Is this a normal occurrence?

[2PhiloVoid]

I doubt there was anything conspicuous about how he was dressing, or anything he did that would have "tipped her/them off". If I had to hazard a pure speculative guess, evangelism was probably a recent topic at church or a church function--Sunday School, youth group, etc--and so she saw someone in line and felt like telling them about Jesus.

I think you're right, the girl was probably prompted to act out in some way. But, I've never witnessed anyone, let alone a kid, just skip any kind of social introduction and then blurt out, "Hey you, you're going to Hell!!" I'm surprised to hear of Aryeh's experience, and I think the girl's actions were ... really weird and more an expression of some kind of cultic acculturation than of any kind of Christian evangelical preparation.

The usual assumption made in this kind of environment is that someone isn't a Christian until proven otherwise, and even if the person was a Christian and said so, that is usually grounds for testing--"When did you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?" "Did you confess that you are a sinner and ask Jesus into your heart?". Speaking personally again this was also drilled into us--just because someone says they are a Christian doesn't mean they are, because most people are just "cultural Christians" who "think going to church makes someone a Christian". Because unless the right salvific formula has been accomplished a person isn't a "Real Christian".

I guess coming from the background that I have, I can't really relate with all of the quasi-evangelical, Westboro style Chutzpah.

Basic "soul winning" methodology:

Step 1. Assume everyone isn't a Christian.
Step 2. If they say they're a Christian, have them "prove" it.
Step 3. Try and get them to say the Sinner's Prayer.

I remember hearing things like if you see someone with a fish on their car, ask them if they know what it means, and then try and find out if they are "really" saved. Things of that nature aren't uncommon within the subculture.

-CryptoLutheran

Good social analysis, CL! It's sad that some of our fellow Christians seem to have been created in church social laboratories in such a way that they can only express the Fruit of the Spirit in Twizzler fashion -- one flavor, twisted.

2PhiloVoid

 

[Armoured]

How did she even know you're not a Christian? That's so weird. Rude, yeah, but weird most of all.

It's the Jack Chick school bunker mentality, built on the idea that few people have even heard of Christianity, and most of those who have are actively opposed to it. That sweet, sweet armchair persecution...

 

[Armoured]

I think when people put their religion on display they should expect criticism. And when they weild their religion in such an unwelcome and unsolicited way in such an inappropriate time and place, I would have no problem calmly and politely telling even a child that I think hell is a silly fairy tale and it doesn't concern me. But in this case, I would probably leave it at that because I wouldn't want to hold up the line.

Well, part of the point (possibly subconsciously ) is to generate a negative response, then you can claim persecution and martyr status. You think the Holocaust was bad? That's NOTHING compared to people rolling their eyes and maybe even swearing at you in the supermarket checkout line.

 

[Zoness]

An unusual thing happened to me this morning as I was waiting in line at the grocery store to pay for 6 cabbages I needed for lunch (I am a chef at a corporate dining facility). There was a family in front of me paying for their doughnuts and the 12-13 year old daughter proudly exclaimed and told me that I was going to hell. I replied “Well that’s swell”, simply because it rhymed. She then lays into me about accepting Christ or else and letting Jesus into my heart and so forth. As they were leaving and I am putting cabbage on the conveyor her mother congratulates her on her witnessing and sharing the gospel.


Is this normal Christian behavior or did something happen over the last few years that I missed?

This has happened to me before living in Western Illinois. I spent my early teen years in a church that encouraged you to call out individuals in public places to convert otherwise they were going to hell so to me, this is not really that unusual though it is obnoxious and annoying.

I think I was personally called out because I was "spotted" (a term for someone outing me as a not a member of a protestant church) by another person. Maybe something like that happened to you? As in, they've been following people and trying to figure out their religious beliefs? It's basically stalking, but there's not a lot you can do about it.

 

[tatteredsoul]

This has happened to me before living in Western Illinois...

...It's basically stalking, but there's not a lot you can do about it.

That is exactly what it is - a form of "gangstalking."

 

[Kenny'sID]

Because really, who buys cabbage at 7 in the morning other than Satanists.

That was another thing I thought, that perhaps my basket full of cabbage somehow labeled me as a Satanist or something even more diabolical. Because really, who buys cabbage at 7 in the morning other than Satanists.

Well, there ya' go....you still don't get it?

Seriously though, I'd have to hear the entire conversation to be certain but sounds to me like the family has no idea what they are doing, and what they are doing is far more harmful than it is good.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I think I was personally called out because I was "spotted" (a term for someone outing me as a not a member of a protestant church) by another person. Maybe something like that happened to you? As in, they've been following people and trying to figure out their religious beliefs? It's basically stalking, but there's not a lot you can do about it.

Now that's something new to me. But then while I'm heavily critical of the sort of ecclesiastical structures of my upbringing, I know that what I was raised with is far from the worst out there. My experiences were miles away from the Jesus Camp stuff, or the Westboro stuff, and a host of other really bad things. There's Fundamentalism, and then there's Fundamentalism.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Zoness]

Now that's something new to me. But then while I'm heavily critical of the sort of ecclesiastical structures of my upbringing, I know that what I was raised with is far from the worst out there. My experiences were miles away from the Jesus Camp stuff, or the Westboro stuff, and a host of other really bad things. There's Fundamentalism, and then there's Fundamentalism.

-CryptoLutheran

It was a different experience, to be sure. I was "raised" Catholic but in my later years I went to this church and it was so radically different that what I was used to, it was invigorating for awhile. Plus I wasn't much of a critical thinker at this point in my life. They were huge on this "boots on the ground" aggressive conversion stuff. As a side note, military themes and terms were actually pretty common in the church which is kind of scary looking back on it. If I were to be a Christian at this point in my life, I think I would crave a church with set patterns, a real ecclesiastical structure and one that doesn't shy away from critical (sometimes scary) inquiry. None of those things existed at that church, it was very ad hoc and emotions driven which is what motivated people to go out and be so challenging towards others.

 

[Cimorene]

It's the Jack Chick school bunker mentality, built on the idea that few people have even heard of Christianity, and most of those who have are actively opposed to it. That sweet, sweet armchair persecution...

I've never heard of Jack Chick school bunker mentality but I get what you're saying. I think. Lol. Irl I never hear about Christians being persecuted but there sure are a lot of people who think that on Christian Forums.

 

[Cimorene]

I don't think it would fly at Acme Looniversity either.

My daughter was home schooled up until last month. Most of the parents we knew from a homeschooling group chose to home school because they were afraid that what they taught in public school would conflict with their religious beliefs.

LOL! I switched to an online school for HS bc we knew we'd be moving around & wanted consistency. I have friends from there who used to be homeschooled, like by their parents, & have told me stories about kids in their homeschool groups who were there bc of religious reasons. Some of the stories were like . I had a weird experience with a girl who used to be here a while ago who was homeschooled for religious reasons. There were a bunch of kids in the teen area who said they liked this super popular tv show. She said she'd never even heard of it before. Like not just not having never watched it but never having heard of it. Which was like - what. How is that even possible. So she read some review on focus on the family or something like that about it, that was super negative. Then got way up on her high horse & said all sorts of judgmental & rude stuff to us. Insulting me & my parents, saying how Jesus wouldn't watch that show (did he watch ANY TV show?), etc.

 

[Armoured]

I've never heard of Jack Chick school bunker mentality but I get what you're saying. I think. Lol. Irl I never hear about Christians being persecuted but there sure are a lot of people who think that on Christian Forums.

http://www.chick.com/

I warn you, they're infuriating.

 

[MehGuy]

I am not sure how I would have handled the situation. If it had happened to me and I said something to oppose the little girl and had told her mother off, then they might have insisted they were being persecuted for their faith. I have no doubt that would have only encouraged them to further their crusade and inflate their ego even more.

Yeah, they are most certainly engaging in some scant form of emotional masochism. Best thing to do about that is to simply call them out for what they are. Short circuits the emotions, and makes the whole experience more bland for them, and perhaps helps them become more self aware of their feelings and might persuade them to come to terms with how silly they're being.

 

[LoAmmi]

I think when people put their religion on display they should expect criticism.

Do you count religious garb among that?

 

[awitch]

Do you count religious garb among that?

No, not at all.

I was thinking more along the lines of "Lets go around professing our faith loudly in the streets before installing these religious monuments on government property and then after lunch we'll go online and remind people how horrible they are for not believing this list of things that we believe"

 

[Robban]

An unusual thing happened to me this morning as I was waiting in line at the grocery store to pay for 6 cabbages I needed for lunch (I am a chef at a corporate dining facility). There was a family in front of me paying for their doughnuts and the 12-13 year old daughter proudly exclaimed and told me that I was going to hell. I replied “Well that’s swell”, simply because it rhymed. She then lays into me about accepting Christ or else and letting Jesus into my heart and so forth. As they were leaving and I am putting cabbage on the conveyor her mother congratulates her on her witnessing and sharing the gospel.


Is this normal Christian behavior or did something happen over the last few years that I missed?

I'm glad to say the muslims where I live are not like that, in fact they don't seem to care even, it does not stop them from being freindly, in most cases

 

[ewq1938]

An unusual thing happened to me this morning as I was waiting in line at the grocery store to pay for 6 cabbages I needed for lunch (I am a chef at a corporate dining facility). There was a family in front of me paying for their doughnuts and the 12-13 year old daughter proudly exclaimed and told me that I was going to hell. I replied “Well that’s swell”, simply because it rhymed. She then lays into me about accepting Christ or else and letting Jesus into my heart and so forth. As they were leaving and I am putting cabbage on the conveyor her mother congratulates her on her witnessing and sharing the gospel.


Is this normal Christian behavior or did something happen over the last few years that I missed?

Technically it's a bit rude and out of place BUT...Christianity does teach and believe that a person will go to hell if they don't accept Christ (John 5:24). So while she was technically correct, the delivery is the main problem and honestly it was the parents responsibility to say anything not let a child do it and like I said in line at a store isn't the appropriate place for witnessing the gospel unless it's part of a religious discussion or something.

 

[Arthra]

I suspect there is a more aggressive approach to evangelizing that's encouraged in some circles... with increasing levels of hate crimes and jingoistic slogans... frankly a more insecure and troubled citizenry.

 

[Cearbhall]

There was a family in front of me paying for their doughnuts and the 12-13 year old daughter proudly exclaimed and told me that I was going to hell. I replied “Well that’s swell”, simply because it rhymed. She then lays into me about accepting Christ or else and letting Jesus into my heart and so forth. As they were leaving and I am putting cabbage on the conveyor her mother congratulates her on her witnessing and sharing the gospel.

Is this normal Christian behavior or did something happen over the last few years that I missed?

Not normal. It seems that the mother has conditioned her to act inappropriately towards strangers. You saw the immediate positive reinforcement. This isn't a whole lot different than a parent who teaches a kid how to steal or how to establish dominance using violence. The mother might have a mental illness. I'm glad the girl's target was someone like you who just rolled with it. She could end up getting hurt.

 

[juvenissun]

Is this normal Christian behavior or did something happen over the last few years that I missed?

It is not normal because it seldom happened.
It is normal because she is only a child. A child is innocent to say anything in any way. Not only her mother, I would also praise her for what she did.

She did what an adult Christian is afraid to do. And the message could be quite effective, as it is given by a child.

 

[Niblo]

An unusual thing happened to me this morning as I was waiting in line at the grocery store to pay for 6 cabbages I needed for lunch (I am a chef at a corporate dining facility). There was a family in front of me paying for their doughnuts and the 12-13 year old daughter proudly exclaimed and told me that I was going to hell. I replied “Well that’s swell”, simply because it rhymed. She then lays into me about accepting Christ or else and letting Jesus into my heart and so forth. As they were leaving and I am putting cabbage on the conveyor her mother congratulates her on her witnessing and sharing the gospel.


Is this normal Christian behavior or did something happen over the last few years that I missed?

Shalom, my friend.

Thank your lucky stars you weren't buying sprouts.