Comments (17)

  1. Richard Chavarria

    Reply

    The darkness flees at the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Next time I see some “Scary Krishnas” I’m going to do the samething.

    It must really be hard to dress like that and try and put literature into someone’s hand.

    Thank you Lord for the Million Dollar Gospel Tract.

  2. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    OK, so two things. First, you keep referring to them as “Scary Krishnas.” Which is presumably because you don’t know anything about them. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or Hare Krishna, are a pacifist religion. They don’t seek out confrontation, like you do. Which is why they didn’t come walking up to you and scream back.

    Now, weirdly, you described the scene as follows:

    One by one, the dancers stopped dancing, the whirlers ceased whirling.

    I preached Christ crucified, repentance, and forgiveness of sins in His name. His death, burial and resurrection were shouted loud and clear.

    The Hare Krishnas, heads down, shoulders slumping, packed up…and left.

    So, I asked ” I think some details might have been left out. People talking in a normal voice normally wouldn’t be heard by a dancing, chanting group. You’re sure you weren’t, say, shouting?”

    To which you replied “Stay tuned for the video, then judge for yourself.”

    Well, I watched. I didn’t see anything like that. It just sounded like they finished that particular chant, and moved away to where the crazy man wasn’t screaming at them. In fact, before they left, one of them offered you a brochure. Now, since you’re apparently all about handing out these “million dollar bills,” it was kind of rude of you to snub him like that.

    I hesitate to say that you lied, since you aren’t showing evidence either way. So I’ll just repeat the question that you refused to answer on your previous post.

    You think that this is an appropriate way to act? You find somebody performing their own acts of worship, but to a different god than yours, and you can feel free to disrupt them? How does that show respect for other people?

    Is that how you think responsible adults behave in a civilized society?

    And if so, then I suppose that people from other religions should feel free to break up yours? For example, a large collection of Hare Krishna’s should be allowed to march down the middle aisle in the middle of a baptism, singing and chanting so loud that you can’t hear the priest? A bunch of Muslims should feel free to disrupt a wedding by loudly praying and preaching about what a sinner you are for ignoring Allah?

    After all, they believe that their religion is the correct one, too. Why do you get special dispensation, but they don’t?

  3. dede

    Reply

    well done soldier!!!
    nameless cynic, any other cynic, or non-believers will never get it when it comes to why we must herald /proclaim the Good News. BECAUSE IT”S GOOD NEWS…HELLOOOOOOO!

    keep casting the nets steve. although your target audience were the HK’s, God also had a plan for you to reach the few people that seemed to be intensely listening around you.

    btw, i’m very impressed that you can balance on that pipe object while declaring God Word. i’ve got to try that sometime.

  4. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Thanks, Dede! 🙂

    To Nameless Cynic: Dede pretty much summed it up with her comment.

    This is my concern about the HK beliefs, as written about in my previous post, “Scary Krishnas”:

    This isn’t done for fun. Our preaching isn’t for the thrill of the action. It’s serious business. Devotees of this cult see themselves as monotheists who worship the Supreme Godhead in the personality of Krishna. They also believe that everyone is living in an evil age, the age of Kali, but can attain salvation and a “return to Godhead” by means of permanent Krishna-consciousness. Krishna-consciousness can be accomplished through ethical living and the “Hare Krishna” chant.

    In other words, if they are good enough and do the right things, they will be saved.

    As one of their own religious texts, the Padma Purana states:

    All the grievous sins are removed
    for one who worships Lord Sri Hari,
    the Lord of all lords,
    and chants the holy name,
    the Maha-mantra.

    My preaching (or “crazy man shouting” as you prefer) is to warn them.

    If you were driving toward a cliff, I’d shout, I’d scream, I’d do everything in my power to try and save you from certain death.

    This is my MO for preaching to the HKs. (For further clarification, please read my analogy called “The Drowning Woman”: https://stonethepreacher.com/2010/05/10/sudden-death-the-drowning-woman.html

    I don’t expect you to agree but this is my sincere answer nevertheless.

    Thanks for your concern, I’m sure it’s heartfelt.

  5. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    To Nameless Cynic Pt. 2: In answer to your other comment:

    “And if so, then I suppose that people from other religions should feel free to break up yours? For example, a large collection of Hare Krishna’s should be allowed to march down the middle aisle in the middle of a baptism, singing and chanting so loud that you can’t hear the priest? A bunch of Muslims should feel free to disrupt a wedding by loudly praying and preaching about what a sinner you are for ignoring Allah?”

    We, as evangelists, get interrupted all the time, usually by atheists. Just watch what happened at a baptism on the beach in this video (go to the 4-minute mark): https://stonethepreacher.com/2008/05/07/ambassadors-academy-pt-8-backflips-for-satan.html

    There are also many, many other interruptions that we encounter, but we can usually use these as an opportunity to further preach the good news.

    I hope this was helpful!

  6. Nohm

    Reply

    Hi Nameless Cynic,

    Along with the explanations and links that Steve offered above, we’ve also covered this subject (“Jerky Evangelism”) here at Steve’s blog in this post and then also in this post.

    I hope that helps.

  7. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    So, yes, they can interrupt your services too? I mean, dede says you have to, and Stevie says it happens anyway (which means it’s OK, at least if you’re a six-year-old on the playground).

    BTW, dede, look up the definition for “circular argument” sometime. “We have to do it, because we have to do it.” Not very convincing.

    And Steve, I’d already read your “drowning woman” story. Prefer the “relaxing man,” to be honest.

    Plus, in your description of the ISKCON beliefs, you left out the pacifism, vegetarianism, and abstaining from illicit sex and all intoxicating drugs (including tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and any recreational drugs). All of which means that they can (and do) cause a lot less harm in the world than you can.

    But you’re going to look down on them, call them names and scream at them, all because their version of God is different from yours? That doesn’t make you a very good American, does it? In fact, just because you claim that you’re “doing it out of love” doesn’t make you a good Christian, either.

    After all, the Inquisition did their thing for exactly the same reason, didn’t they?

  8. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Wow NC, I had no idea that preaching a 5 minute gospel message makes me un-American and Inquisitional.

    Part of the reason that I wanted to preach to these poor people was to let them know that their vegetarianism, tee totaling, pacifism, and purity gets them no closer to God than one who does NOT do all those things.

    Again, I’m presenting a short warning. And I totally understand that you will not agree (as you will see in the links that Nohm provided).

    Cheers!

  9. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Wow! This is so cool! So you follow the Church of Saint Johnie of Knoxville? Really?

    I mean, I’ve always assumed that the purpose of religion is to make you a better person. But it isn’t? This is so awesome!

    I mean, you know, Jesus always seemed like kind of a buzzkill. Like, hating insults (James 4:11-12, Proverbs 12:18, Romans 14:10-12), not saying bad stuff (James 1:26), that whole sweetness-and-light thing (Hebrews 13:1), that’s all crap? Really? That “be quiet” thing? (Matthew 6:5-6) We can ignore it?

    You get to insult other religions? The Lord welcomes obnoxious clowns into heaven, despite what it says? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) We aren’t held to a higher standard? (James 3:1) And because the Hare Krishna think they’re doing good, we should persecute them, if only to bring about the word of the Lord? (Matthew 5:10)

    This is so cool! Taking a weird, sophomoric pleasure in being a jerk just because we can is held up by Scripture! Insults based on ignorance are biblically supported! That is so awesome!

  11. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    It’s called “actions, not words,” Steve-O. (Can I call you Steve-O? It seems appropriate.)

    You claim to be “reaching out” to “lost souls,” when in reality, you’re berating people who will absolutely not respond in a “come to Jesus” manner. You actively seek out people already devout, but in a religion that you don’t agree with.

    (Oh, and incidentally, you either misunderstand or misrepresent their actions.)

    Since you have zero chance of conversion, then it follows that your only interest is confrontation. And judging by how you write about it (because, yes, the words do count, but only to a lesser extent), you take great glee in this confrontation:

    You wanna do it? You wanna go in?”

    “Ya sure?” he said with a little hesitation.

    “Yeah… let’s go for it!”

    Your purpose isn’t to warn people of their impending damnation; if it was, your time would be better spent talking to, say, prostitutes, addicts, the homeless – you know, the people Jesus spoke to.

    But that wouldn’t be fun at all, right? You don’t actually want to make converts or make society better (however you happen to define “better”), you want the spectacle. You want to do the equivalent of poking people with a stick from the other side of a fence.

    And of course you can justify this biblically, Steve-O. People can, and have, justified every action up to and including genocide by quoting Bible verse. So of course you can take a few lines out of context and show where God wants you to be a douche.

    You aren’t following in the footsteps of Mother Theresa, Steve-O, or even William Carey. This is the Clown Church. The Church of Johnny Knoxville.

    Congratulations. You’ve set your foot on an… unusual path. I’m not entirely sure it leads to Heaven, but I hope you enjoy the ride.

  12. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Nameless Cynic: Thanks for your responses. I don’t expect you to agree with our methods or the people we talk with and preach in the open air to.

    Many times, we as an evangelism team, stumble into these area where people of different religions are, sometimes they are planned (like the JW convention). We are committed to preaching the Gospel first. A lot of times the situations are just plain weird, or funny, and I try to write them that way. And the videos aren’t always planned in advance. The Hari Krishna video was filmed by a student catching me unaware.

    As far as witnessing to drug addicts, prostitutes and the homeless, you can read this article and this one and this one too for starters.

    And hey, while I’m at it, here’s the very second E-vangie Tale I ever wrote.

    I give you these to show that we witness to all; we want to give everyone a fighting chance for Heaven.

    Sorry that you don’t agree. I do appreciate your comments.

    Cheers!

  13. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    Fair enough. I’ll give you that.

    (Still going to suggest that you could avoid calling them names just because you don’t happen to agree with their religion. You know, tolerance and the like – it’s the American way.)

  14. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    Thanks for the concession, Nameless Cynic.

    I don’t see where I called them names except in this phrase: “kookoo Krishna commotion.” And I was only describing the whirling dervish dancing which, you’d have to admit, is rather strange; not unlike some kooky Christian evangelist preaching atop a pole on the Promenade. ;>)

  15. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    It’s that “Scary Krishna’s” thing. If there’s one thing they aren’t, it’s scary. Atonal (to the Western ear), yes. Loud, often. But some of the least frightening people in the world.

    Can they be annoying? Well, yes. Roughly as annoying as anybody else proclaiming their faith loudly in public. (Hmmm…)

    Oh, and the one time I broke bread with them, they number some really fine cooks in their midst. (I’m sure that one’s not universal, but there you go.)

  16. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    I get your point.

    I used the title because it is interesting and fun; also, to most people who encounter them (the Western ear and eye), they can appear to be a little scary. Thanks!

  17. Korky

    Reply

    This comes across as the Krishnas being peaceful and loving, and the Christian as invasive and obnoxious.

    Do people think they have divine license to be rude, or could they perhaps lead by example instead?

    Krishna 1, Jesus 0.

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