I wonder if this might work.

[AtheistCrusader]

I remain constantly irked by the bullhorn proselytizing creeps outside sports stadiums, screaming about burning in hell, and damnation, and all that, at children on their way into a sports game, and how jeebus will save them, etc.

I'm thinking about hitting up a couple of the local atheist orgs and seeing if we can put together 20-30 people, go down, and calmly work the crowd, asking people if they find that offensive, and would they be willing to spend five, maybe ten minutes facing and opposing these preachers as a group, and see if we can discourage them from doing it? Maybe even work with some of the 'moderate' religious groups that wouldn't do that sort of thing, maybe the Unitarians or something.

I think the problem is, they don't get opposition at all. When they do, it's onesie-twosies here or there, and they are prepared to deal with that, or can ignore it.

What I suspect and hope is, that they will be unprepared to deal with a complete wall of opposition, believers and unbelievers alike, saying 'what you are saying you have a right to say, but the way you are doing it is unacceptable.'


Thoughts? Ideas?

I would really like to do something about this. These assholes are literally screaming at children, and trying to terrify them to jesus. That's abhorrent. Even most Christians I know reject it. But they just walk on by.

I mean to do something about it.

[deucemagnet]

1. That sounds like something that would feed their persecution complex.

A good reason to climb up on the cross will probably make their whole day.

[LiberalEsto]

2. Rather than plan confrontations that could turn ugly, I would petition stadium owners

Just point out that these screamers are annoying people and scaring away potential customers.
If the owners realize it's going to cost them money, they are more likely to ban them.
Especially if you produce petitions with many, many signatures.

Personally, I would rather avoid direct confrontation with these types, who would LOVE the attention and publicity they would get from a rumble. I'm a Unitarian-Universalist, by the way.

A few years ago I used to take part in a silent protest every Saturday with a group of elderly Quakers opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We stood silently, holding up signs saying "War is not the answer," etc. The loudmouths across the street brought bullhorns, cowbells, huge flags, anything to get maximum attention. They shouted slurs and insults at us, calling us Commies and so on. Once in a while, not having the self-discipline and principles of a Quaker, I snapped and shouted something back, but that only made them louder and crazier. After a while, I felt the silent protest was only encouraging the teahead freak show, and stopped going. Going up and directly confronting them would only have gotten us beaten up and likely arrested.

I don't feel one can educate or change people's extremist mind-sets, especially when they're in a group egging one another on. Talking to individuals, one on one, might have a slight chance of getting through, but again we are talking about fanatics who don't know how to listen.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Stadium owners can do nothing. Technically they are in a public right of way. Not stadium property.

I'm not advocating a violent confrontation, not even a 'heated' one. More like when I address my kid when he's misbehaving, 'Come on dude, you're better than this, you know better than this, I know you are not like this.' when he's acting out on something.

I'm suggesting something along the lines of how grownups deal with immature, childish behavior. Shame them into self-reflection.

I wouldn't seek to partner up with high-strung people to accomplish this, if for no other reason than the interior of a jail smells funny.

[JNelson6563]

3. I say call the cops on those fucking lunatics.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. There's a high saturation of cops standing around.

They can do nothing.

[LiberalAndProud]

6. Would an individual counter be just as effective?

What I'm thinking of is a person holding a big sign with an arrow pointing to the demonstrators that says something along the line of

"They are wrong"

And when they scream at a child, say to the child, "I don't believe them," in a calm voice. I suppose there would be personal peril involved, but it's a thought.

[Cartoonist]

7. I'll let Bob answer this one

from My Back Pages

In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I'd become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
-

Noise ordinances are the only legal option. Some places, like public parks, prohibit amplified sound. Probably doesn't cover stadiums. I encounter this at the Bart stations in the Mission District in San Francisco. Sometimes there are dueling evangelicals. Sadly, they broadcast the same message.
I don't like evangelicals of any stripe. Especially the ones who have the gall to invade my privacy by knocking on my door. I don't like being preached to by Vegans and Vegetarians about my eating choices. I would even turn away a Democratic candidate trying to get my vote. When I want information or discussion, I want it to be my choice.

One of the things that separate atheists from faithists is the absence of evangelism. We're happy to speak our minds, but don't get in peoples faces.

[Gelliebeans]

8. I tend to think that the persecution

Argument is what they will shoot for. They ruined my My LA Kings parade in downtown LA after we won the Stanley cup, so I hear you! I had to leave my place that I staked out, for hours mind you, so that I could hear the microphones on the buses with the team coming down the street. I just don't know what the answer is? but you are not alone in being irked.

[1dogleft]

9. where do you live

I live in the greatest sports town on earth, that's right Boston. I have never seen any organized group promoting any particular faith at any stadium. Not saying it doesn't happen here. A whole lot of fanatics but sports fanatics and that NOT a religion, right?

[AtheistCrusader]

10. Seattle.

It's insane, here of all places, in Washington.