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Interesting that the local merchants are trying to shut these people down. Seems rather un-American to me. Let them exercise their rights to free speech.

But if you really want to get rid of such people, I think the only effective antidote would be laughter. Gather around these buffoons and laugh at every effort they make to make people ashamed of themselves, and they'll probably decide they have better things to do for Saturday morning.

My question is why type of education do these preachers have? Where did they learn hermeneutics and from whom? How about their ability to read the Hebrew and Greek texts from which the Bible is translated?

These are important things that should be considered when listening to a preacher like this.

So, if someone really wanted to do something about this; why not get a good modern (liberal) preacher to stand on the same corner at the same time sharing the LOVE of God with people rather than screaming at them about sin and hell. God's love is what makes the difference. People respond to love better than what appears to be anger.

Shalom

"I think the only effective antidote would be laughter. Gather around these buffoons and laugh at every effort they make to make people ashamed of themselves, and they'll probably decide they have better things to do for Saturday morning."

I have rarely observed such pompous condescension from a blogger as this comment (including all the grammatical and stuctural errors). These preachers are in a grand tradition of Gospel proclamation, starting with Jesus in the streets of Jerusalem, and then the Apostle Paul, who preached in the streets and Agoras of Greek cities for years before the skeptical "baffoons" of unbelief finally silenced him.

Not only are these guys within their first ammendment rights, but are under orders from a higher power. They "must obey God rather than men." You may not like their brand of biblical interpretation, or their level of theological sophistication, but at least they are laying it out for people to consider - more than the useless critics who can only hurl the cynic's ban.

But then the Gospel is not complicated or erudite, but simple, pointed and powerful. ("for the Gospel is the power of salvation") Either you repent of your sin and unbelief, and receive God's amazing grace based on full trust in Messiah's atoning sacrifice, or you accept the consequences of rejecting it: misery on earth and the "everlasting" pain (hell) of separation from God's heavenly glory and bliss post mortem.

These guys may put it their own street-talk way - and I may not agree with ALL their theological nuances myself - but at least they are getting off their comfortable, complacent asses and confronting a largely faithless and secularized community. I say to them: continue to "earnestly contend for the Faith" and may God bless your efforts richly!

Condescension? Me? Mate, I'm not the one standing on the street, accosting every stranger that walks along with the expressed assumption that they are going to Hell.

I just love how such obnoxious people think that they are justified in being obnoxious simply because they're "under orders from a higher power." They might feel they are right, but it doesn't make them any less insulting. They are still pests that suck the enjoyment out of strolling down the street on a Spring morning.

By all means, I agree they have the right to be jerks in public. That doesn't give them any immunity from getting laughed at or ignored.

It might be fun to get some Pagans out there chanting to the Goddess; or maybe some freethinkers pointing out the many Biblical contradictions, such as how a God of infinite love can have created an eternal torture for most of his beloved creatures. People obsessed with their own sinfulness are like women who stay with abusive husbands because they don't think they deserve better. A god who causes calamity in peoples' lives so they will turn to him and love him ranks with an abusive husband in my book. Sorry; I deserve better.

I'm not trying to justify every technique or approach these preachers, or any others might use; but the Gospel is always an intrusion into the comfortable and complacent sin-world of people. Someone got crucified for truth-telling and others thrown to lions, etc. Sorry if it upsets your Saturday morning walk, or someone else's comfort zone - so be it.

Human pride and sin-guilt always balks at hearing hte truth of its impending judgment from God. You guys are no exception. Neither was I. I used to give street evangelists a hell of a time when I was a hippie. Now I would embrace them as my brothers in Christ. Funny how a new birth can change one's entire perspective on life and people.

As imperfect as these guys might be; they're a darn sight better than Benny Hinn and other TV hucksters out there. At least they're 3-D and local. I've done some street evangelism in my time and it's NOT easy. You get your share of cat calls and raw gestures. But my Lord said that if they hated Him, they would certainly "hate" me. This is not a "normal" hated, but one born of the bitterness of guilt, and the anger of rebellion, provoked by the unveiling light of God's Truth - only yielding to it can end the agony, and bring eternal peace.

Gadfly wrote:"Gospel is always an intrusion into the comfortable and complacent sin-world of people. Someone got crucified for truth-telling and others thrown to lions, etc."

This is an example of what really annoys non-believers: not our complacent, sinful lives, but the complacent and sinful attitude that all non-Christians are complacent in their sins yet somehow also agonizing over their guilt (yet another contradiction); plus tha complacent unawareness of the "pride and sin-guilt" of many self-righteous Christians. The churches have done theior share of persecuting too. Pagan Rome was relatively tolerant, embracing many faiths; they persecuted Christians because the latter refused to sacrifice to the Emperor, thus were regarded as rebellious. I support their right to refuse, and admire their courage, but when given the power, they too persecuted others, even other Christian sects. If you forget that, those you preach to with your assumption of superiority will only rank you with the rest of the hypocrites. Sure, you make a show of being a "poor sinner saved by grace," but this lets your contempt of those who believe differently come out and play without any restraint. Don't think we don't notice.