Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

    RE: 0
    
    I live and work in Los Angeles, and I see the same thing, perhaps a
    little less, as you in New York.  I can say that, first, they aren't as
    bad as the beggars, they don't ask for money/contributions.  Which
    brings me to a second good point, which is if they do it for no
    monetary gain, then it can't be all bad what they are doing.
    
    I listen every now and then, but mostly I think they are ministering to
    the street people, who don't always make it into a church on Sunday,
    for various reasons.  Also, I feel their sound, of their preaching and
    moaning and calling and yelling adds an angelic sound to the noise of a
    hustling bustling inner city, downtown atmosphere...yes Los Angeles,
    City of Angels.
    
    I figure "how can they believe in whom they have not heard and how can
    they hear without a preacher" so more power to the "streetcorner
    preacher"...hope he catch a few souls, make read the bible for the
    first time, go to church for the first time, get back into the church
    or bible, whatever...so I smile and give them a nod and a god bless,
    take any literature they might have to read and don't judge them...I
    mean whose to say whether they are right or wrong?
    
    Furthermore, Streetcorner preaching has a very long history in the
    world, so let it be...
    
    Playtoe

    Ths must be a miracle! ;-) I agree with Playtoe ;-)
    
    Bonnie

    I too agree with Playtoe, Bonnie!!  ;')
    
    But I don't agree with this line from the base note:
    
    >>Also many of them don't seem any different from all the other weird groups
    or cults that inhabit the streets and vie for everyone's attention. 
    Groups like the Hari Krishnas, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other strange
    groups stand in the  streets hawking their brand of religion or
    philosophy makes those in earnest look no different from them.<<
    
    Sounds awfully judgmental from a Christian-Perspective...
    
    Ro
    
    
    

I too have struggled with this issue.

I guess there is a place for them.  But I think that some of them go
too far in accosting some of their listeners.

Collis

    Re: 2 & 3
    
    Doesn't it feel great!  For me it does...

    Thank you Ro!  That bothered me too.  How do I know that I'm right, and
    a Jehovah's Witness, or a Hari Krishna, or anyone else for that matter,
    is not?
    
    'course, the beggars just asking for money aren't all bad either.
    
    E Grace

    E Grace,
    	the base note didn't say they were wrong, just weird. And they are.
    If they weren't at least a little weird you would never notice them in
    a crowd, would you ?  If someone isn't at least a little weird, could
    you find them at all interesting ?  OK, weird is generally used as a
    perjorative of sorts, but mostly by dull people who either have nothing
    to say or are afraid to say what they think. Not like anybody here.
    This group is definitly NOT dull. We are all weird if only because we
    represent a group of less than 1% of the christian employees of DEC. We
    few are the ones who discuss our beliefs. That makes us weird. Revel in
    it.

    Dave, I was responding to this:
    
    
    
    >  Groups like the
    >Hari Krishnas, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other strange groups stand in the 
    >streets hawking their brand of religion or philosophy makes 
    >those in earnest
     ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^
    >look no different from them.
    
    
    E Grace

The only problem I have with the street preachers they have here in
Colorado Springs is that they come equipped with bullhorns!  (I shall
refrain from remarking about how appropriate that might be.;-))

They must set the decibels a couple notches above 'stun.'
They are *LOUD*!  Would that their actions spoke as loudly
as their words!

>Note 178.6
>    'course, the beggars just asking for money aren't all bad either.

E Grace,

	Speaking as a one whose career (in the distant past) has included
professional panhandling, I tend to agree.  But, I know of others who
wouldn't! 8+}

Peace (and quiet),
Richard

    George Whitefield, wish you were here today!  So you weren't allowed
    into the churches to preach.  Didn't stop ya, did it?  So good, so
    dynamic that the people left their pews in droves to go to the fields. 
    Let's have a little more of that type evangelizing!!!

    E Grace,
    	I missed that. I wonder why any of them would be out there
    preaching, making a few friends and a lot of - well, "enemies" might be
    too strong a term - "not-friends", if they were not in earnest ?  They
    can't be picking up enough cash for more than a subsistance living and
    they could manage that in many other - and less exhaustive - ways. Like
    picking recycleables out of the trash - a grubby but admirable pursuit.
    Anyhow, sorry I missed your point-well-taken.

Re.0 

I cannot speak about the other groups you have mentioned but perhaps I can
shed a different perspective as a Jehovah's Witness who has done a little 
of what we term "streetwork" . Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their
"house to house" ministry, Acts 20:20 ,but it is not the houses that they are 
interested in, rather people . They encourage people to look into the Bible to 
see what it says about things such as God's incoming kingdom, Matt 6:10, and 
also how it can help them with the problems we all face today . Jesus prophesied
that the "good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited
earth", so to complement their "house to house" ministry some do "streetwork".
This helps to give *all* a chance of hearing the good news, such as the homeless
ones and those who perhaps spend most of their time working . Paul saw the 
importance of preaching to all people for in Ephesus he said in Acts 20:21 NWT 
"But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and Greeks about repentance toward 
God and faith in our Lord Jesus." 

I hope you have not found any Jehovah's Witnesses as being obnoxious in their
attitudes or manners . They do take very seriously the need for being polite
as ambassdors of Jehovah God . My own experience of being polite and well
mannered is that some people soon get to know and trust you and I did begin
to have regular chats with individuals about Jehovah God and the Bible . I also
think that the way the we dress distinguishes us from other groups . Jehovah's 
Witnesses do offer reading material, in this country the UK, for a small 
contribution, ie 30 pence (about 60 US cents) for the Watchtower and Awake 
magazines . The 30 pence goes to the cost of the production of more literature 
for the "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society" which is a non-profit organisation. 
In the US I understand that they ask for voluntary donations . In nearly every 
case, the Jehovah's Witness that is doing the "streetwork" is doing this in 
his own freetime and does not recieve any monies for his witnessing . This he 
does mainly out of his love for Jehovah God . The time they spend in offering 
the literature really highlights the importance they place on it . It also 
allows people to see for themselves in their own home what the Bible has to 
say, with the aid of the literature .

Does this type of witnessing work ? I would say yes . Jehovah's Witnesses see
themselves as Christians, eventhough this is not as a part of christendom, and
many are joining their ranks after being contacted through this method . Which 
means more and more doing street witnessing -) . But this has not always been 
the case, I have heard that one baptist couple, began going back to church, 
after Jehovah's Witnesses had contacted them and they had studied the Bible 
with them (free of charge, Matt 10:8). 

Ofcourse this type of witnessing will not be popular with everybody, but the
same was true back in the first century . But, it is important that all are
given a chance of hearing the good news . You should also be able to see 
wether to count/discount the Jehovah's Witnesses by the "fruit" that
is produced from their witnessing .

Phil.  

While a street-corner minister may not attract large followings,
they are working on percentages. Granted, often times
the percentage is measured in decimals of one per cent.
But then again, each adherant is one more for their faith, what ever
it is.

If they were not effective, they would not be there. While media
evangelists, and its getting harder to name honest ones, cast golden-wired
nets for thousands, these fellows are casting shoestrings and bent 
safety pins. Too bad there are not more sociologists out of work
looking for a grant. I imagine several sponsors would be interested
in knowing which convert stays converted, the television evangelist's
or the street-corner parson's.
Best wishes,
Rollyn