loves you" as if those words are all the proof anyone should ever need?

Noeffing I should have said one's religion, but it is MN, and I'd get told off for being snotty with the use of 'one'.

My second point is easy really. Better to have freedom of religion, to be able to choose to follow one, or none, than to be forced to subscribe to one and get physically abused if you transgress. I'll take the street preachers any day alongside freedom of religion.

passingthrough1 I once watched this documentary, I think it was on boozy Britain or something and it showed you a part where the street pastors helped the emergency services out, by handing out flip flops and bottles of water.
"oh we aren't trying to convert anyone" or something similar to that effect was said.

Still never did understand why they also gave bibles out with the water and flip flops by the end of the programme.

scaryteacher I'd take a secular enviroment where religions are confined to religious or private spaces, and the rest of us can get on with our lives.
This kind of religious belief system can also be quite mysogynist. Obviously not to the extreme of throwing people of buildings, but still not something I want myself and my daughter to have to hear.

It doesn't bother me because I suport freedom of religion and belief.

There's no point in having a democracy where the only people who have rights are those who believe and act exactly the same as me.

Evangelism is so trying for those of us who do not want to be converted. I live in an area that is mainly Muslim, funny how they are happy to try and stop me but if you're in Muslim dress they don't bother.

I miss sinner winner man at Oxford Circus, I went past the other day and thought of him. He had a megaphone but an inoffensive voice and he didn't rant or shout as such. He was fairly upbeat and pleasant, if others followed his lead it wouldn't be so bad

Good to hear others remember Oxford Street's "passion and protein" man ... he used to shout out about whether listeners were enjoying "too much married love" too, which seemed a bit creepy - but hey it's a free world

The most obvious religionists in my city are the muslim group who've set up an "information stand" outside the cathedral, shoving leaflets into the hands of anyone entering. Nothing wrong with that in principle of course, but I do sometimes wonder what would happen if the CofE, the Methodists or whoever tried it outside the mosque

The Bristol preachers mentioned by YoullNeverWeeAlone upthread were probably these ones who were arrested for hate speech. As well as the usual stuff about people going to hell, they made homophobic comments and pronounced against Islam and other religions.

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/street-preachers-arrested-front-cheering-2656

People got upset, quite understandably.

Maybe there should be more designated areas – like Speakers’ Corner in London – where preachers and others with a cause they feel passionately about can hold forth. And then people can choose to go and listen – or not.

I have been accosted twice in Manchester Piccadilly gardens and told they will pray for me as I was obviously evil in a prior life - I have multiple visible disabilities. If I wanted to hear about Christianity or any other religion I would go to church/ mosque etc. I don't want their interpretation rammed down my throat.

@FlyingDuck Oxford circus sinner winner man got done with an ASBO for his preaching!!

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4969450.stm

(I once saw sinner winner man on Oxford St one Sat afternoon - then queuing to get into a concert at Earls Court that evening who should rock up with his megaphone to lecture the crowds about sin and vice but, yes, you guessed it!!

Apparently he had a column in Time Out at one point..??)

Noeffing What else would you like 'confined' then? You and your daughter will hear stuff that you find offensive throughout your lives, as have I. One has to learn to deal with it imo, by giving it a damned good ignoring, or tackling it.

No one is stopping you getting on with your life by standing up in the street and preaching. I find Diane Abbott very offensive for example, but I just switch channels if she is on.

Kr1stina, it's possible to support freedom of religion and belief, and to support democracy and the rights of others... but at the same time not support the right for anyone to do anything anywhere. If those people shouting in the street for hours on end are preventing people in nearby shops and offices from working in peace and quiet, then, IMHO the shouting should be stopped. No one is stopping them from holding their beliefs.

Noeffing What else would you like 'confined' then? You and your daughter will hear stuff that you find offensive throughout your lives, as have I. One has to learn to deal with it imo, by giving it a damned good ignoring, or tackling it.

I don't think it has to be confined so much as being required to change the way they offer up their message. You can't ignore someone loudly ranting. You have to leave the shop/street etc to not hear it. Anyone else who has a message they want to convey in our town centre has a table with info on it and people can come and find out more if they wish. They don't have someone screeching through a megaphone "Don't support the vivisectionists. Only buy X,Y or Z that doesn't carry out animal testing."

There's a lovely JW that hangs out between the betting shop and the job centre in my town. He doesn't say anything unless you pick up on if his leaflets.
People who shout about damnation are a tad annoying.

You could stand beside them and discredit them - I've seen that a few times here (Glasgow city centre).

Oh crikey, that might have been my DH he got into such a heated argument with the preacher about dinosaurs that people started clapping and filming him 😂😂

jelly and other Belfast people-do you remember the days when Paisley Jnr used to stand outside the Students Union at Queen's banging 2 binlids together and screeching about hell and damnation? And when people argued with him he would go mad! How far we have come.....

Chester?

I agree with free speech but I also find it annoying and it's always the fundamentalists that seem to shout and rant and rave. I think it's so off-putting, almost offensive, and i don't think it'll convert anyone.

And I say this as someone who holds Christian beliefs.

There's a guy that does this nearly everyday in my town centre and one day a man stood a few metres away from him and started reading out the hungry caterpillar, it was brilliant hahaa.

Quite a few years ago in the centre of Leeds I saw (and heard) a Christian zealot banging on about eternal damnation, accepting Jesus as your saviour blah, blah, blah. He was young, animated, passionate and disturbingly aggressive. But what bothered me the most was the young woman standing next to him. She was barely out of her teens, shabbily dressed and kept glancing nervously from side to side. She also looked like death warmed up. At the time I dismissed her as a lackey but on reflection, I suppose she was living in fear. Fear of what would happen if she didn't accept Jesus and fear of what this unhinged gobshite might do if she dared leave his side or otherwise cross him. I suspect his ilk pick on the weak to ensure unwavering slavishness. Dreadful man.

tanfield I live in Leeds. Don't remember the guy you mention but there are still no shortage of damnation preaching shouty people on Briggate . I think you are right about them targeting 'assistants' who don't have the confidence to do anything except what they are told to do.

I only saw him once Alice, outside the St.John's Centre one Saturday morning. I hope he was moved on swiftly. I can still picture his gesticulating (mainly pointing) and snarly preaching. I would estimate he was only in his mid-twenties. What turns someone so young into such a venomous git is beyond me.

That should be St.John's Centre. I need a religious crackpot to put a spell on this useless tablet !

Centre. I think autocorrect is having an episode. Centre, dammit. Centre !