jay_a2j wrote:
It wasn't even a matter of "annoying customers" he had permission from the hearers to SPEAK. It is a case of the mall employee's who DID NOT WANT HIM SPEAKING.
Other people have taken up the bigger legalities (in short, the mall and customer's rights overshadow this guy's rights, particularly given that he was
not actually prohibited, just told to stay in a particular area)
So I will stick to this one.
How this guy will explain it:
God is calling me to go out and talk to people in this mall. I asked and GOT PERMISSION to talk to these two ladies and this clerk steps in and says I am causing trouble and has me ousted! If only I had been able to continue my conversation, I would have brought the glory of Christ to those women and maybe, in time (these things don't happen overnight) they would become true believers. The clerk is obviously anti-Christian (let's all pray for her). Thank the lord a kind legal team has taken up my cause!
How the rest of the world sees it:
We were shopping. This guy comes up and asks us if we can talk religion with him. He was rather agressive. We did not want to cause a scene, so we just said "OK" (hopefully he will go away soon -- I mean, really, does this guy truly think we have not "heard the message of Christ" before? I go to church at least twice a month!). Anyway, the clerk intervened. I kind of feel sorry for the guy.
AND Jay, I have had this happen to me, have talked to pleny on BOTH sides of this equation and am not simply "imagining" these scenarios. The BIGGEST problem is that this is the absolute LEAST effective way to communicate Christ to people. Truly and really communicationg Christ to people is not about passing out brochures or asking strangers "Are you saved?" , "Do you accept Jesus as your lord and savior?" REAL Christianity is about helping people. It is about being open to discussion. It is about being aware of people around you and their needs. At times, people WILL ask and WILL, becuase GOD directs them, talk. In a very few cases, it can be appropriate to say something -- mostly when you see somebody in pain, hurting. BUT, then you listen first and talk second. It is not about accosting strangers in malls, it is about building long-term friendships with people that may never result in ANY conversation about Christ. Or, maybe it will -- and the friendship is not about "converting", it is about you being who YOU are and letting that speak for itself. If you go into a "friendship" or ANY relationship strictly with the idea of "Bringing them to Christ", you are placing yourself above them. You are more concerned with fulfilling your desire to speak and be seen as a Christian than you are about really and truly communicating or meeting the real needs of the neighbor/friend.
Christ told us to "pray in private", not on street corners. Christ told us to seek out those who believe and support them, work with them .. not to barge in to places where we are not wanted.
jay_a2j wrote:
If he had been bashing Obama he probably would have been asked to leave also. However if he had been bashing W. Bush they probably would have joined in in the bashing. You have to remember that CA is soooooo liberal that even Army recruiters are banned in some places! So, their "ban on religious and political" talk only applies if it is AGAINST what they believe. Speech should never be controlled like that and the fact that there are people (look around this thread) who believe speech should be restricted speaks volumes at the direction that this country is headed.
HOW DARE you assert that Obama or anyone else is ANTI CHRISTIAN! YOU Take the lord's name in vain when you commit such basphemy. SHAME ON YOU! AND I SAY THAT IN CHRIST'S NAME! You had best re-read the part about removing the log from your eye or perhaps the part about casting stones before you dare condem or assert anyone else is non Christian simply becuase they don't agree with YOUR POLITICAL views!
And in a "holier than thou contest" PLAYER wins hands down. She has always come across that way since she started posting here at CC. 
