Street preachers... what do you make of them?

[floppit]

Yep, great article


Only one thing ...

Of course there are plenty of people who lose their faith, but to be born into the faithless is something else entirely. I have no sense of disappointment, disillusionment or loss, no sense of the hole in my soul where Jesus should be.

This seems to imply that all those who were raised theists have issues upon losing their theistic beliefs. My experience is different ... I lost belief in a god thingy (is that the same as losing faith? I dunno ... I just believed in what I'd been raised with until I became better informed and more plausible ideas took hold and the belief eroded and disappeared ... ), and, like the author, I had no sense of disappointment, disillusionment or loss, no sense of the hole in my soul where Jesus should be. What I did and do have is a sense of release and freedom from mental servitude to an imposed dogma which was pretty fucked up on several levels, including aspects that had little to do with the dogma itself and everything to do with the surrounding culture of imposing ideas and manipulating behaviour.

I second that. If I had any 'left overs' they were no more than perhaps an overly zealous disrespect for the bible, not it's honesty because that warrants no respect but that it's ancient. Now I think of it as an important book, it contains a window into a set of beliefs handed down over 1000's of years and as such deserves a degree of attention. Equally I find buddhist and hindu teaching interesting although I have never delved in the quoran - one day maybe. I actually appreciate my religious upbringing, it's easier to learn to debate and wrangle one book than a whole universe and to a child more engaging, I cut my teeth in debate over that book which eventually led to faith's demise but what a trip - I could not regret.

[Svartalf]

But then street preachers always seem to attract (or prey on) those who are at their most difficult point in life. The homeless, destitute, drug addicts, mentally unstable.... they parasitise these people at a time when they're basically defenseless.

Then again, a great many people who have reached rock bottom have found solace and strength in religion. Perhaps as a last resort it's not a bad thing to embrace the delusion.

It's certainly is cheaper than drugs.

but I'd rather get certain drugs to get predictable effects than become a wild cannon doped up on newfound fanaticism

[Svartalf]

In my area of Norway there really weren't many, and they didn't come to your doorstep either... so when I've encountered them here in Bergen (twice, once Mormon and once just regular flavour Christians) I've engaged them... why don't I believe? Because If I said I did I would be lying, etc... They kept trying to convince me, poor sods... but the preachers I've seen haven't been the kind that'll tell you you're going to fry sometime in the near future.

When you say 'regular flavour', you mean, extreme evangelical?
Where I come from, the regular flavor stays in its own churches and doesn't go about bothering people, even the calvinists have calmed down over the las 4 centuries.

[Eriku]

In my area of Norway there really weren't many, and they didn't come to your doorstep either... so when I've encountered them here in Bergen (twice, once Mormon and once just regular flavour Christians) I've engaged them... why don't I believe? Because If I said I did I would be lying, etc... They kept trying to convince me, poor sods... but the preachers I've seen haven't been the kind that'll tell you you're going to fry sometime in the near future.

When you say 'regular flavour', you mean, extreme evangelical?
Where I come from, the regular flavor stays in its own churches and doesn't go about bothering people, even the calvinists have calmed down over the las 4 centuries.

In Norway regular means protestant... they were just a random Christian couple who wanted to start some sort of discussion group, aimed at Christians. I had an excuse ready

[Svartalf]

Funny, you saying protestant like it was a monolith bloc... Those bible only American style evangelicals have little in common with garden variety Lutherans (or so I hear, most of the French protestants are strait laced calvinists, but they still keep to themselves rather than trying to convert people or picking fights with the pope kissers)

[Bolero]

The atheist group I go to has a "Crazy Christian Debating" meetup once a month, where they all go have a few drinks, then rock up to the regular Saturday night preachers in town and have a go at their arguments.

I've never been, but it sounds like fun.

I'm sure you'd revel in it, Bolero.
I bet you never heard that before.
I'm sooooooo sorry.

Mmmmm... your whole joke is un-ravel-ing before my eyes.
(I'm equally sorry)