We got the same accusations after lodging strong complaints about a church harassing and proselytizing right at our church's table (UU church) at a public event.  We were "persecuting Christians!".  

The next time we were at the event, they tried to block access to our table for at least 15 minutes (far longer to me, and possibly in retaliation).  They were asking the usual "find a way to attack" questions of the others in our group and thought they had us fooled into thinking they were just individuals with questions (one in our group followed them back to the other church and confirmed that they were part of the church and working together).  

One of my friends there had been trained as an Assemblies of God minister, and said she'd recognized their actions the instant she saw them approach... because even the way they approach is taught to them (this group was Southern Baptist, but as I learned that night, a lot of Southern Baptists are going to Assemblies of God schools for their "Ministry training").  She said even the blocking of the table was a taught technique (for proselytizing and for harassing disliked groups).

The organizers of the event have had other complaints about that church group and about others, for their aggressive proselytizing and harassment of people.  The sorts of complaints are for using bait-and-switch, emotional/mental manipulation and use of deception, even with kids as young as 6 or 7, blocking the road, invading other spaces and proselytizing (and even trying to pass themselves off as official members of other organizations in order to proselytize), proselytizing little kids while their parents were distracted, and even refusing to leave a space (while repeatedly telling the people there that they were going to hell and had to repent), among other behaviors.   I've witnessed all of the ones I've mentioned.

Whenever a fundamentalist/dominionist "Good Christians" group gets involved in anything that involves the public, they create problems.

Funny, but I believe that we get complaints too - just for being there, although all we did was fun things, we don't proselytize (just answered questions - and no leading), and we stayed within our assigned space.

For decades I've heard this... even spouted it when I was still brainwashed.  I'm now ashamed of the things I did as a "Good Christian", especially when I was in the Assemblies of God.  Truly, you believe that if someone resists you, you are being persecuted - and you're taught to fear "real" persecution too (being punished for belonging to a group that abuses others, although they say "for belonging to a 'REAL' church).  Anything that blocks their goals and attempts to force themselves on others is considered persecution.

I wish I could drag that jackass to where he could see what really goes on, and somehow get him to see it as others see it.  (Getting a "Good Christian" to LOOK and more importantly SEE is far more difficult than pointing out the abuse they dish out.)

by ArchaeoBob on Sat Sep 24, 2011 at 10:09:47 AM EST

I'm so impressed by this author's post that we need to train our children well so they don't go wrong as I can easily write my college research paper to get excellent quality work. If our children are in the wrong company then they will start to go for the bad things, so we should name them in the wrong company, but make it a habit to spend time with them.

by PatriciaJones on Fri Dec 13, 2019 at 06:18:51 AM EST