According to the Preacherman
So today I watched Michael, one of the street evangelist preachers outside of Wells Hall, doing his thing, preaching the Bible and whatnot. As of late there have been larger crowds watching because certain students are opposing him, bring bullhorns to argue him and whatnot. Personally, I do not agree with everything he says. He has a lot of good points, and good intention, but some of his points are out of context. And what's text without context? Pretext. But anyways, I am interested in what he has to say, but more so I am interested in what people have to say to him. Basically, because most of it is straight up ridiculous. If you're going to argue against someone like Michael, who has studied the Bible for years, you should have done a decent amount of research yourself. If not, you're just talking and making a fool out of yourself. Anyways... so I just wanted to post some of the stuff I heard today:
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Michael was talking about selfishness, and one kid sought to make Michael look like a selfish man (they always attempt to turn his words against him). So this one kid notices he has on a nice looking watch.
Random kid: Look at you, you're wearing a Rolex. Isn't that being selfish, persuing earthly things.
Michael: It's not a rolex. And it was a gift, actually.
Random kid: Well why don't you sell it and give the money to the poor? And the same with your nice sweater and pants you're wearing. If you're truly not selfish. But you won't because you are selfish.
My thoughts: Where does this kid get the idea that the man of God is supposed to be a poor man with no possessions of his own? Having a nice watch and nice clothing is not being selfish. These items allow him to do what he is doing and preach to the masses. God is a blesser, he is not a taker. We're not all Job's. The only way I can see Michael being in sin is if God commanded him to get rid of those things and he chose not to. But God has not done that. Michael is not in error because this kid thinks he should give his stuff away. Under what authority does this kid come? Who's authority does he speak under? Certainly not God's.
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Shortly after, a kid made it known that there were some activists coming to protest some Nazi's coming, possibly to the White House. The specific details are beside the point, really. The kid was trying to say that if Michael is such a man of God, then why doesn't he go preach at the Nazi rally. He was trying to say that they need it more and that Michael was less of a man of God if he chose not to go.
My thoughts: Since when does an opportunity to preach, such as this Nazi rally, become a scale with which to judge a man of God based on whether he chooses to attend or not? The fact that Michael does not go to such a largely advertised event does not make him any less of a man of God. If it's not his calling, then he is under no obligation to go there. If his calling is to be here at MSU, then that's his calling. You cannot judge another man's answer to God's call when you know nothing about those matters at all. Also, to say that the Nazi rally is more important for a preacher to be at is a serious misjudgement. Who is this kid to decide where a man of God should be? MSU, like a lot of secular colleges, is in a wretched state and has many, many souls that need to be saved. I may not agree with everything Michael says, but he's there while so many others are not.
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The topic of homosexuality also came up. It usually does. Michael likes to point the finger in that area and tell them they're going to hell. Again, not something I agree with. But anyways, so this kid asked him, mockingly of course, using a bullhorn, I might add:
Random kid: What does Leviticus say about homosexuality?
Michael [quoting some various Scripture]: That for a man to lie with another man in the way he does a woman is an abomination. And whoever does so shall be punishable by death.
Random kid: But killing is a sin! Your Bible is so full of contradictions. Your God supports murder? You just said it! [etc etc, more unintelligent comments]
My thoughts: GIVE ME A BREAK! First of all, with no knowledge of Scripture at all, why are you trying to use Scripture to battle this man. That is ridiculous. Does this kid honestly think he can take only what he just heard and flip it in a way to make a good, solid point??? Where is the context? Again, just pretext. Again, I can't stop thinking how ridiculous that is. You hear point A, then point B, draw a line between them and think you have a valid argument having read (probably) nothing else from the Bible? Hah, c'mon now, what is this? Junior debate team at middle school. At least they've done their research a bit there. There is obviously a lot of Scripture to read to put that situation into context and there is way too much this kid just straight up doesn't have knowledge about. To think you could even make a solid point in that way is intellectually absurd.
I will think of more random things I heard and add them as I do.
I just wish these kids would do some actual research before they even attempt to argue against Michael.
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Michael was talking about selfishness, and one kid sought to make Michael look like a selfish man (they always attempt to turn his words against him). So this one kid notices he has on a nice looking watch.
Random kid: Look at you, you're wearing a Rolex. Isn't that being selfish, persuing earthly things.
Michael: It's not a rolex. And it was a gift, actually.
Random kid: Well why don't you sell it and give the money to the poor? And the same with your nice sweater and pants you're wearing. If you're truly not selfish. But you won't because you are selfish.
My thoughts: Where does this kid get the idea that the man of God is supposed to be a poor man with no possessions of his own? Having a nice watch and nice clothing is not being selfish. These items allow him to do what he is doing and preach to the masses. God is a blesser, he is not a taker. We're not all Job's. The only way I can see Michael being in sin is if God commanded him to get rid of those things and he chose not to. But God has not done that. Michael is not in error because this kid thinks he should give his stuff away. Under what authority does this kid come? Who's authority does he speak under? Certainly not God's.
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Shortly after, a kid made it known that there were some activists coming to protest some Nazi's coming, possibly to the White House. The specific details are beside the point, really. The kid was trying to say that if Michael is such a man of God, then why doesn't he go preach at the Nazi rally. He was trying to say that they need it more and that Michael was less of a man of God if he chose not to go.
My thoughts: Since when does an opportunity to preach, such as this Nazi rally, become a scale with which to judge a man of God based on whether he chooses to attend or not? The fact that Michael does not go to such a largely advertised event does not make him any less of a man of God. If it's not his calling, then he is under no obligation to go there. If his calling is to be here at MSU, then that's his calling. You cannot judge another man's answer to God's call when you know nothing about those matters at all. Also, to say that the Nazi rally is more important for a preacher to be at is a serious misjudgement. Who is this kid to decide where a man of God should be? MSU, like a lot of secular colleges, is in a wretched state and has many, many souls that need to be saved. I may not agree with everything Michael says, but he's there while so many others are not.
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The topic of homosexuality also came up. It usually does. Michael likes to point the finger in that area and tell them they're going to hell. Again, not something I agree with. But anyways, so this kid asked him, mockingly of course, using a bullhorn, I might add:
Random kid: What does Leviticus say about homosexuality?
Michael [quoting some various Scripture]: That for a man to lie with another man in the way he does a woman is an abomination. And whoever does so shall be punishable by death.
Random kid: But killing is a sin! Your Bible is so full of contradictions. Your God supports murder? You just said it! [etc etc, more unintelligent comments]
My thoughts: GIVE ME A BREAK! First of all, with no knowledge of Scripture at all, why are you trying to use Scripture to battle this man. That is ridiculous. Does this kid honestly think he can take only what he just heard and flip it in a way to make a good, solid point??? Where is the context? Again, just pretext. Again, I can't stop thinking how ridiculous that is. You hear point A, then point B, draw a line between them and think you have a valid argument having read (probably) nothing else from the Bible? Hah, c'mon now, what is this? Junior debate team at middle school. At least they've done their research a bit there. There is obviously a lot of Scripture to read to put that situation into context and there is way too much this kid just straight up doesn't have knowledge about. To think you could even make a solid point in that way is intellectually absurd.
I will think of more random things I heard and add them as I do.
I just wish these kids would do some actual research before they even attempt to argue against Michael.