Street Preachers & Finding the line with Local Ordinances

[Grant]

Street preachers I have known come in many flavors. Often times what I see is arrest being made not because the "preacher" is sharing the gospel, but because of noise violations (electronic amplification) or being overly aggressive to civilians.

Should "street preachers" violate local city ordinances (set in place to protect local businesses) to share the gospel or plead their cause? What is the balance if any?

Often the arrests is made because of amplification or harassment of patrons. It is not really forcing a christian to break God's moral law to forbid a bull horn during protest.

In my area a man was arrested because he lead a group to street preach on private property at a book store having one of those "trans-readings". My younger brother got caught up in this same group a while back, but has sense left that group. I was thankful for this because the group also had some dangerous theology. In other words I could be biased by that bad experience.

Of course I have seen that this can also lead towards a "persecution complex". Often times passages of scripture are quoted that describe some NT Saints speaking in the Public Square.

A local story:
https://www.wlbt.com/2019/06/29/protest-held-ridgeland-barnes-noble-during-pride-event/


What are your thoughts generally and specifically with the above?

 

[Scott Bushey]

Obey local ordinances. Given that most cities have churches on almost every corner, the Gospel is not restrained.

Also, most Leadership are not going out and it is random laypeople; laypeople who are not actually ordained for such a ministry. Many are obnoxious in their delivery. Untrained.

A few weeks ago, I saw a guy, with his 6 yr old in tow, on a corner, screaming at the top of his lungs, with a very aggressive behavior pattern, red-faced, doing his thing. My family and I were a bit taken back as we were sitting at the light.

 

[Jack K]

If any offense at all is caused, it should come from the gospel itself and not from the character or behavior of the one who preaches. Preachers should be very careful to make sure this is the case. They should be so careful that I have a hard time imagining that in our relatively open society it would often be wise to flaunt local ordinances or be disrespectful to the police, even in cases where the police might be acting outside of the law. Making a point about one's right to preach is rarely the best way to adorn the gospel.

 

[JTB.SDG]

Should "street preachers" violate local city ordinances (set in place to protect local businesses) to share the gospel or plead their cause?

No. In the US there are plenty of ways to share the gospel legally, even in the context of street preaching. Abide by the rules of the state.

 

[Pergamum]

Except for unconstitutional Buffer Zones around abortion clinics.

Somehow free speech is a right, but Abortion Clinics get to suppress people's rights on public property 35 foot or so surrounding their clinics. It suppresses peaceful opposition on public sidewalks.

"The police can tell protesters to move aside to let a woman through to the clinic. But it cannot prohibit protesters from being on the sidewalks in the first instance."

In these contexts, there is a case for civil disobedience if local law enforcement attempts to suppress your rights. While some forms of loud address (yelling) may hasten a pregnant woman into the arms of the clinic workers, some sympathetic pleading may persuade the mother to turn around and save her baby from death.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/12-1168_6k47.pdf

 

[JTB.SDG]

In my area a man was arrested because he lead a group to street preach on private property at a book store having one of those "trans-readings".

Also, as a side note, if you actually want to lead people to Christ, having a protest about trans-readings probably isn't the way to do it.

 

[Pergamum]

If drag queens are reading at a public library and this is funded by tax monies, I see no problem with protesting the readings if the library won't allow equal time for bible readings to occur.

 

[KMK]

Should "street preachers" violate local city ordinances (set in place to protect local businesses) to share the gospel or plead their cause? What is the balance if any?

John Calvin:

Let no man here deceive himself, since we cannot resist the magistrate without resisting God. For, although an unarmed magistrate may seem to be despised with impunity, yet God is armed, and will signally avenge this contempt. Under this obedience, I comprehend the restraint which private men ought to impose on themselves in public, not interfering with public business, or rashly encroaching on the province of the magistrate, or attempting anything at all of a public nature. If it is proper that anything in a public ordinance should be corrected, let them not act tumultuously, or put their hands to a work where they ought to feel that their hands are tied, but let them leave it to the cognizance of the magistrate, whose had alone here is free. Institutes; 4.20.23 (Beveridge)