It's ironic, really. Driving down Vermont at 8th Street, I was stopped at a red light when my car radio was overpowered by the volume from the speakers of a street preacher. This man (in the photo in grey shirt and tie holding firmly his bible), is literally screaming into his microphone the about Jesus being the Savior, at one point calling him the "Prince of Peace" (en espanol, por su puesto). Now, the man seems enraged that not everyone understands what he believes, and he demonstrates this passion with a raspy scream that is piercing to the ear. And technically, according to LAPD, he was disturbing the peace - my peace. You see, if anyone's peace is disturbed - and not just after 10pm - the law is being violated. I didn't call LAPD because I'm sure they would take a while to respond to this extremely low priority call, but I knew in my heart, he was breaking the law. I guess that would make him a martyr for his faith. Oh, and besides disturbing the peace, he would need to show a permit for amplified sound. (Notice his large speaker to the left of the fire hydrant.)
So, you see these preachers on Broadway & 5th, on Alvarado & 7th, Vermont & 8th, and on other busy pedestrian areas in the downtown areas of the city. I wonder, do people actually feel as though the would take Christianity seriously with that kind of evangelism? I wonder if Cardinal Mahoney should stand on Temple and Grand and yell into a megaphone - maybe more Catholics will sign up? I think there was some bible story about shouting from a mountain top; I guess mount Lee is too far away from the people to be effective, although that's what TBN does.
1 comment:
Those guys aren't really trying to convert people. They represent a strain of evangelicals who believe that the rapture won't come until everyone has heard about Jesus.
Hence the wholesale word-spreading. They're sparking the fuse under the book of Revelations.
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