Proselytizing can get you into hot water.

Kadydid · #1 (**permalink**) 04-12-2006, 10:07 PM

Oh unless you’re a Christian then it’s just fine.

What's legal for Evangelists should be legal for SatanistsLast weekend, I visited a Bloomfield coffee house. Nothing unusual about that, only this time I was recognized by a regular reader of this column.
The man seemed friendly enough and actually complimented me on my work, but then he had to go and get all goofy on me. The guy asked if he could pray with me for my continued success.

"No thanks, bud, I'm an atheist," I told him, hoping the conversation would end there.

Ah, but who is more determined than a religious zealot faced with what they believe is a lost soul? Naturally, my lack of faith struck my new friend as a challenge so he placed one hand on my shoulder and started praying out loud.

Politely brushing him aside, I wondered to myself why it is that so many religious people feel compelled to proselytize total strangers. If I had a bible for every time I've been ambushed by streetcorner preachers on Downtown streets, I could open my own church.

And who hasn't had religious leaflets shoved in their hands by folks clocking lost souls?

In all but the most fanatical encounters, these guerrilla evangelists can be deterred with a few philosophical counterpoints, but some will keep at it until even an atheist prays to be left alone. The reason they persist, I believe, is because religious fanatics -- particularly the Christian ones -- know they have the law on their side.

How else could anyone account for the charges facing a trio of Somerset County teens who are facing misdemeanor charges for trying to convert Christians into Satanists?

According to the state police, the youths entered the St. Andrews Lutheran church April 2 and began shouting at the flock and displaying Satanic symbols. The trio must have felt they were on to something, so they headed over to the nearby All Saints Church where they questioned the faith of a bunch of 7- to 12-year-olds waiting in line for confession.

An off-duty state trooper who attends services at All Saints followed the juveniles out to their car, took information from them and later filed a complaint against the youths. The teens face counts of disorderly conduct, harassment and stalking.

These kids need a good, swift kick in their pentagrams for ruining somebody's worship service, but these are some fairly serious charges for interrupting a church service. What they did was rude and ill-conceived, but I'm not so convinced it was illegal.

And anyway, if being obnoxious about faith is against the law, there's not enough jail cells in the state for all the pushy believers out there.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-.../s_442132.html

I think this is total BS. I have encountered fanatical Christians who are just as obnoxious as these kids.

pwfaith · #2 (**permalink**) 04-13-2006, 06:26 AM

I disagree slightly. I think anyone, of any religion, if they had done what these kids did would also be charged. To me it's one thing to talk to someone on a street corner (or any public facility - even though I do not agree with how some ppl choose to do that) is quite different from entering someone's private facility and shouting at them, harrassing them, etc. I'd agree it was legal if the Satanist had approached the ppl in a public facility rather than their private facility. If that makes sense. I would expect the same treatment if some Christians went to a Satanic temple and busted through their doors yelling, etc.

Kadydid · #3 (**permalink**) 04-13-2006, 07:37 AM

Thanks Sarah, I can not debate this one over here. I shouldn’t have posted it on SK, this place is annoying.

I do have it up on MYP

Houseplantgirl · #4 (**permalink**) 04-14-2006, 09:53 AM

I for one think it's good they are being charged, in this society of "tolerate everything BUT christianity"!!!!
S

kwright · #5 (**permalink**) 04-14-2006, 03:28 PM

They should be charged, as well as all the insistant preachy Christain's , private and public property, allike