Pa. school district takes street preacher to court

[oldzimm]

If I were the parent of one of those kids and it was a muslim preaching to them, I would've gone out and imprinted my shoe size on his bottom.

Now since this man was a Christian and from my own life experience, It was people that tried forcing Christianity on me that kept me from seeking and wanting to know God sooner. When a person is thirsty, that is when he/she will seek water. It is like the old saying "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink".

If you really think about it, are we really doing a person any good if we force Christianity on them? (forcing, sounds like something muslims would do) I think God would sooner have a lost sheep come back on his own, then have people going out to lasso them and bring them in.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be out there at all, we should be out there on the streets living by example of being a Christian. Let the lost sheep want the life Christians have and we should let them know that we are there to help them back home to God.

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

I want to be there for the lost when they seek, I want to help them find Jesus and I want to help them open that door with all the praise to the our Father, because another lost sheep has come home.

The man has a right to preach to those kids because of freedom of speech and freedom of religion (i.e. the Great Commission)...however, the constitution is quickly moving out of style.

It is not forcing Christianity on someone to give them a tract or to tell them the gospel for the first time, or even subsequent times. It is only forcing if the person says, "I don't want to hear it and we persist in giving it to them." The man in question was giving tracts to and preaching to High School Students who were open to the gospel. Jesus said, "Suffer the children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God." Unfortunately, an evangelistic disciple's very contact with children could raise questions of motive, because of the possiility, God forbid, that a true pedophile could cite preaching the gospel message as a cover for his actions, the only answer to this being a close watch on anyone who would preach to children. The thing is that it is a very unlikely thing that a pedophile would even know scripture well enough to preach it, because of his sin. The quote written in Billy Graham's Bible holds true: "Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin."

Anyway, the guy in question was preaching to kids mature enough to know what his motives were all about, mainly High Schoolers.

This to me seems to be the case of a real disciple of Jesus being persecuted for righteousness' sake.

Why do some people assume that the people they preach to are not Christians? Like I said before, as Christians we should be in the public eye, leading people to Christ by example. If we do good works for God in our deeds, show love to others, than those that are seeking Christ will ask for our help.

The parents have a right to be concerned, you say that you don't think pedophiles would even know scripture? Satan knows scripture quite well and what about these priest we read about in the news that take advantage of the children, I'm sure they also know the scripture quite well.(and the parents know these pedophiles)

These parents were being good parents and protecting their children (no matter what their age). I have no doubt that this man might be righteous, but as a concerned parent would you take a chance with a stranger? I read one time that most child abductions take place outside of the school premise.

Lets face it, there are right places and not so right places to hand out tracts and a school bus stop isn't one of them.

[CD2]

Sadly, in these times, due to the compromisingly moral decline of church leaders the intentions of those with pure aims are targeted and scrutinized.

[Guest man]

Anyway, the guy in question was preaching to kids mature enough to know what his motives were all about, mainly High Schoolers.

Garisto was in court because school district officials and parents are concerned about his interactions with the middle and high schoolers who board buses near his home.

Some of those kids could be as young as 9 years old.

If I was the parent of a 9 year old, I wouldn't want some guy lurking around the bus stop either.

[nebula]

Garisto was in court because school district officials and parents are concerned about his interactions with the middle and high schoolers who board buses near his home.

Some of those kids could be as young as 9 years old.

If I was the parent of a 9 year old, I wouldn't want some guy lurking around the bus stop either.

9 years old is fourth grade. Middle school begins with the sixth grade.

[Guest man]

Garisto was in court because school district officials and parents are concerned about his interactions with the middle and high schoolers who board buses near his home.

Some of those kids could be as young as 9 years old.

If I was the parent of a 9 year old, I wouldn't want some guy lurking around the bus stop either.

9 years old is fourth grade. Middle school begins with the sixth grade.

One of my daughters graduated high school at the age of 16. Smart kid.

Regardless, two years, that's 11 years old. Do you think really think it's safe for an 11 year old to be confronted by a stranger? And in this day and age, is it really wise for an adult to be approaching unsupervised children?

The parents voiced their concerns and he, claiming to be a christian, should have respected their wishes.

I did a search on the typical age of middle school children. 10-14 years of age.

[nebula]

One of my daughters graduated high school at the age of 16. Smart kid.

Congrats!

Regardless, two years, that's 11 years old. Do you think really think it's safe for an 11 year old to be confronted by a stranger?

I wasn't arguing the point, just correcting an error.

[oldzimm]

Sadly, in these times, due to the compromisingly moral decline of church leaders the intentions of those with pure aims are targeted and scrutinized.

Moral decline has nothing to do with it, we need a realality check here, young people from babies to college students are abducted everyday. This man may of had pure intentions, but the fact is he was a stranger, so why take a chance with loved ones lives.

[CD2]

Sadly, in these times, due to the compromisingly moral decline of church leaders the intentions of those with pure aims are targeted and scrutinized.

Moral decline has nothing to do with it, we need a realality check here, young people from babies to college students are abducted everyday. This man may of had pure intentions, but the fact is he was a stranger, so why take a chance with loved ones lives.

Well number one as a street evangelist myself I wouldn't have targeted children coming off of a school bus near school, but IF I did proper protocol would've been to ask the schools permission to pass out literature and if they refused move on to the next area (preferably not a school) and give the tracts elsewhere.

[oldzimm]

Sadly, in these times, due to the compromisingly moral decline of church leaders the intentions of those with pure aims are targeted and scrutinized.

Moral decline has nothing to do with it, we need a realality check here, young people from babies to college students are abducted everyday. This man may of had pure intentions, but the fact is he was a stranger, so why take a chance with loved ones lives.

Well number one as a street evangelist myself I wouldn't have targeted children coming off of a school bus near school, but IF I did proper protocol would've been to ask the schools permission to pass out literature and if they refused move on to the next area (preferably not a school) and give the tracts elsewhere.

Those are the Key words "CD2", "proper protocol" and that would've been as you said, ask the school for permission.

[ladypeartree]

he had been asked to stop but continued anyway which is why he was arrested