I came across fundamentalists for the first time in my life

[redbetta]

I’ve never seen the fire and brimstone types in my life before, but, today on campus, I walked past two elderly women holding signs and screaming that you will go to hell if you have have premarital sex. I feel awful because, a lot of students here are from east Asia and this might be their first impresssion of Christians. It may also turn off other students from Christianity. Now, one of the was holding a staff with a cruxifix on it and, I was thinking, that they might be Catholics because a protestant fundie won’t be caught dead holding one, or, so I’ve heard. So, since we are on the same team, I could try to engage them and offer them insights on better ways to reach out to people, life, websites on the good news of marriage and family. However, they might also be sedevanticists and say that I’m going to hell for going to novus ordo masses. My third idea is that these two are being paid by a liberal group to act like bad stereotypes of Christians to furhter their agenda. I mean, it is a liberal town with a liberal university.

So what should I do, try to engage them in dialogue if they are still there later or ignore them? Either way, I’ll pray for them as that is the obvious answer. Keep in mind that I’m almost 20 and have never put myself in the frying pan before.

 

[Richard_White]

Well, I really don’t know. They are most likely not going to be vicious if they are elderly women (although you never know), but speaking to a Catholic might cause them to start spewing anti-Catholic rhetoric if they were raised a certain way or are a part of a very anti-Catholic church. As such, I would be careful if you decide to speak to them and make sure you have all of your arguments in check, even though they will probably and unfortunately fall on deaf ears.

Out of curiosity, though, I don’t know how your school works (because all of them are different), but at my school random off-campus people can’t just come and protest on school grounds out of nowhere. Are they even allowed to be there?

Regardless, I would just leave them alone. I don’t think a public spat would help anyone, especially because you don’t know for sure what their beliefs or actual denomination are. If you do decide to go, though, make sure your arguments are prepared and as rock-solid as possible.

Either way, as you said, pray for them. May God bless you always!

 

[redbetta]

Well, I really don’t know. They are most likely not going to be vicious if they are elderly women (although you never know), but speaking to a Catholic might cause them to start spewing anti-Catholic rhetoric if they were raised a certain way or are a part of a very anti-Catholic church. As such, I would be careful if you decide to speak to them and make sure you have all of your arguments in check, even though they will probably and unfortunately fall on deaf ears.

Out of curiosity, though, I don’t know how your school works (because all of them are different), but at my school random off-campus people can’t just come and protest on school grounds out of nowhere. Are they even allowed to be there?

Regardless, I would just leave them alone. I don’t think a public spat would help anyone, especially because you don’t know for sure what their beliefs or actual denomination are. If you do decide to go, though, make sure your arguments are prepared and as rock-solid as possible.

Either way, as you said, pray for them. May God bless you always!

There is a big arch by campus where I have seen all sorts of people, not just student groups. I guess it is a free space to whoever comes first. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone will try to report them of harassment.

But, the thing is, I doubt they are protestant fundies because one of them was holding a crucifix which is why I think they are either Catholics, part of some schismatic group, or actors hired by someone who wants to make Christians look bad.

 

[KnowtheSilence]

Out of curiosity, though, I don’t know how your school works (because all of them are different), but at my school random off-campus people can’t just come and protest on school grounds out of nowhere. Are they even allowed to be there?

I work at a state school and we get groups like this paying through every so often. It’s public property, so it’s, totally legal so long as they aren’t disrupting classes, blocking sidewalks, harassing or assaulting students, etc.

 

[christofirst]

If they are actually harassing and accosting students it seems to me the campus security should intervene.

I grew up in a Catholic cocoon myself. Twelve years of Catholic school, and my first encounter with fervent, often anti-Catholic fundamentalist Christians was when I started working on construction sites. We got into some interesting, sometimes heated debates during break and lunch time, and many of us also became friends (who usually agreed to disagree when it came to our religious differences).

 

[pensmama87]

If they are yelling at people I would ask campus security to get involved, but just standing and holding signs, and conversing with people who approach them is probably fine, even if the information they have is bad.

If you were to address them, you could ask what organization they come from and what their purpose is in standing on campus. You are welcome to leave them at any point; you’re not obligated to stay and listen or continue to converse with them if you do engage. I hope they aren’t Catholic, because aggressive street evangelism just turns people off. But you don’t have to have on your apologetics hat to ask them who they are and what they stand for.

 

[Padres1969]

I’ve never seen the fire and brimstone types in my life before, but, today on campus, I walked past two elderly women holding signs and screaming that you will go to hell if you have have premarital sex. I feel awful because, a lot of students here are from east Asia and this might be their first impresssion of Christians. It may also turn off other students from Christianity. Now, one of the was holding a staff with a cruxifix on it and, I was thinking, that they might be Catholics because a protestant fundie won’t be caught dead holding one, or, so I’ve heard. So, since we are on the same team, I could try to engage them and offer them insights on better ways to reach out to people, life, websites on the good news of marriage and family. However, they might also be sedevanticists and say that I’m going to hell for going to novus ordo masses. My third idea is that these two are being paid by a liberal group to act like bad stereotypes of Christians to furhter their agenda. I mean, it is a liberal town with a liberal university.

So what should I do, try to engage them in dialogue if they are still there later or ignore them? Either way, I’ll pray for them as that is the obvious answer. Keep in mind that I’m almost 20 and have never put myself in the frying pan before.

I’d highly doubt they’re being paid by a “liberal” group to be there to make Christians look bad. These type of fire and brimstone street preachers are not uncommon. And they really do believe what they say. I see them a couple of times a year around San Diego and Los Angeles during bigger public events or on college campuses. They target locations, like colleges, where they feel the most sin is happening and let loose, often in a very confrontational way.

As for engaging them… don’t even bother. These types are 100% sure of what they believe, and any argument that tries to temper what they’re saying, or worse yet try to change their thinking, is usually met with the refrain that the person trying to change their opinion is a sinner who will burn in a lake of fire. You’d have better luck trying to convince a wall of your POV. And just because they have a crucifix doesn’t necessarily mean they’re Catholic. These street preachers often have their own home spun theology, so having a crucifix might not be on their particular “bad” list since it is an image of Christ. Now if they’re walking around with a statue of Mary and aren’t destroying it with a hammer (as the ones I’ve come across sometimes do), then you might be right about them being Catholic.

 

[KnowtheSilence]

I’d highly doubt they’re being paid by a “liberal” group to be there to make Christians look bad.

Heh. I missed that comment when I read the OP. The atheist group on campus gets accused of secretly being behind the street preachers who roll through. I wish we had the funding to do that kind of thing, but no. They do bring the group a lot of positive attention, though, and we usually pick up a few new members by the time they move on to the next campus.

 

[Adonia]

I’ve never seen the fire and brimstone types in my life before, but, today on campus, I walked past two elderly women holding signs and screaming that you will go to hell if you have have premarital sex. I feel awful because, a lot of students here are from east Asia and this might be their first impresssion of Christians. It may also turn off other students from Christianity. Now, one of the was holding a staff with a cruxifix on it and, I was thinking, that they might be Catholics because a protestant fundie won’t be caught dead holding one, or, so I’ve heard. So, since we are on the same team, I could try to engage them and offer them insights on better ways to reach out to people, life, websites on the good news of marriage and family. However, they might also be sedevanticists and say that I’m going to hell for going to novus ordo masses. My third idea is that these two are being paid by a liberal group to act like bad stereotypes of Christians to furhter their agenda. I mean, it is a liberal town with a liberal university.

So what should I do, try to engage them in dialogue if they are still there later or ignore them? Either way, I’ll pray for them as that is the obvious answer. Keep in mind that I’m almost 20 and have never put myself in the frying pan before.

Good luck! As fundamentalists they most likely will not like you either if you identify yourself as a Catholic. They will rant and rave about you worshipping Mary and having idols in your place of worship. And wait until you hear what they say about the Holy Eucharist! My, my, you could be in for a very interesting experience if you confront them.

 

[Padres1969]

Good luck! As fundamentalists they most likely will not like you either if you identify yourself as a Catholic. They will rant and rave about you worshipping Mary and having idols in your place of worship. And wait until you hear what they say about the Holy Eucharist! My, my, you could be in for a very interesting experience if you confront them.

On the flip side it could make for some interesting video. Youtube is littered with video of people confronting folks like this. I’m particularly fond of confrontations when both sides are taping and frame the exchange in radically different terms in their accompanying descriptions/titles/etc…

 

[redbetta]

Good luck! As fundamentalists they most likely will not like you either if you identify yourself as a Catholic. They will rant and rave about you worshipping Mary and having idols in your place of worship. And wait until you hear what they say about the Holy Eucharist! My, my, you could be in for a very interesting experience if you confront them.

But that’s the thing: one of them had a crucifix like the kind they process into Mass. If they were protestant fundamentalists, they wouldn’t have that. A couple of posters shed doubt on my thought that they were just acting, but, it was precisely this what made me doubt their sincerity. Catholics generally don’t do and brimstone demonstrations, but, fundies don’t have crucifixes. I don’t know about sedevanticists. They just looked like a hodgepodge of Christian stereotypes.

Well, it’s nightfall and they are probably gone now. Maybe if they are back tomorrow, I’ll ask them which group they are part of.

 

[KnowtheSilence]

But that’s the thing: one of them had a crucifix like the kind they process into Mass. If they were protestant fundamentalists, they wouldn’t have that. A couple of posters shed doubt on my thought that they were just acting, but, it was precisely this what made me doubt their sincerity. Catholics generally don’t do and brimstone demonstrations, but, fundies don’t have crucifixes. I don’t know about sedevanticists. They just looked like a hodgepodge of Christian stereotypes.

Well, it’s nightfall and they are probably gone now. Maybe if they are back tomorrow, I’ll ask them which group they are part of.

Brother Jed is a (in)famous campus evangelist, a protestant fundamentalist, and he is known to carry a staff with a crucifix (Google him, you can find pictures of him with it).

 

[Padres1969]

Brother Jed is a (in)famous campus evangelist, a protestant fundamentalist, and he is known to carry a staff with a crucifix (Google him, you can find pictures of him with it).

Yeah it’s a misconception that all fire and brimstone street preachers would reject a crucifix.

 

[Rosebud77]

Keep all doors open.

It gets hard! I wear a crucifix and was once accosted in a queue at the supermarket checkout by an American who passed comments on the amount of preserves in my trolley,

I said, “Food parcels; feed the hungry and clothe the naked,”

“That is very odd coming from a Catholic… Are you sure you are not just doing it to curry favour with Jesus to get into heaven?”

So I quoted more Jesus…

This is one atttitude I hate; that all we think about is what we can get out of it?

So the less involvement the better, but smile and wave etc!

 

[mommy_k]

I make it a point not to talk or deal with obviously crazy people… .

This is a pearls before swine kind of thing.

 

[kkollwitz]

I grew up Catholic in Fundieland. I’d say wait 'til their gig is over before trying to get to know them. And that’s all ya wanna do, same as with anyone else: just ask who they are, where they’re from, what church they attend, how did they decide to do this public witnessing; do they get any feedback, positive or negative, from passersby; do they feel like they are making a difference, etc.

 

[Rosebud77]

I grew up Catholic in Fundieland. I’d say wait 'til their gig is over before trying to get to know them. And that’s all ya wanna do, same as with anyone else: just ask who they are, where they’re from, what church they attend, how did they decide to do this public witnessing; do they get any feedback, positive or negative, from passersby; do they feel like they are making a difference, etc.

 

[redbetta]

Okay, from the school newspaper, I’ve learned that the group was The Campus Ministry U.S.A. I looked at their website and, I could not find which denomination this group is. All it says is that they travel the country to different college campuses and that they get funding from several churches. Yesterday, there were no more signs, but, people handing out pocket New Testaments and Proverbs. I took one, they have very stylish covers. I am not sure if they were from the same group, though.

 

[Padres1969]

Okay, from the school newspaper, I’ve learned that the group was The Campus Ministry U.S.A. I looked at their website and, I could not find which denomination this group is. All it says is that they travel the country to different college campuses and that they get funding from several churches. Yesterday, there were no more signs, but, people handing out pocket New Testaments and Proverbs. I took one, they have very stylish covers. I am not sure if they were from the same group, though.

Yeah they’re not Catholic or even Catholic breakaway. They’re a Fundamentalist Christian group as pretty much all street preachers are. As for your concerns about why they have a crucifix when that’s not common for these types of preachers, they explain on their website.

brojed.org/cms/component/content/article/43-a-word-from-bro-jed/147-why-the-crucifix

 

[KnowtheSilence]

Okay, from the school newspaper, I’ve learned that the group was The Campus Ministry U.S.A. I looked at their website and, I could not find which denomination this group is. All it says is that they travel the country to different college campuses and that they get funding from several churches. Yesterday, there were no more signs, but, people handing out pocket New Testaments and Proverbs. I took one, they have very stylish covers. I am not sure if they were from the same group, though.

That’s Brother Jed’s group. He’s definitely Protestant, Methodist I think.