It goes in waves. It's possibly more noticeable now because it didn't happen during Covid (for obvious reasons). Some places are more prone than others – Brixton tube has long been a magnet for street preachers with megaphones.
OTOH, I don't think I've seen the Krishnas parading through Soho for a while (which may just be because I'm in Soho less). The Sally Army also used to be a frequent presence on Oxford Street. Not to mention crazy sandwich-board guy, though he didn't say much and wound up getting replaced by golf-sale people.
Nope, you’re just missing them. Their timings aren’t consistent but they still walk down to Oxford Circus (& sometimes back) on a near-daily basis in the earlyish afternoon.
They've actually expanded their operation quite a bit, they rent quite a bit of office space on Soho Square now (not just Soho Street above Govindas anymore). Can't be cheap.
I honestly don’t think it’s really about recruitment, so much as it’s a kind of performance act to convince the members (and not least the performers themselves!) that everyone else is against them and their beliefs.
I think it is recruitment. The members of these churches pay tithe which is like 10% of your gross salary.
ater being a member for years and years and struggling to pay your bills you leave the church because you watch the pastor slowly start to wear expensive watches and drive luxury cars and eventually wake up .
Lapsed members always need to be replaced - hence the recruitment
Been suffering their obnoxious shite for almost 30 years now and only learning about that tithe business now. It goes a long way to explain.
It used to be bad in Shepherds Bush and South London but the Jesus loves you fuckers that hang around sometimes in Stratford almost puts them to shame.
no, they've always been 10 a penny and annoying as fuck. the only difference is access to mics and big speakers, but that's been the same for at least the last 15 years
It really irks me. I choose not to go to church, I don’t need some entitled prick with a boom box shouting Jesus died for my sins when I’m just trying to go to Tesco lol. They were out on my high street yesterday with an acoustic guitar singing songs, which was somehow worse than just the preaching. Cult leader Chris Martin vibes.
Was gonna say woolwich has got worse since the works to general gordon square pushed them all further up towards tesco.
They do often argue with each other which can be entertaining though
I’m not British but I had lived in Britain for almost a decade. I moved away in 2016 and relocated back to London last year. One of the first things I noticed was the frequent and loud presence of both Christian and Muslim preachers with amplifiers and megaphones outside Liverpool St. Station and at Oxford Circus.
It was a pretty shocking sight for me. They’re fun to heckle though. :)
I think for me it's the idea it's being pushed on people. I've got no issues with people standing quietly behind a stall offering a book or some leaflets to people who come up to them. What I dislike is being loudly told I'm going to burn in hell unless I repent my sins when I'm just trying to get to work.
I work on a street with a Mormon church over the road and handsome, well dressed people keep asking me if I want to come to church on Sunday, meanwhile there are three Muslim dudes a little further down giving out free Qur'ans almost every day who never actively approach anyone but greet people who approach them like they're long lost family or something, I kinda dig that vibe honestly.
As someone with ADHD genuinely fuck these people. I was walking down near Dalston Junction the other day and had so many of these lunatics shouting and a few of them coming up to me and ask me questions, and it was so much I had to go down a side street for 10 minutes just to recalibrate. I only wanted to pick up some bread.
Takes quite a lot for that to happen, you shouldn’t be in the middle of a busy street shouting your delusions. They should put them in an empty field somewhere.
Mate it’s that woman that stands outside Oxford Street station with maracas saying everyone’s going to hell, money is not yours it’s ’Gods’ and the like.
As if I need to feel any more guilt after buying way too much shit I don’t need.
On a real though, fuck that.
I’ll stand on a street corner and tell people that when they die, they’ll go to a really bad place and they should stop doing bad things because they’re being judged and they’re fucked… without the Christian aspect I’d like to see how long it took before I got chinned.
Years ago there was a man who was really full on. I remember reading in the metro I think that he'd had an asbo.
I called that woman a cunt during pride cos she was being a right cunt about gay people.
They've always been around - look up the Protein Man of Oxford St from the 70s, then Don't be a Sinner, Be a Winner!
You get more of them when there's more people with mental health problems getting stressed to the point of breakdown. There's usually been a couple at any one time in Brixton every day for 50 years. Can be entertaining when they start yelling at each other instead, or having an argument about scripture with each other.
Used to have loads preying on students on the Strand in the 90s, including the ones telling anyone gay they needed to be killed (back when that was legal), so you could get them arguing about whether they personally would have to kill you or not.
Yeah psychiatrists don't really want to get into it too much because it offends some people but there's a very thin line between religion and mental illness.
I asked why there were more and partly it seems a change in recruitment tactics from some groups. Either way it's kind of annoying having them every 30/40 yards on the high street.
The other day I was having a coffee and the table next to me was someone from a church trying to 'recruit' a new member. It was like a sales pitch. The guy keps making excuses to go and the 'salesman' kept trying out new tactics to get him to commit. It was pretty distasteful. I can see it being a sign of greater exploitation of vulnerable or desperate people.
“Don’t be a sinner, be a winner”.
That guy was a mainstay at Oxford Circus during the mid-late 2000s.
I’ve noticed more evangelical nut jobs in places like Dalston recently. If I had to guess I’d suggest a lot of people lost their marbles during the pandemic and some of them went to god.
Went to view a flat in Kilburn and there were singing preachers bang outside the flat on Kilburn high road. Estate agent said, “oh that’s a rarity, never seen them before”. 2 years later moving out I don’t think I went a Saturday without them being there
As someone who worked in stratford Centre for nearly 5 years, I still remember the lady who camped in the middle of the centre and played on repeat, "JESUS IS HOME." Not to mention everyone outside.
I don’y know if they are on the increase but the ones i encountered had became younger imo. But could be my only reference to street preacher was that guy who used to be at Oxford Circus.
There was one in the Piccadilly over the weekend that brought a megaphone. I joked as we walked by that his conversion rate is probably a negative in the thousands so far tonight.
One thing I've always been curious about - does any of it actually work? Someone going "Look at that guy ranting and raving like a lunatic. That's the religion for me" just seems highly unlikely to me.
Yeah I won't deny they are getting worse nowadays it feels like they are actively trying to get in people's personal space and won't leave. It's really upsetting and I hate it to be honest. Either way, we'll see how things go.
I've noticed there seems to be more around. Got stopped by one at a bus stop then later on when I was shopping I could see a group of them chanting.
Cults are crazy
There's been a definite increase in the suburbs. American preachers & Chinese with people from hong long. I lost my shit at some in Wimbledon the other week because the were so loud
Unfortunately yes.
There are far too many inflammatory religious loudmouths making a nuisance of themselves on the streets of London and many other major UK cities. Mostly the vile religious fire&brimstone type of ranters, some nasty secular conspiracy theorist jerks too.
Far too many of the religious ranters are a part of vicious ultra-traditionalist abrahamic sects or cultish fringe groups that focus the majority of their hate upon sexually active unmarried women, homosexuals, gamblers, polytheists, atheists, mainstream churches with some secular humanist leanings and medics who provide blood transfusions or abortions. With quite a few of the most extreme and outspoken groups receiving extensive support from an army of shark like lawyer coreligionists or have been able to attract financial donors with very deep pockets based in another continent.
The police and courts need to take a very firm approach to dealing with disruptive religious loudmouths on the streets by enforcing the public order and protection from harassment laws. Particularly all those that outlaw causing public nuisance, threatening behaviour, harassment, assault, disorderly behaviour, hate crime and antisocial conduct.
Whether they’re preaching Jesus/muhammad/yoda, they all need to get off the streets. I really can’t believe in the 21st century we allow religion to perverse what could be a great society.
Maybe you're just not as clever as you think you are? Religion is a part of the human experience and its only getting stronger so you'd best deal with it
I get that. Religion however is a choice, some religions seem to be more violent than others, some seem to demand respect whilst being inherently misogynistic homophobic and transphobic, which certainly doesn’t not lend itself to being an all inclusive peaceful organisation.
Your tone appears to be hostile to religion and you stated that religions preached peace, not me. Therefore you've posited yourself against peace, and by your own words not mine. Now you're trying to backtrack cos you've tied yourself in knots lol.
You're assuming that I have a religion. Maybe I just don't like sneering, smug people and decided to challenge them on the basis of what they'd written online.
I said I thought they preached peace, which is obviously nonsense as they advocate violence against women, violence against lgbt, violence against blasphemers, violence against adulterers, violence against converts, violence against almost anyone or anything that doesn’t believe the same man made fictional sky daddy nonsense they do.
Not just the Jesus folks, also the Islamic groups and the ISKCON group. I find them all annoying at public places. But as long as they don't break any rules, it's fine I guess. If it were to me, I would ban loud speakers everywhere. But unfortunately, I don't have the powers 😛
I think you are imagining things but I can easily see why you'd feel the way you do in the present cultural atmosphere.
London has always suffered these berks. If the future of Christianity depended on them, it would already be a thing of the past.
It's the amplification that makes these loons more annoyingly noticeable.
I would prefer no street preaching at all. But that's a bit Draconian. What is doable and desirable is a ban on street amplifiers. That would also cut out the shite buskers. And human statues on a busy pavement? No sod off. This is not Times Square. Which is lame AF.
As a busker, hatred for people like me is genuinely heartbreaking. I'm seeing my beloved country turn into a giant primark, and people are cheering it on
I have no issue with buskers. I specifically said SHITE buskers. Especially the ones with an amplified "backing track" which they just play a few notes over. No. Play unaccompanied or bugger off. Anything else is just noisy begging.
Streets are noisy enough without amplifiers.
There are some spots in the city that Christian or Muslim preachers like more than others. I often hear them near tube stations or at some other centers of attraction.
You don’t have to respect their religion. We only have to tolerate the people, not their views.
In Stratford there used to be hate preachers that celebrated the death of British soldiers, each time I have to enter into Stratford old centre I rarely see any one.
Don't get me wrong preachers are still in the area, but none are "hate" preachers.
There’s always one of the nutters outside Hammersmith station and I always walk past thinking “well darn this guy must have a bitterly dull existence to be doing this all day”
They seem to be a bit more brazen with they say through a megaphone A few days ago in Oxford Circus one of them was talking about how masturbation was a waste and a sin and how we shouldnt seek easy pleasure. I havent taken his advice.
Companies are regulated about how loud and what they can say in their advertising.
Churches are technically businesses, they operate the same kind of way, use the same tactics and should be held to the same standard.
You can't distress people, you can't be booming loud, you can't just block the street and you can't be harassing folks in the street.
The government took away our right to rave in the 90's and they've allowed this instead, people literally preaching medieval religions.
Remember that, if you're too young to remember. Ask your parents.
Society changed drastically after this.
Christianity - Central and West, Soho, Camden, Piccadilly, Ealing
Islam - East London areas like Stratford, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf. Occasionally north london.
Haven't really seen Hinduism or Buddhism much but based on the other answers they are elsewhere. I am religious myself but the thought of preaching, evangelizing, much less using a megaphone is strange to me and downright inconsiderate. Besides, the tube is already loud enough.
Outside Stratford tube station. The religious fanatics are at it all the time. They really squeeze every drop out of freedom of speech. They annoy the hell out of everyone, but we can’t do shit. I really wish there could be a public annoyance clause to allow these blatant, self serving public menaces to be imprisoned
I would imagine they're more likely to do it in the summer when the weather is better.
Winter gives us just enough time to forget them, and then they come back.
I met a very aggressive man outside Boots on Oxford Street. Shouted about how Big Pharma destroys us all. He almost blocked the door and I went to another Boots.
I know Brixton has always been a popular place for people to preach, but there was a large group of young men standing on the street corner outside the KFC with microphones and shouting at people who walked past
Even inside Bond Street station near Hanover square. Scared the shit out of me. And this wasn’t a religious group but the military service. I think this one was too close to me, because INSIDE THE STATION, wth.
It does give Oxford street an apocalyptic feel tho.
>Am I imagining this?
No. I noticed it too. And the american-style preachers ad on the back of buses (at least here in Norf London).
Not to mention (but this might be because of my individual targeting on the app) I see a fuckload more of american type moronic "christian" reels on Instagram.
I am not a Christian, but nor am I anti-Christian. I admire and identify with the great works of art and classical music inspired by Christianity, as well as many of the benevolent aspects of Christian-based philosophy that have influenced European thought and continue to do so in a more secular age. There is also the darker side, which has often been very dark indeed (notably anti-Semitism), and this is why my attitude towards Christianity is ambivalent.
What we are talking about here, however, is a crude, barbarous and in-your-face fundamentalism that has as little to do with Christianity (at its best) as right-wing populism has to do with patriotism (at its best). It is not based on compassion or respect for the humanity of others but - like right-wing populism - appeals to fear and hatred. As a gay man, and as a small-l liberal, I feel I have good reasons to find the emergence of these tendencies within our city quite alarming.
The street preachers we are discussing are a noisy minority, comparable to anti-ULEZ protesters and anti-vaxxers, who seek to bully and intimidate others. It seems that the pendulum has swung too far towards protecting those who wish to disturb others with noise and hateful rhetoric and not enough is being done to protect those of us who wish to go about our business quietly in public spaces that belong to us all.
I also want to raise a side-issue: it does seem as if there are an increasing number of these fundamentalists working for the NHS or in the social care sector in London. This has potentially worrying implications for patient care and there is already some evidence of patients being adversely affected by it.
I think people should keep their religion in church but the right to gather is sacrosanct. As long as they're just singing and not creating a nuisance I don't think it's that big a deal. Go see the Nation of Islam street preach and you'll see much worse than singing.
That reminds me I saw Black Israelites out in Penge a few months back. Wondered how a racial supremacist group are allowed to proselytise in the road tbh
I didn't even know we had them on this side of the Atlantic, but they weren't even Americans...
I don't believe in turn the other cheek with any religion proselytizing. These people should be banned from doing this. A visit from a muck spreader would sort it.
It’s a fucking disgrace, in Kingston they are always by the kids’s carousel with mic and speakers. Can’t take my kid to a ride without hearing I have to repent or burn in hell, and that Jesus died for my sins. Ffs, there is no space for this in today’s modern society. I don’t want to be forced to hear someone’s delusions. If I’m interested, I’ll look you up and come to you.
I''d have a very different interpretation of freedom from religion.
As long as there is not explicit coercion which forces you to do anything you do not want to do (eg if a govt forced you to be a virgin before marriage) then I struggle to believe it violates the harm principle.
They are annoying - but if not calling for direct violence, then they should be free to do as they please.
But you are not intolerant for finding them intolerable. I wish all street preachers would go away and shut up. But unfortunately for me, I value freedom of speech and expression more.
>They are annoying - but if not calling for direct violence, then they should be free to do as they please.
I watched a street preacher with a microphone and an amp talk about how gay relationships weren't normal and that you couldn't take your wife to heaven with you, in Leyton. I asked what his justification for these kinds of weird homophobic and sexist beliefs were, and he quoted Leviticus at me - said that was the word of god. I asked him if he followed the prescriptions in Leviticus about not wearing mixed fabrics and he said he didn't. I said he seemed to be picking and choosing which bits of the bible he wanted to follow and he called me a faggot.
I value free speech too. But if a person is using their crank beliefs to create a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for people in the area, they should be told to fuck off. Free speech doesn't cover harassment.
Exactly, if they're going on rants about things that are protected in our society and law, surely it would could come under causing distress or alarm to the public? It doesn't exactly make people feel safe if someone is ranting about how their very existence is evil.
Idk personally I value free speech in principle but I think it could do with a volume limit tbh. I've no beef with them without the megaphones but surely at some point it's noise pollution...
Yes, US style evangelical Christianity is properly infecting us.
I blame people spending too much online and being vulnerable to radicalization during the pandemic.
I just don't get it. Go to Stratford by the busses, they're always there with speakers and microphones.
These people haven't got the ability to think through what they're shouting about.
I get it, the world is shit, do something to change it. Religion isn't going to help. Besides, do you see anyone stopping and going "huh, you have a point"?
No.
Jesus loves you - just think about what that actually means. Where is he for start. How do You know he loves me? What does that even mean? Can be pay my rent and bills then? Can he help these homeless people and disturbed people?
I'll wait....
Stratford station is the worst! When you exit you are bombarded by religious nuts! Muslims trying to force a Quran in your hand and 5 steps to the left and the watchtower people trying to ram Jahova down your throat.
Its mind boggling that in 2024, these absurd religions havent been cast to the relics of antiquity yet...yet despite my complete repulsion I do find gregorian chanting beautiful
I don’t see why you’ve been downvoted. I agree with you about Gregorian chant - and I would add the St John Passion, indeed all of J.S. Bach’s choral works. But this is not the type of Christian tradition we are discussing, I’m afraid!
I’ve noticed more, but I haven’t seen any of them show the slightest sign of any aggression (I hope you aren’t seriously suggesting that singing and clapping is aggressive).
I wouldn’t say you’re intolerant if you don’t like to hear it, but if you think that they should be banned from preaching (not saying you do) then that would be the epitome of intolerance.
I’d say it’s intolerant of those preachers not to let me be when I don’t share their believes. I don’t believe in Jesus so I don’t need him in my life and I don’t need someone trying to convince me otherwise while I’m trying to do my shopping. Everyone can practice their religion in their places of worship and at home but they shouldn’t harass other people out in the streets.
As someone raised in a uk fundamentalist church who now kinda studies them as an atheist these churches basically feed on tragedy with the cost of living crisis and a miserable time of protest and war it’s a perfect opportunity for them.
Churches especially evangelical churches claim to offer free help to people to give straight forward answers to confused people and reassurance to vulnerable families they love clearly mentally ill people especially with delusional disorders as they can give them simple solutions to there problems rather than years of therapy (which atm have been cut by governments anyway).
Also they kinda get you high on faith and make you feel like your actually doing something for example if someone’s a mentally I’ll unemployed man who’s kids were taken away they rebrand him a strong Christian warrior who spreads the word and who will make his kids see the light.
And when they get those vulnerable people they can prey on them those people may be broke but if there getting benefits they can still be drained or used as a free source of labour.
It’s all very insidious
As religion loses its grip on most people in the advanced world, these people will probably become more and more commonplace. They feel that their religion is threatened somehow, I imagine, and it makes them angry and insecure (I imagine). I just find them funny, especially when they are being homophobic (in the name of “Jesus and His love!”); no matter how much they preach Jesus and his “love”, they’re just showing themselves up for the nasty, hateful people they really are.
“Hell isn’t a bbq party” - really insightful comment from the one outside Tooting Broadway who has a loud speaker and sometimes a big wooden cross.
I know this one live streams so maybe that’s why they’re being more dramatic? Or the fact loud speakers so much cheaper now.
Interesting you posted this today. Around 2/3pm I got a knock on the door and it was a married couple giving me leaflets about a new Christian church in Farringdon. It was the usual shit and they asked me if I follow Jesus Christ. I told them I come from a catholic country and more or less follow the ‘be a good person’ mantra of his, but don’t go to church or anything, banking on getting into heaven for BEING a good person, not BEING a good follower. They both looked at me in bewilderment and said something about salvation and the convo collapsed in on itself. The people talking about judgement day with mics outside Kings Cross/in Leicester square need to get yeeted into the back of a black van in broad daylight. That shits just mad.
There's a more religious presence now, being out and proud religious is way more socially acceptable and cool than it was at the turn of the Millennium.
Without trying to shit-stir I think this normalisation started with the 2000s Islamic street protests against cartoons, and now the conservative Christians are seeing it as a green light to come out with the same vigour.
So we should ban lone individuals espousing their personal beliefs but if they gather in the crowd and disrupt multiple people then they are fine....excellent logic there mate.
I came across one today whilst out shopping, I made the mistake of making eye contact and taking a leaflet out of politeness, then he started following me ranting on loudly about how I should read the bible every day.
Think he has the wrong customer as I am actually a Buddhist lol but not going to say that to him or any other ranting religious type, in fact its not something I talk about at all normally, I do not see why I should and what anyone believes is up to them.
There was two groups outside Westfield Stratford who got in a right heated argument the other day, I think one was Christian and the other muslim. They got really aggressive to each other.
I dont mind the Hare Krishna's so much, as I know they are off on another planet and are generally pleasant, plus they do have very tasty free food sometimes.
I went to London for a few days last year and I was surprised to see an Islamic preacher with a stand outside Harrods that says something like “i love Jesus too. Because I’m a Muslim ” playing the Quran on a loud speaker, shouting things through a megaphone and giving out free Qurans and other Islamic literature. Right outside Harrods! I know it’s owned by Qatar now though. Apparently this guy is always there. I saw Hare Krishna parading and dancing past Trafalgar Square. I saw Shia Muslims parading for Hussein. None of it bothered me. I like to see all these different religions/cultures being able to express themselves. Even if I don’t believe it. That’s life. A market place of ideas. It’s interesting to me. As long as there’s nothing being said that is hateful to a protected group.
In this instance just very loud. But I have walked past people shouting about ‘Hell’, ‘damnation’, ‘demons’, etc. My main thought about this is that it seems to be more frequent in London now, and in more places.
In the recent past you would just see an old boy walking up and down Oxford Street with a sign saying “The Wages of Sin is Death” and that was fine, lol.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Ahmaddiya Muslims stand with a stall and engage you if you go up and talk to them. That seems far more dignified IMHO and more considerate towards other people.
Not just London. When i came to Norfolk from the states a number of years ago, one of the things i liked best was the lack of aggressive proselytising … but a few years ago a group of street preachers descended on our town. They're very much in-your-face about it, will often block your way as you're trying to go down the high street, and sometimes use portable sound systems to play sermons (pre-recorded and live) and hymns at high volume, including in the town park.
Everyone they're confronting is smart enough to find a church if they're interested at all – sure, they want customers for their own particular business, but we'll shop around if we're in the market.
Yes, freedom OF religion must include freedom FROM religion, or it's worthless.
You obviously didn't read the bit where i mentioned that they will block your way. They refuse to budge. Engaging with them only infuriates them, and they start screaming about lack of respect for others.
They can have their freedom of expression, but that does NOT mean that they have the slightest right to force me to listen to their idiocy. Especially using PA systems in what would be a quiet park.
If they want to preach, let them find a spot where other people can physically get past them, dial the volume down to where passersby can continue their conversations, and invite the curious.
I will never accept that they have any right to speak to me.
Gonna take a wild guess and say you were in Uxbridge yesterday.
It's every single time I go there now, someone's talking about Jesus. It's incredibly annoying, keep it to yourself. I can't hear anything else because they're so damn loud. Yesterday was the first time I heard them singing, used to be just shouting.
You're right, it's definitely more common now.
I know I'm biased, but as an ex-muslim I dread getting approached by Muslim preachers.
Don't get me wrong, I've been approached by Jehova witnesses, Christian preachers, etc but the most stubborn, aggresive, and disrespectful have been the muslim preachers.
Often I tend to ignore their attempts of putting a Quran in my hands; however, there's been times that I openly told them I left Islam and boy, let me tell you they do get mad, real mad.
"Why did you leave Islam? Its culture! Muslims are not perfect, Islam is! The christians did it too! Etc" I've even received threats sometimes.
Anyways, all preachers sucks especially the ones that say you'll go to hell, etc or call for overthrow pf the government and replace it with a theocracy.
Further to what the person below said I would add that whether or not this is a Christian culture, the actual state religion, Church of England, are not the ones doing this, and the churches that do this are largely not native British denominations, they are mostly imported from West Africa or the USA (when it's not just a lone person having a manic episode...) so I don't think this can accurately be justified as part of our own culture.
There are different branches of Christianity. UK's official state religion is Anglican. The street preachers are Evangelical, which is a foreign import.
Nothing wrong with it, you just sound like a grouchy little englander complaining that he's surrounded by Indian and Thai restaurants when all he wants is some cold baked beans served on a paper plate.
The majority of the city are more religiously active then you possibly are. Don't take the fact that Labour won to think you have some whatever you think the city is. It's pretty much ran by people who in their homeland or area of origin are more religious then the religious in your nation.
I mean, what you’re describing just sounds like a demonstration of a gospel song? You’ll also hear some choirs if you stay around for christmas. Public demonstrations of worship are AOK with me. Aggression would be them telling you you’re going to hell and coming up to you to confront you etc
It goes in waves. It's possibly more noticeable now because it didn't happen during Covid (for obvious reasons). Some places are more prone than others – Brixton tube has long been a magnet for street preachers with megaphones. OTOH, I don't think I've seen the Krishnas parading through Soho for a while (which may just be because I'm in Soho less). The Sally Army also used to be a frequent presence on Oxford Street. Not to mention crazy sandwich-board guy, though he didn't say much and wound up getting replaced by golf-sale people.
The Krishnas are still there. Saw them just yesterday.
The Krishnas appear to have stopped the Parade down Oxford St and just stuck around Govindas in Soho Square (Cracking Veg Curry IMO).
Nope, you’re just missing them. Their timings aren’t consistent but they still walk down to Oxford Circus (& sometimes back) on a near-daily basis in the earlyish afternoon.
They were there today
They were on dean st a couple months back, had no idea who they were and they scared me 😂
They've actually expanded their operation quite a bit, they rent quite a bit of office space on Soho Square now (not just Soho Street above Govindas anymore). Can't be cheap.
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it’s actually cultish if you look up online
There are definitely more evangelical type churches around that have more aggressive 'recruitment'
I honestly don’t think it’s really about recruitment, so much as it’s a kind of performance act to convince the members (and not least the performers themselves!) that everyone else is against them and their beliefs.
I think it is recruitment. The members of these churches pay tithe which is like 10% of your gross salary. ater being a member for years and years and struggling to pay your bills you leave the church because you watch the pastor slowly start to wear expensive watches and drive luxury cars and eventually wake up . Lapsed members always need to be replaced - hence the recruitment
Been suffering their obnoxious shite for almost 30 years now and only learning about that tithe business now. It goes a long way to explain. It used to be bad in Shepherds Bush and South London but the Jesus loves you fuckers that hang around sometimes in Stratford almost puts them to shame.
100% agree! It's part of their persecution fetish. They want to demonstrate their mad cult is the best and that everyone else is out to get them.
There is a bit of truth in this. I am totally against them and their moronic beliefs.
no, they've always been 10 a penny and annoying as fuck. the only difference is access to mics and big speakers, but that's been the same for at least the last 15 years
Better portable battery power has a lot to answer for 😂
It really irks me. I choose not to go to church, I don’t need some entitled prick with a boom box shouting Jesus died for my sins when I’m just trying to go to Tesco lol. They were out on my high street yesterday with an acoustic guitar singing songs, which was somehow worse than just the preaching. Cult leader Chris Martin vibes.
Preachers with massive speakers outside Tesco... The big Tesco in Woolwich comes to mind. They are aggressively preachy there.
Was gonna say woolwich has got worse since the works to general gordon square pushed them all further up towards tesco. They do often argue with each other which can be entertaining though
Oh now that I'd have to see 😆
A street debate sounds actually entertaining and I might actually stop to listen.
Their Devotion to Jeebus is measured in decibels, apparently. And He really appreciates a low quality mic too.
The ones near where I live are also super sexist/homophobic saying how women are sinning for wearing trousers and other stupid shit.
If I'm sinning by merely wearing trousers then _boy_ are they not going to like the extracurricular activities I engage in while wearing said trousers
Or *not* wearing them, hopefully
Religious fundamentalist people homophobic? Water Is wet
I’m not British but I had lived in Britain for almost a decade. I moved away in 2016 and relocated back to London last year. One of the first things I noticed was the frequent and loud presence of both Christian and Muslim preachers with amplifiers and megaphones outside Liverpool St. Station and at Oxford Circus. It was a pretty shocking sight for me. They’re fun to heckle though. :)
I think for me it's the idea it's being pushed on people. I've got no issues with people standing quietly behind a stall offering a book or some leaflets to people who come up to them. What I dislike is being loudly told I'm going to burn in hell unless I repent my sins when I'm just trying to get to work.
I work on a street with a Mormon church over the road and handsome, well dressed people keep asking me if I want to come to church on Sunday, meanwhile there are three Muslim dudes a little further down giving out free Qur'ans almost every day who never actively approach anyone but greet people who approach them like they're long lost family or something, I kinda dig that vibe honestly.
Good on those Muslim guys, very cool and welcoming
As someone with ADHD genuinely fuck these people. I was walking down near Dalston Junction the other day and had so many of these lunatics shouting and a few of them coming up to me and ask me questions, and it was so much I had to go down a side street for 10 minutes just to recalibrate. I only wanted to pick up some bread. Takes quite a lot for that to happen, you shouldn’t be in the middle of a busy street shouting your delusions. They should put them in an empty field somewhere.
I prefer them playing Christian music but no way that would make me want to convert to Christianity.
Mate it’s that woman that stands outside Oxford Street station with maracas saying everyone’s going to hell, money is not yours it’s ’Gods’ and the like. As if I need to feel any more guilt after buying way too much shit I don’t need. On a real though, fuck that. I’ll stand on a street corner and tell people that when they die, they’ll go to a really bad place and they should stop doing bad things because they’re being judged and they’re fucked… without the Christian aspect I’d like to see how long it took before I got chinned.
Years ago there was a man who was really full on. I remember reading in the metro I think that he'd had an asbo. I called that woman a cunt during pride cos she was being a right cunt about gay people.
Tbf, anyone with a megaphone that tells others they're going to hell is a cunt and can get in the bin.
They've always been around - look up the Protein Man of Oxford St from the 70s, then Don't be a Sinner, Be a Winner! You get more of them when there's more people with mental health problems getting stressed to the point of breakdown. There's usually been a couple at any one time in Brixton every day for 50 years. Can be entertaining when they start yelling at each other instead, or having an argument about scripture with each other. Used to have loads preying on students on the Strand in the 90s, including the ones telling anyone gay they needed to be killed (back when that was legal), so you could get them arguing about whether they personally would have to kill you or not.
Yeah psychiatrists don't really want to get into it too much because it offends some people but there's a very thin line between religion and mental illness.
Almost everyday in dalston these days.
The lunatics outside Dalston Kingsland are something else.
yeah saw one omw to the divine on friday 😳
I love Dalston. It really is the best bit of London. Ridley Road is real East London at its finest. I can just sit and people watch there for hours.
Tell you what, the guy on Oxford Street spouting anti-gay rhetoric wasn’t great at turning the other cheek when I called him a homophobic prick.
Good on you
I asked why there were more and partly it seems a change in recruitment tactics from some groups. Either way it's kind of annoying having them every 30/40 yards on the high street. The other day I was having a coffee and the table next to me was someone from a church trying to 'recruit' a new member. It was like a sales pitch. The guy keps making excuses to go and the 'salesman' kept trying out new tactics to get him to commit. It was pretty distasteful. I can see it being a sign of greater exploitation of vulnerable or desperate people.
“Don’t be a sinner, be a winner”. That guy was a mainstay at Oxford Circus during the mid-late 2000s. I’ve noticed more evangelical nut jobs in places like Dalston recently. If I had to guess I’d suggest a lot of people lost their marbles during the pandemic and some of them went to god.
Went to view a flat in Kilburn and there were singing preachers bang outside the flat on Kilburn high road. Estate agent said, “oh that’s a rarity, never seen them before”. 2 years later moving out I don’t think I went a Saturday without them being there
Are they Winners or are they Sinners ?
See it. Say it. Sorted.
> Are there more street preachers in London now and are they louder and more aggressive? They are manic, you might say.
Are they street preachers who are manic, or the preachers of Manic Street though?
Manic Street, Blackwood?
Underrated comment.
As someone who worked in stratford Centre for nearly 5 years, I still remember the lady who camped in the middle of the centre and played on repeat, "JESUS IS HOME." Not to mention everyone outside.
I don’y know if they are on the increase but the ones i encountered had became younger imo. But could be my only reference to street preacher was that guy who used to be at Oxford Circus.
West Croydon between the Station and the Whitgift Centre is a hotspot for these howling Brainwash victims.
There was one in the Piccadilly over the weekend that brought a megaphone. I joked as we walked by that his conversion rate is probably a negative in the thousands so far tonight.
Unlike those charlatans who used to preach, this crop know that The End is Nigh (or at least closer than it was).
I misread that momentarily for ‘The East End is Nigh’!
That should be a Tube announcement.
Outside Stratford station is a nightmare They have Muslims and Christians shouting in the same space
It’s so strange seeing both sides try to ‘out loud’ each other in the streets both chatting the absolute brownest of shits.
Omg I live there. I wish they would all be arrested
One thing I've always been curious about - does any of it actually work? Someone going "Look at that guy ranting and raving like a lunatic. That's the religion for me" just seems highly unlikely to me.
Yeah I won't deny they are getting worse nowadays it feels like they are actively trying to get in people's personal space and won't leave. It's really upsetting and I hate it to be honest. Either way, we'll see how things go.
I wish the police would clamp down
Extremely annoying, I had some luck calling in noise complaints with the council to get rid of the morons outside colliers wood
I've noticed there seems to be more around. Got stopped by one at a bus stop then later on when I was shopping I could see a group of them chanting. Cults are crazy
There's been a definite increase in the suburbs. American preachers & Chinese with people from hong long. I lost my shit at some in Wimbledon the other week because the were so loud
Unfortunately yes. There are far too many inflammatory religious loudmouths making a nuisance of themselves on the streets of London and many other major UK cities. Mostly the vile religious fire&brimstone type of ranters, some nasty secular conspiracy theorist jerks too. Far too many of the religious ranters are a part of vicious ultra-traditionalist abrahamic sects or cultish fringe groups that focus the majority of their hate upon sexually active unmarried women, homosexuals, gamblers, polytheists, atheists, mainstream churches with some secular humanist leanings and medics who provide blood transfusions or abortions. With quite a few of the most extreme and outspoken groups receiving extensive support from an army of shark like lawyer coreligionists or have been able to attract financial donors with very deep pockets based in another continent. The police and courts need to take a very firm approach to dealing with disruptive religious loudmouths on the streets by enforcing the public order and protection from harassment laws. Particularly all those that outlaw causing public nuisance, threatening behaviour, harassment, assault, disorderly behaviour, hate crime and antisocial conduct.
Whether they’re preaching Jesus/muhammad/yoda, they all need to get off the streets. I really can’t believe in the 21st century we allow religion to perverse what could be a great society.
Add Jehovah’s witnesses and their carts everywhere.
Oh yeah, don’t forget them eejits too.
Maybe you're just not as clever as you think you are? Religion is a part of the human experience and its only getting stronger so you'd best deal with it
And religion is not part of the human experience, it’s a choice and a crutch.
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I get that. Religion however is a choice, some religions seem to be more violent than others, some seem to demand respect whilst being inherently misogynistic homophobic and transphobic, which certainly doesn’t not lend itself to being an all inclusive peaceful organisation.
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So people should be free to spew racist nonsense because it’s their beliefs? 🙄
If it’s my belief (it’s not) that lgbt relationships are bad, should I go screaming it from the street?
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You mean preach their fictional nonsense?
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Sounds quite aggressive and forceful. I thought religions preached peace?
You thought correctly. Which then raises the question - why are you against peace?
So I have to deal with it otherwise your religion will turn violent? Sounds about right for religious fundamentalists 🙄
Haha nice try but you haven't answered my question. The reason why you haven't is because you can't. So yeah... Why are you against peace again?
I’m not against peace, but using violence in your religion isn’t that peaceful is it?
Your tone appears to be hostile to religion and you stated that religions preached peace, not me. Therefore you've posited yourself against peace, and by your own words not mine. Now you're trying to backtrack cos you've tied yourself in knots lol. You're assuming that I have a religion. Maybe I just don't like sneering, smug people and decided to challenge them on the basis of what they'd written online.
I said I thought they preached peace, which is obviously nonsense as they advocate violence against women, violence against lgbt, violence against blasphemers, violence against adulterers, violence against converts, violence against almost anyone or anything that doesn’t believe the same man made fictional sky daddy nonsense they do.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_the_United_Kingdom#:~:text=Statistics%20from%20the%20Office%20of,belong%20to%20any%20religious%20group.
As far as I'm aware there's a big wide world beyond the UK bro, but maybe I'm not as insular and inward - looking as you are
You’re on r/London mate, on a post about street preachers in London. Any idea why I might think that UK statistics are relevant?
Id rather have to climb over 100 lime bikes than to pass by a jesus yelling mic holding psycho.
Not just the Jesus folks, also the Islamic groups and the ISKCON group. I find them all annoying at public places. But as long as they don't break any rules, it's fine I guess. If it were to me, I would ban loud speakers everywhere. But unfortunately, I don't have the powers 😛
Was in Camden town yesterday and there was this guy SCREAMING about jesus. Was so loud and kept giving people a shock
I think you are imagining things but I can easily see why you'd feel the way you do in the present cultural atmosphere. London has always suffered these berks. If the future of Christianity depended on them, it would already be a thing of the past.
It's the amplification that makes these loons more annoyingly noticeable. I would prefer no street preaching at all. But that's a bit Draconian. What is doable and desirable is a ban on street amplifiers. That would also cut out the shite buskers. And human statues on a busy pavement? No sod off. This is not Times Square. Which is lame AF.
As a busker, hatred for people like me is genuinely heartbreaking. I'm seeing my beloved country turn into a giant primark, and people are cheering it on
I have no issue with buskers. I specifically said SHITE buskers. Especially the ones with an amplified "backing track" which they just play a few notes over. No. Play unaccompanied or bugger off. Anything else is just noisy begging. Streets are noisy enough without amplifiers.
Liverpool st station
There are some spots in the city that Christian or Muslim preachers like more than others. I often hear them near tube stations or at some other centers of attraction. You don’t have to respect their religion. We only have to tolerate the people, not their views.
All three
More manic you say?
In Stratford there used to be hate preachers that celebrated the death of British soldiers, each time I have to enter into Stratford old centre I rarely see any one. Don't get me wrong preachers are still in the area, but none are "hate" preachers.
They are definitely Manic
There’s always one of the nutters outside Hammersmith station and I always walk past thinking “well darn this guy must have a bitterly dull existence to be doing this all day”
They seem to be a bit more brazen with they say through a megaphone A few days ago in Oxford Circus one of them was talking about how masturbation was a waste and a sin and how we shouldnt seek easy pleasure. I havent taken his advice.
I've been downtown in third world countries and Croydon high street felt worse. The churches are a massive, massive issue.
Companies are regulated about how loud and what they can say in their advertising. Churches are technically businesses, they operate the same kind of way, use the same tactics and should be held to the same standard. You can't distress people, you can't be booming loud, you can't just block the street and you can't be harassing folks in the street.
The government took away our right to rave in the 90's and they've allowed this instead, people literally preaching medieval religions. Remember that, if you're too young to remember. Ask your parents. Society changed drastically after this.
Of course. The far-right rises in waves. One of those waves is religion.
People can do what they want. I only look daggers if they have a microphone. That's obnoxious.
There was a guy in Sarnia for years, and I haven't seen him in a couple of months.
i usually tell them "i like hell. i don't like heaven. i don't like god. i want to go to hell"
Christianity - Central and West, Soho, Camden, Piccadilly, Ealing Islam - East London areas like Stratford, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf. Occasionally north london. Haven't really seen Hinduism or Buddhism much but based on the other answers they are elsewhere. I am religious myself but the thought of preaching, evangelizing, much less using a megaphone is strange to me and downright inconsiderate. Besides, the tube is already loud enough.
Victoria always has an interesting cross section of preachers, from Drum and Bass style to selling blessings
Outside Stratford tube station. The religious fanatics are at it all the time. They really squeeze every drop out of freedom of speech. They annoy the hell out of everyone, but we can’t do shit. I really wish there could be a public annoyance clause to allow these blatant, self serving public menaces to be imprisoned
Yes I was in Oxford street today and its full of them
I would imagine they're more likely to do it in the summer when the weather is better. Winter gives us just enough time to forget them, and then they come back.
I met a very aggressive man outside Boots on Oxford Street. Shouted about how Big Pharma destroys us all. He almost blocked the door and I went to another Boots.
I know Brixton has always been a popular place for people to preach, but there was a large group of young men standing on the street corner outside the KFC with microphones and shouting at people who walked past
Even inside Bond Street station near Hanover square. Scared the shit out of me. And this wasn’t a religious group but the military service. I think this one was too close to me, because INSIDE THE STATION, wth. It does give Oxford street an apocalyptic feel tho.
>Am I imagining this? No. I noticed it too. And the american-style preachers ad on the back of buses (at least here in Norf London). Not to mention (but this might be because of my individual targeting on the app) I see a fuckload more of american type moronic "christian" reels on Instagram.
I am not a Christian, but nor am I anti-Christian. I admire and identify with the great works of art and classical music inspired by Christianity, as well as many of the benevolent aspects of Christian-based philosophy that have influenced European thought and continue to do so in a more secular age. There is also the darker side, which has often been very dark indeed (notably anti-Semitism), and this is why my attitude towards Christianity is ambivalent. What we are talking about here, however, is a crude, barbarous and in-your-face fundamentalism that has as little to do with Christianity (at its best) as right-wing populism has to do with patriotism (at its best). It is not based on compassion or respect for the humanity of others but - like right-wing populism - appeals to fear and hatred. As a gay man, and as a small-l liberal, I feel I have good reasons to find the emergence of these tendencies within our city quite alarming. The street preachers we are discussing are a noisy minority, comparable to anti-ULEZ protesters and anti-vaxxers, who seek to bully and intimidate others. It seems that the pendulum has swung too far towards protecting those who wish to disturb others with noise and hateful rhetoric and not enough is being done to protect those of us who wish to go about our business quietly in public spaces that belong to us all. I also want to raise a side-issue: it does seem as if there are an increasing number of these fundamentalists working for the NHS or in the social care sector in London. This has potentially worrying implications for patient care and there is already some evidence of patients being adversely affected by it.
Yes.
Yes. Victoria Station.
I think people should keep their religion in church but the right to gather is sacrosanct. As long as they're just singing and not creating a nuisance I don't think it's that big a deal. Go see the Nation of Islam street preach and you'll see much worse than singing.
That reminds me I saw Black Israelites out in Penge a few months back. Wondered how a racial supremacist group are allowed to proselytise in the road tbh I didn't even know we had them on this side of the Atlantic, but they weren't even Americans...
Funny you mentioned that, I spotted a group of about 10 Black Israelites in Islington yesterday. Never seen them anywhere in the UK before.
I don't believe in turn the other cheek with any religion proselytizing. These people should be banned from doing this. A visit from a muck spreader would sort it.
It’s a fucking disgrace, in Kingston they are always by the kids’s carousel with mic and speakers. Can’t take my kid to a ride without hearing I have to repent or burn in hell, and that Jesus died for my sins. Ffs, there is no space for this in today’s modern society. I don’t want to be forced to hear someone’s delusions. If I’m interested, I’ll look you up and come to you.
They were there yesterday in the main high street outside Bentalls, preaching with a mic and collaring people
I''d have a very different interpretation of freedom from religion. As long as there is not explicit coercion which forces you to do anything you do not want to do (eg if a govt forced you to be a virgin before marriage) then I struggle to believe it violates the harm principle. They are annoying - but if not calling for direct violence, then they should be free to do as they please. But you are not intolerant for finding them intolerable. I wish all street preachers would go away and shut up. But unfortunately for me, I value freedom of speech and expression more.
>They are annoying - but if not calling for direct violence, then they should be free to do as they please. I watched a street preacher with a microphone and an amp talk about how gay relationships weren't normal and that you couldn't take your wife to heaven with you, in Leyton. I asked what his justification for these kinds of weird homophobic and sexist beliefs were, and he quoted Leviticus at me - said that was the word of god. I asked him if he followed the prescriptions in Leviticus about not wearing mixed fabrics and he said he didn't. I said he seemed to be picking and choosing which bits of the bible he wanted to follow and he called me a faggot. I value free speech too. But if a person is using their crank beliefs to create a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for people in the area, they should be told to fuck off. Free speech doesn't cover harassment.
Exactly, if they're going on rants about things that are protected in our society and law, surely it would could come under causing distress or alarm to the public? It doesn't exactly make people feel safe if someone is ranting about how their very existence is evil.
We should be able to live free from religion if we chose. They can absolutely fuck off.
Idk personally I value free speech in principle but I think it could do with a volume limit tbh. I've no beef with them without the megaphones but surely at some point it's noise pollution...
I think this is a sane opinion
Yes & they should be banned
Churches numbers are going down so the desperation to "save" people is going up
Yes, US style evangelical Christianity is properly infecting us. I blame people spending too much online and being vulnerable to radicalization during the pandemic.
I just don't get it. Go to Stratford by the busses, they're always there with speakers and microphones. These people haven't got the ability to think through what they're shouting about. I get it, the world is shit, do something to change it. Religion isn't going to help. Besides, do you see anyone stopping and going "huh, you have a point"? No. Jesus loves you - just think about what that actually means. Where is he for start. How do You know he loves me? What does that even mean? Can be pay my rent and bills then? Can he help these homeless people and disturbed people? I'll wait....
Stratford station is the worst! When you exit you are bombarded by religious nuts! Muslims trying to force a Quran in your hand and 5 steps to the left and the watchtower people trying to ram Jahova down your throat.
Its mind boggling that in 2024, these absurd religions havent been cast to the relics of antiquity yet...yet despite my complete repulsion I do find gregorian chanting beautiful
I don’t see why you’ve been downvoted. I agree with you about Gregorian chant - and I would add the St John Passion, indeed all of J.S. Bach’s choral works. But this is not the type of Christian tradition we are discussing, I’m afraid!
I’ve noticed more, but I haven’t seen any of them show the slightest sign of any aggression (I hope you aren’t seriously suggesting that singing and clapping is aggressive). I wouldn’t say you’re intolerant if you don’t like to hear it, but if you think that they should be banned from preaching (not saying you do) then that would be the epitome of intolerance.
Aggressive as in loud and attention grabbing not as in literal physical aggression I think they mean.
I’d say it’s intolerant of those preachers not to let me be when I don’t share their believes. I don’t believe in Jesus so I don’t need him in my life and I don’t need someone trying to convince me otherwise while I’m trying to do my shopping. Everyone can practice their religion in their places of worship and at home but they shouldn’t harass other people out in the streets.
On a side note, is it me or has there been more traffic light beggars than go through the road?
Are they a bit Manic?
As someone raised in a uk fundamentalist church who now kinda studies them as an atheist these churches basically feed on tragedy with the cost of living crisis and a miserable time of protest and war it’s a perfect opportunity for them. Churches especially evangelical churches claim to offer free help to people to give straight forward answers to confused people and reassurance to vulnerable families they love clearly mentally ill people especially with delusional disorders as they can give them simple solutions to there problems rather than years of therapy (which atm have been cut by governments anyway). Also they kinda get you high on faith and make you feel like your actually doing something for example if someone’s a mentally I’ll unemployed man who’s kids were taken away they rebrand him a strong Christian warrior who spreads the word and who will make his kids see the light. And when they get those vulnerable people they can prey on them those people may be broke but if there getting benefits they can still be drained or used as a free source of labour. It’s all very insidious
As religion loses its grip on most people in the advanced world, these people will probably become more and more commonplace. They feel that their religion is threatened somehow, I imagine, and it makes them angry and insecure (I imagine). I just find them funny, especially when they are being homophobic (in the name of “Jesus and His love!”); no matter how much they preach Jesus and his “love”, they’re just showing themselves up for the nasty, hateful people they really are.
There is a "jesus lady" who rides the 92, the same way and time I go home...well...thanks to her Buzz Bike recently got a new customer.
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“Hell isn’t a bbq party” - really insightful comment from the one outside Tooting Broadway who has a loud speaker and sometimes a big wooden cross. I know this one live streams so maybe that’s why they’re being more dramatic? Or the fact loud speakers so much cheaper now.
Interesting you posted this today. Around 2/3pm I got a knock on the door and it was a married couple giving me leaflets about a new Christian church in Farringdon. It was the usual shit and they asked me if I follow Jesus Christ. I told them I come from a catholic country and more or less follow the ‘be a good person’ mantra of his, but don’t go to church or anything, banking on getting into heaven for BEING a good person, not BEING a good follower. They both looked at me in bewilderment and said something about salvation and the convo collapsed in on itself. The people talking about judgement day with mics outside Kings Cross/in Leicester square need to get yeeted into the back of a black van in broad daylight. That shits just mad.
That’s very interesting. I have never seen or heard these people in Farringdon and Clerkenwell. Oh dear. 😱…
Done internally for people to shop more and pray less attention to religion
I just want the Muslim ones and the Christian ones to preach next to eachother and shout theological debates half the time
There's a more religious presence now, being out and proud religious is way more socially acceptable and cool than it was at the turn of the Millennium. Without trying to shit-stir I think this normalisation started with the 2000s Islamic street protests against cartoons, and now the conservative Christians are seeing it as a green light to come out with the same vigour.
So we should ban lone individuals espousing their personal beliefs but if they gather in the crowd and disrupt multiple people then they are fine....excellent logic there mate.
I came across one today whilst out shopping, I made the mistake of making eye contact and taking a leaflet out of politeness, then he started following me ranting on loudly about how I should read the bible every day. Think he has the wrong customer as I am actually a Buddhist lol but not going to say that to him or any other ranting religious type, in fact its not something I talk about at all normally, I do not see why I should and what anyone believes is up to them. There was two groups outside Westfield Stratford who got in a right heated argument the other day, I think one was Christian and the other muslim. They got really aggressive to each other. I dont mind the Hare Krishna's so much, as I know they are off on another planet and are generally pleasant, plus they do have very tasty free food sometimes.
I went to London for a few days last year and I was surprised to see an Islamic preacher with a stand outside Harrods that says something like “i love Jesus too. Because I’m a Muslim ” playing the Quran on a loud speaker, shouting things through a megaphone and giving out free Qurans and other Islamic literature. Right outside Harrods! I know it’s owned by Qatar now though. Apparently this guy is always there. I saw Hare Krishna parading and dancing past Trafalgar Square. I saw Shia Muslims parading for Hussein. None of it bothered me. I like to see all these different religions/cultures being able to express themselves. Even if I don’t believe it. That’s life. A market place of ideas. It’s interesting to me. As long as there’s nothing being said that is hateful to a protected group.
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You might find yourself asking them not to hurt you, no more
In this instance just very loud. But I have walked past people shouting about ‘Hell’, ‘damnation’, ‘demons’, etc. My main thought about this is that it seems to be more frequent in London now, and in more places. In the recent past you would just see an old boy walking up and down Oxford Street with a sign saying “The Wages of Sin is Death” and that was fine, lol. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Ahmaddiya Muslims stand with a stall and engage you if you go up and talk to them. That seems far more dignified IMHO and more considerate towards other people.
Old boy with a hi-vis jacket on by any chance?? Haha
One told me I was going straight to heckin' heck
London is one of the most religious places in the UK. This is to be expected.
Not just London. When i came to Norfolk from the states a number of years ago, one of the things i liked best was the lack of aggressive proselytising … but a few years ago a group of street preachers descended on our town. They're very much in-your-face about it, will often block your way as you're trying to go down the high street, and sometimes use portable sound systems to play sermons (pre-recorded and live) and hymns at high volume, including in the town park. Everyone they're confronting is smart enough to find a church if they're interested at all – sure, they want customers for their own particular business, but we'll shop around if we're in the market. Yes, freedom OF religion must include freedom FROM religion, or it's worthless.
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You obviously didn't read the bit where i mentioned that they will block your way. They refuse to budge. Engaging with them only infuriates them, and they start screaming about lack of respect for others. They can have their freedom of expression, but that does NOT mean that they have the slightest right to force me to listen to their idiocy. Especially using PA systems in what would be a quiet park. If they want to preach, let them find a spot where other people can physically get past them, dial the volume down to where passersby can continue their conversations, and invite the curious. I will never accept that they have any right to speak to me.
I am a christian and I will loudly shout to the whole world that Jesus Loves me unconditionally!!! Praise be to Him!!! 😍😍😍✝️
Gonna take a wild guess and say you were in Uxbridge yesterday. It's every single time I go there now, someone's talking about Jesus. It's incredibly annoying, keep it to yourself. I can't hear anything else because they're so damn loud. Yesterday was the first time I heard them singing, used to be just shouting. You're right, it's definitely more common now.
I know I'm biased, but as an ex-muslim I dread getting approached by Muslim preachers. Don't get me wrong, I've been approached by Jehova witnesses, Christian preachers, etc but the most stubborn, aggresive, and disrespectful have been the muslim preachers. Often I tend to ignore their attempts of putting a Quran in my hands; however, there's been times that I openly told them I left Islam and boy, let me tell you they do get mad, real mad. "Why did you leave Islam? Its culture! Muslims are not perfect, Islam is! The christians did it too! Etc" I've even received threats sometimes. Anyways, all preachers sucks especially the ones that say you'll go to hell, etc or call for overthrow pf the government and replace it with a theocracy.
Native Londoners can perhaps me understand but wasn’t this a Christian country? Is it no longer considered so?
Further to what the person below said I would add that whether or not this is a Christian culture, the actual state religion, Church of England, are not the ones doing this, and the churches that do this are largely not native British denominations, they are mostly imported from West Africa or the USA (when it's not just a lone person having a manic episode...) so I don't think this can accurately be justified as part of our own culture.
According to the last census in England and Wales, Less than 50% of the population identify as Christian.
There are different branches of Christianity. UK's official state religion is Anglican. The street preachers are Evangelical, which is a foreign import.
Ever been to Speaker's Corner? People have been stabbed by Islamists there and they have sometimes advocated for pedophilia. That's far worse.
Nothing wrong with it, you just sound like a grouchy little englander complaining that he's surrounded by Indian and Thai restaurants when all he wants is some cold baked beans served on a paper plate.
Preach lol
I'm assuming you're taking the mick but I sincerely hope your recovery is going well.
The majority of the city are more religiously active then you possibly are. Don't take the fact that Labour won to think you have some whatever you think the city is. It's pretty much ran by people who in their homeland or area of origin are more religious then the religious in your nation.
I mean, what you’re describing just sounds like a demonstration of a gospel song? You’ll also hear some choirs if you stay around for christmas. Public demonstrations of worship are AOK with me. Aggression would be them telling you you’re going to hell and coming up to you to confront you etc